This feature-length identikit of any police procedural you care to mention doesn’t exactly sit squarely in the STARBURST sandbox. Serial killer story, yes, but splatter filled kills? No. Sadly, the plot is as generic as it possibly can be. A rookie cop sees suspicious event that her superiors are uninterested in, follows up on the case and saves a young prostitute from another bout of right-wing monologuing by the handsome but damaged killer we’ve seen a million times before. Spoilers? Absolutely, but you’ll have guessed them yourself by the end of the introduction scene to the film’s protagonist, a turgid re-treading of the ‘this one’s a tough, uncompromising newbie’ scene in a boxing training gym.
Our serial killer probably has mummy issues, he’s in love with a stripper and guess what – he gets a touch of the collywobbles when he discovers that his meticulously researched current victim is only 16. Characterisation, the story, and the script are not exactly selling points here, and while a film is generally defined by its writing quality, there is still a little to enjoy.
The cast do a fine job of acting their socks off while spewing a stream of clichés last heard in everything you’ve ever seen a cop in. The editing, however, is top drawer and the cinematography is beautiful in places. Hats off to whomever scouted the locations on this one – each locale perfectly fits the intent for which it was chosen. Likewise, the lighting and few special effects shots.
From a story standpoint there is little to recommend Killer Among Us, but it is not without its charms, if only technical ones.
Worth a watch if ‘killer of the week’ tv shows are your thing, but don’t expect twists, turns or even thrills.
