Film: Some Guy Who Kills People
Starring: Kevin Corrigan
Directed by: Jack Perez

The double-edged sword of movie award season is and has always been the fact it shines a light on some, but not all of independent cinema’s brightest moments. Over the years, Hollywood has become better at recognizing and highlighting the efforts of dreamers, more in recent years than ever before in fact, but there are still dozens of titles every year that pass too under that radar for the powers that be to notice. Some Guy Who Kills People, which has spent the past year on the festival circuit, is not only that kind of movie, it may in fact be the most overlooked film of 2011.

Directed by Jack Perez and written by Ryan Levin, Some Guy Who Kills People follows Ken Boyd, a man recently released from a mental institution and currently working at an ice cream parlor. Ken lives with his mother, keeps to himself, and has dozen of little nuances, all wonderfully portrayed by Kevin Corrigan, that each inform the viewer in their own way that something is not quite right with the protagonist. Ken comes to the conclusion shortly after the film begins that the best way to handle people responsible for his miserable life is through murder and before you know it, we are off and running on one of the darkest, blood-soaked comedies in recent memory.

Though I am not familiar with Perez’s previous directorial work, his approach to capturing the crooked mind of Ken Boyd is something I will not soon forget. Using Levin’s script as a blueprint, Perez masterfully paints a surrealist view of the modern world, ripe with comical quick takes and horror standards. This is aided, if not made entirely believable thanks to the award-worthy performance of Corrigan, who might as well have defined his career with the role. He is engaging, yet reserved, and manages to make you comfortable long before letting you know much, if anything, about his character. A true testament to his skill.

Though Some Guy Who Kills People is still making festival rounds and has yet to have a physical release, I cannot recommend enough that any and all true cinephiles seek it out as soon as they are able. In a time where cinema feels flooded with regurgitated ideas and half-brained attempts at “epics,” Some Guy Who Kills People emerges quietly from the grey of indie film and showcases something entirely unique that deserves to be seen.

Review written by: James Shotwell (Follow him on Twitter)

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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