You're the best life coach ever, Val. Metacritic Reviews. Not entertaining the story is boring and very predictable which I could of forgiven if the murders were creative or there had been some dark humour .in short they should of decided what kind of film they were making. All this changes on the day that Louise meets Val (Poppy Roe, who also edited and produced), a self-proclaimed life coach. brings the story of Lou and Val. [4][5] The film received favorable reviews.[2]. The film, written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, revolves around self-help addict Lou Farnt. They begin with Lou being aloof and attending several self help, self healing type retreats that people sometimes take part in, most are crazy but it strikes a cord because couldn't we all use a good deep breath away from the hustle and bustle of the world and take in bit of nature and fresh air? Lou is quiet and shy, not blind. Weve seen this story beat used more effectively in other films. Thoroughly enjoyed this having come to see it without knowing anything about it. I think my biggest problem with the film is that it is just more boring than anything. Can HBO's The Last of Us bring zombie shows back to life? [2], Lorry Kikta of Film Threat wrote "[a] bone-dry dark horror-comedy, A Serial Killers Guide to Life, is I Heart Huckabees meets American Psycho by way of Thelma and Louise. #APStylebook #BBCStyleGuide http://shainethomas.com/, Movie Review: The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), Joseph Kahn reveals the concept art for his JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK pitch, Amandla Stenberg and Nonbinary Roles for Nonbinary Actors, Movie Review: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). Ironically, once Knoah realizes these are the two serial killers on the news, he says his publisher would just love their memoirs, and is on a phone call arranging a meeting when Val shoots him in the head. TV Shows. After finding Val living at a trailer park, from this point on, Lous life takes a dramatic turn. Director: Lena Dunham. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life sports a really feisty premise, but its modest execution is its ultimate demise. I didnt think that things got particularly interesting until maybe the last 20 minutes or so and I am still not sure if I liked the big twist at the end or not as it reminded me of the ending of High Tension in a lot of ways (which I despised and feel ruined the entire movie for me). When Lou attends a motivational seminar, Val, a forty-something woman, reaches out to Lou. Apple TV & Privacy But her mother's emotional abusiveness changes her mind. The cinematography is notable, particularly in capturing the rural settings. Marcus (Owain Rhys Davies), the vibrational healer and his herbal relaxant certainly needed that bread knife. Irritated with her life, not to mention her mother, Lou attends a self-help seminar. As the movie opens, Lou, a twenty-something who still lives at home with her miserable mum, is listening to a self-help/motivational tape while doing a beach walk on the southern coast of England. Smart and clever, A Serial Killers Guide to Life is a brilliantly well-executed dark comedy. Katie Brayben really stands out as Lou and you cant help but feel for her. "[14], Commenting on the musical score, Josh Sandy of The Mancunion, the University of Manchester student newspaper, said it "is packed full of orchestral pieces. You did pretty good for your first time. Copyright 2023 Sian Clifford . It sounds like Val has a score to settle with the self-help expert. Poppy Roe and her drama-school schoolmate Katie Brayben starred. Run time: 1h 48m. Noah, a self-help coach, exudes confidence as he expresses his thoughts. Lou is a poor, pitiful woman that is obsessed with a self-help guru. https://bit.ly/3iEQTqW, Theres Something Wrong with the Children has a lot more going on for it than your average creepy-kid #horror #movie. Constantly reminded of her situation, Lou is a small-town girl whos feeling the pangs of being in a rut. Internet Service Terms All rights reserved. . I found myself a mentor in Colin Goudie (editor of Monsters and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), who I met on an editing workshop he spoke at. 2019. "Come see me if you want to change", Val tells Lou. The two struggle, and Val is being overpowered when Lou kills the husband. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. The real highlight of the film is the interplay between Brayben and Roe. She is obsessed with bettering her life thanks to listening to a self-help guru that she is dying to meet in person. Very bizarre, very British, very funny, very good! Its this same chemistry that we saw in the short film This Way Out. When you give yourself over to possibility, anything can and will happen, Noah said in a voiceover. [8], After premiering at the London FrightFest Film Festival on 24 August 2019,[3] it later played at such festivals as England's Grimmfest: Manchester's International Festival of Fantastic Film[9] and Fantastic Film Festival Australia. I didnt think that it was a horrible movie by any means, but at the same time I just dont think that it was nearly as great as all of other people have made it out to be. ASKGTL takes us on a bizzare, original, dark and funny journey in the form of a road trip to enlightenment via a number of grizzly murders. I also really liked Ben Lloyd-Hughes as the self-help guru that Lou is enamored with. "[11] James Perkins of Starburst wrote "Satire is very difficult to do - especially when trying to find the balance of telling an interesting story and also being respectful to anyone affected by the source material. Motivational speakers? She is a very sympathetic character and I found myself rooting for her for most of the movie. Simply film, quite okay, mildly interesting as mentioned. Lou Farnt: It did feel pretty empowering, you know? Copplia, a life-size dancing doll in the ballet of the same name, choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Lo Delibes (1870); The word robot comes from Karel apek's play, R.U.R. Someone just no life live in control of her mother. The title could have been an interesting one, and the story's pacing and camera language were an indescribable failure.The action scenes are also very simple. Whilst the two women possess significant differences, one cant help but notice Lou has a well-hidden darkness lurking within her. www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The film was a directorial debut for Statin Cousins-Roe. 1 Hour 20 Minutes. They find him a pathetic wreck, going through a terrible divorce and about to be dropped by his publisher for having no new book ideas. Its a twist that is substantially borrowed from Fight Club (1999) but one the film pulls off to modest effect. Note the scene where she picks up a rock and begins to run after a woman. Poppy Roe, . Whilst this may be a slightly unorthodox choice, the increasingly discordant and erratic music provides the ideal accompaniment to Lou's rapidly deteriorating mental state. At a different self-help guru's lecture, Lou sees a middle-aged women who strikes her attention. Unfortunately, Val happens to be a serial killer and before you know it the bodies are piling up and Lou is soon way in over her head. Harsh Light News is now available on the News360 website and app. Where the film does become more interesting is the twist where it reveals [PLOT SPOILERS] (with a certain ambiguity) that Poppy Roes Val is actually an imaginary companion/split personality in Lous head. While standing in line at a book signing following a talk by one self-help guru, Lou meets and is awed by the self-assured Val Stone who describes herself as a life coach. Meh. What A Serial Killer's Guide to Life attempts is a very tricky balancing act. Val urges Lou to kill her. Stuff happens. As the road trip continues, the body count increases. Her mother is appalled by this notion. Cast: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott. Its the real deal. This is just further proof that you cant trust anyone online. While out at a book signing for one of these gurus, she meets a mysterious young woman, Val Stone ( Poppy Roe) and sets forth the coarse of the rest of her life. Weve got a #spoiler free review ready but, more importantly, check it out when it drops on digital next week. Genre: Historical comedy. - My ' conspiracy theory', Straps you in and takes you on a bloody journey with Lou and Val, The UK's "Thelma and Louise" is quirky and entertaining, Started going places, but ended up at Nothingburger. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is structured in vignettes, each one corresponding to a platitude from Chuck Knoahs teachings. Cheddar Goblin is my co-pilot. "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" (2019 release from the UK; 80 min.) Low budget film making at its level best. . into the film, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. The same can be said for Poppy Roe as she does a great job bringing the character of Val to life. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. Lou and Val leave their car behind and take the couple's minivan. Lou has a mundane life and an overbearing control-freak of a mother (Sarah Ball) shed like to escape. A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE is a wickedly fun ride for anyone fond of a laugh at (fictional) murder. 02/09/2020 Soon Val and Lou are traveling the English countryside. At one of these seminars she meets Val (Poppy Rose) who is everything that Lou wants to be and is soon convinced to leave her life behind and join Val on the road. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. When James Franco made his soap opera debut in 2009, it was as a serial killer named Franco on ABC's General Hospital. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE DIRECTOR: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / SCREENPLAY: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / STARRING: POPPY ROE, KATIE BRAYBEN, BEN LLOYD-HUGHES, SINEAD MATTHEWS, SIAN CLIFFORD, TOMIWA EDUN / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 13TH A young woman struggling to find her place in the world turns to the world of self-help. I dont think I was the target audience for it so people who are more into films of this nature will probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. Todd Martin Watch jet-black comedy film! It was very carefully and skillfully filmed, even more surprising when you learn it was made on a tiny budget. www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Writer, director, editor Staten Cousins-Roe has created a wonderfully dark world as seen through the eyes of Lou, a young woman trapped at home with a frightningly needy mother. Brayben as Lou is so very, very sad sack in films opening scenes that watching Roes film, one has a difficult time warming up to her. The best part was the end, I'll never get that time back again, only pleasurable part was seeing the actress who played Val, her big eyes and appeal kept me from turning it off. Lou is a pitiful woman that most people (including her overbearing mother) treat like garbage and she just takes it and tries to go on with her life. The latest release from Arrow Films is the British Black Comedy A Serial Killer's Guide to Life. Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma & Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). Catherine Called Birdy. But when she looks again, the woman is gone. They are opposites in every way imaginable. On paper it does, but I just thought that something was lost between the script and the actual execution of things. Watch. On the other hand, the film promptly takes a far darker turn and ends up more in the territory of something like Ben Wheatleys darkly comedic Sightseers (2012), or perhaps even tvs The End of the Fucking World (2017-9). The film welcomely digs its teeth into self-help gurus and New Age life coaches everything from Tree Huggers and primal howls in the wild; from a Laughter Yoga group to rebirthers; to a duo who trigger orgasms in the other using sound vibrations. He complimented "its two fantastic leads, Katie Brayben and Poppy Roe. Menu. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. Unfortunately for Lou, Val's a serial killer. Sometimes a man's and a woman's vision is literally ingrained deep within their own minds and it burns deep begging to be out on film, now just breathe and concentrate of the type of man or woman you truly want to be and show the world i can.yes this review was taking a deep physiological turn as does this film, well a simple deep escape sort of speak. The short film, starring Poppy Roe, Katie Brayben, Sarah Ball, Christopher Gilling, and Adam. Shortly thereafter, we see our main character listening to Noah through her headphones as she walks aimlessly. So when strange and strikingly confident new life coach Val invites her on a road trip of alternative therapies, Lou finds the perfect opportunity to leave, and the perfect person to become. Beautiful shot scenery and a star making performance from Poppy Roe. A day later, at Val's invitation, Lou visits her at a caravan park. And on that note, these words also apply to the main character. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is bookended by brief platitudes from fictional motivational speaker Chuck Knoah. These arent people who have wronged her in any way, more than the most superficial. "A Serial Killer's Guide To Life follows Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben): a 30-something, . The indie horror comedy "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" delivers plenty of jokes and blood at the expense of self help gurus who prey on the weak. The other issue is how much this bothers you. "Visualize who you want to become!" Poppy Roe as Val is what will draw you in, because shes positively electric, but as Lou, Katie Brayben absolutely transforms from a milksop to a fully-realized person, and its brilliant to see someone grab life by the horns and smack it in the forehead with a rolling pin. There, Lou describes a road trip of discovery she is taking the next day, and insinuates that Lou should join her. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). | Watch A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Official Trailer 1. Val takes her on a tour where they visit various other self-help gurus and life coaches. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - ARROW A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma and Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). Unfortunately, Val happens to be a serial killer and before you know it the bodies are piling up and Lou is soon way in over her head. May be too 'odd' for some but still highly recommended. Not amused by her paying more attention to her audio device than she is with where shes walking, the guy tells her to watch where youre f*cking going. Her response is awkwardly mumbled. Bravo Mr. Roe for doing just that, the writer, the producer, the director, damn even the editor, absolutely a gem that I would be proud to show anyone looking a good recommendation. There are plenty of murders and blood but it's not horrific or even violent. This film follows the wonderfully British tradition of darkly comic understatement! It doesn't have any meaning to take away. The movie really needs to buy into this concept considerably further, rather than gently nodding its head. And the last thing most of us want to do is put in actual time and effort on ourselves to get there. Ill admit that the premise sounds promising. In the end ,the characters were under-developed, and the plot actions implausible. Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma & Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). 2020, The character work between Lou and Val is the real highlight, along with the pitch-black humor. Wow just 9 stars and not a full 10 you ask? Depending on whether you give any credence to what the practitioners do or instead, view them as money-grubbing charlatans, your mileage may vary as to how stoked you are for their inevitable demise, but personally, I felt some of them definitely deserved it. I thought she did a wonderful job in the role and she is probably the highlight of the film in my opinion. 1/2 But moments later, when police arrive, Val seems to have vanished. Loser, self-help junkie living as a 'slave' to her deranged mother Both actors do a stellar job of bringing them both to life and are well supported by the rest of the cast. User Ratings She meets Val one day and they hit it off from the start even though they are totally different people and they go on a trip together, visiting several self-help retreats and the like. Wanting something better, Lou follows the teachings of various self-help gurus, but especially that of Chuck Knoah. [6], Shooting on a ridiculously tight budget meant problem solving continuously. Yes, it is a quirky short story that has been stretched to make a film but it's still watchable. On the one hand, as a horror, it demands a taut, lean, thrill-ride, on the other, as a road movie, it would suggest a meandering, spiritual journey. Cleopatra Entertainment Unleashes The Long Dark Trail on Blu-ray/DVD! Lou dreams of self improvement and a better life. Val and Lou, with how Roe and Brayben present the characters, complement each other perfectly. Val makes her an offer to be Lou's life coach and is going along for the ride. Roe's Val isn't your typical killer, either: she's guarded, yes, but also nervous. If you appreciate low budget independent films then you'll have no reason for enjoying this one. Lou does, however, notice a spec of blood on Vals face. 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Part One, The 3 Best, and Only, Thanksgiving Themed Horror Movies, Top Ten Horror Films For the Holidays 2022 from HNN Presents & Bayview Entertainment, Marketing Macabre Must Read Book List for Halloween 2022, Top Ten Exclusives For 2022 from HalloweenCostumes.com. Overall, A Serial Killers Guide to Life is an assured, if slightly flawed, feature debut. We are subjected to way too many scenes where nothing happens other than Lou and Val sitting around talking about things, I just didnt care about in the first place. A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. External Reviews Lou, in contrast to Val, is meekly awkward. Dir: Staten Cousins Roe The tone of both Roe and Lowes film have a certain hazy quality to them, as well, wherein its difficult to know whether were experiencing the story as it actually happened, or if the storys a bit muddled, courtesy of our not-quite-insane-but-definitely-slightly-mad unreliable narrator. The film establishes well the banality of Katie Braybens dull nowhere life in Brighton, England amid caravan parks and dreary beachfront pavilions; her home life with her mother having to scrub her back in the bath at one point which sits at pointed contrast to the clichs of the positive thinking tapes Katie ingests. Izzy. An unknown serial killer offing the favorites of Salem or Port Charles is a common storyline used on soaps, . A Serial Killers Guide To Life, Val, something that makes the character feel familiar, has a positively sinister aura around her. The duo are soon big news, their exploits providing fodder for tabloids and talk radio as they barrel toward their final destination. In Winterbottoms film, Reeves was dragged along by a deranged Amanda Plummer. Staten Cousins Roe, Previous post: Inherit the Viper Doesnt Bite, Next post: Disturbing the Peace is a Crime, All Original Content 2007-2011 Scene-Stealers.com | Privacy Policy, Stunning The Lighthouse Deserves Your Attention, I Kill Giants Doesnt Inspire the Way its Built To, Danny Boyles New Film Puts You In a Trance, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a beached whale of a film. Spoiler-free #review is up. She throws her food and then herself on the floor. Really, though, its Lous growth and dawning realization as to Vals plan as well as the connectivity between the two which anchors A Serial Killers Guide To Life. And often these targets of the satire seem as though they are barn doors broad enough that they barely need to be spoofed. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. Though that may reflect the films general lack of impact. Few films come along with a director, actors, actresses, producers, that will give that big wow factor while pitching the project to a major studio. Colin encouraged me after watching a rough cut, giving some golden advice. We also kindly got edit notes from Julian Doyle (editor of Brazil, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail), which supported the comic timing beautifully. Lou is initially oblivious to what is going on, seeming to be overwhelmed by her newfound freedom. Pacing of the story was perfect with the editing, absolutely brilliant story telling. FAQ Spoilers The synopsis below may give away important plot points. Sounds interesting, right? But, you guys. Along the way, Lou and Val drop in on numerous questionable self-help practitioners. 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