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Directed by Written by Starring Unrated Presented by 100 minutes |
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OTIS
Review
Over the past few years, we’ve been accustomed to horror films that go into the mind and routine of a serial killer. In most cases it is done with the physical and emotional torture of the killer’s victims while we the viewers are meant to understand the psyche. With this in mind, a new film called OTIS has been meant to parody this new rise of “torture porn psychological thrillers,” but it surprisingly manages to fare better than most films taken seriously, because OTIS is a frightening and satirical look at not only the profile of a killer but the rather mundane reactions of those around the victim. The title character (played well by Bostin Christopher) is a middle aged pizza deliveryman who is also a deadly serial killer. He abducts young women, chains them up in a shed, calls them Kim, dresses them up like cheerleaders, and asks them to go to the prom with him. His sixth victim is Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson) and for the first half of the film we see Otis through his routine. He calls up the girl’s parents (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas) asking their permission to take “Kim” to the prom, and slowly attempts to get Riley to fall for him. Otis dresses up like a football player and goes on dates. He even has a makeout session with her in his Trans Am (which is still in the shed) and plays home movies of his acts to her. Meanwhile, her parents are on the edge hoping for their daughter’s safety while dealing with an inept police criminologist (Jere Burns) who says the most insensitive things to the family that doesn’t help them at all. When Riley escapes, the family decides to take manners into their own hands to extract revenge on Otis, who tries to find solace in his abusive brother Elmo (Kevin Pollak). OTIS is a very unusual film but an entertaining one that defines the term black comedy. The one thing is that the film is too disturbing to really generate any laughs. Otis’ methods are purely sick and should not be meant to draw laughs at its quirkiness, but the way the Lawson family decides to take revenge is where the comedy lies, but to be honest I can’t necessarily blame them for acting the way they are. It does bring forth the question of what you would do if someone hurt a member of your family taken to the extreme, but it is funny. The cast is top notch, with Bostin Christopher great in the title role of Otis, parlaying creepiness to the extreme. Kevin Pollak is also great as his abusive brother Elmo who unwillingly gets drawn into the family’s revenge. As the vengeful parents, Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas give the best performances as Douglas shows a cold exterior while Stern freaks out, it’s a nice contrast. Jere Burns is also funny as a criminologist who takes his job too literally though he’s not the best at it. Ashley Johnson is also good as the imperiled Riley, who spends the entire first half a kidnap victim forced to give in to Otis’ sick, twisted pleasures. The script is top notch by Thomas Schnauz and Erik Jendresen, balancing the horror and the humor well and portraying it in a realistic fashion. The only thing I disagree with is the approach to make Otis sympathetic, which I couldn’t. The man is a monster and he turns a family into monsters over his actions. Tony Krantz does a fine job in directing and the film goes rather quickly at its 100 minute running time. The DVD has some good special features, with commentary by Krantz and Jendresen providing insight into the making of the film. There’s also an alternate ending (which I’m glad they didn’t put in) and Otis’ short film made for Riley. In all, OTIS was a tremendous surprise, a well made film that as I said before is the perfect definition of black comedy that goes to some twisted, unexpected places. It’s a good independent film that satirizes the serial killer and revenge film with some original moments that will satisfy horror and film fans. OTIS: 8 Out Of 10 Maggots CLICK HERE FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH DIRECTOR TONY KRANTZ!
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