I Am Not a Serial Killer

Originality is hard to come by, especially in horror films, but there's a good dose of it in this stylish and beguiling little chiller based on the first book in Dan Wells's young adult book series. Infused with teen angst, it stars Max Records (Where the Wild Things Are) as a troubled small-town teen who helps embalm bodies in the family funeral parlour and is morbidly obsessed with death and serial killers. So, he thinks all his Christmases have come at once when the town begins suffering a series of brutal murders and missing body parts. But who dunnit? Max's suspicions are aroused by his elderly next-door neighbour (Christopher Lloyd of the Back to the Future franchise). There are many things to like about I Am Not a Serial Killer and chief among them is Lloyd's performance. The veteran actor patently relishes not only a meaty role, but the chance to escape being cast as an outright madman. Overall, the film lives up to his great presence.