Sometimes whilst watching a movie, particularly for the first time, you can find yourself disregarding the content because of its strikingly overt comparisons with other films. Whether the picture is good, bad or indifferent, such similarities often result in a subjective and critical opinion of the film, something I attempted to stave off whilst watching ‘The Last Horror Movie’. Indeed, many hardened horror flick fans will instantly notice obvious inspirations taken from John McNaughton’s disturbing ‘Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer’ (1986), George Romero’s gritty ‘Martin’ (1977) and most obviously, Remy Belvaux’s seminal ‘Man Bites Dog’ (1994).
However, to simply dismiss this movie on these grounds is unfair, as it is actually very good indeed. From the moment the genial, refined serial killer Max Parry (Kevin Howarth) peers into the lens of his camcorder and gazes directly into your eyes, you begin to gain a sense of the nihilistic and amoral impulses that drive him. It features a narrative in the same style to that of ‘Man Bites Dog’, but is based within a completely different cultural setting, which conveys a very British sense of cynicism and black humour.
As the film progresses, we witness Max killing people in a variety of locations and scenarios, whilst articulating in amiable tones about his motivations, a far cry from the brutal and basic dialogue of a film like ‘Henry’. Indeed, it is from Max’s thoughtful, philosophical musings that the film comes into its own, as it overtly asks the viewer to question not only his incentives to kill but also their own in watching such a movie. Many of the murders in the film are graphic and visceral, and the tone, feel and atmosphere of ‘The Last Horror Movie’ at times make the experience feel quite unnerving.
Overall, this is a film that may turn off those who have seen its like before, but for the uninitiated, ‘The Last Horror Movie’ will surely prove to be a disturbing induction into the mind of a merciless killer, and does so in such a fashion that some people will be unable to watch and others will have to, because they know they shouldn’t.
