INTERVIEW WITH A SERIAL KILLER (1993) DVD
Label: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Director: Chris Jones
Cast: Peter Firth, Harriet Robinson, Don Henderson
Plot: When Ellen Carter a well-known crime novelist advertised a room for rent, she was looking for a female tenant. But when a polite, male dentist named Leslie Steckler turned up on her doorstep, she decided to make an exception. Now Carter has reason to believe that Steckler is the White Angel, a serial killer who has brutally murdered more than a dozen blonde, white-clad women. When Steckler discovers that Carter also has a murderous past, he uses his findings as leverage to convince her to write his biography. But Carter must make a choice—finish the story or kill off its main character…before he kills her.
Film: Interview with a Serial Killer (1993) also known as WHITE ANGEL is decent but modestly budgeted thriller that is greatly enhanced by the performances of it's two main protagonists; Ellen (Harriet Robinson) and Leslie (Peter Firth, Lifeforce). Set in the suburbs of London this thriller has crime novelist Ellen Carter taking on a new tenant in her flat. The new guy Leslie is a dentist and it's always great to have someone in the medical profession close by but Leslie also turns out to be a cross-dressing, serial killer who's known in the press an the White Angel killer. Leslie being a killer himself strongly suspects that Leslie may have murdered her abusive husband who's gone missing. After discovering Ellen's dark secret the two reach a tenuous agreement through blackmail by which Ellen is coerced into penning the killers memoirs, but when Ellen suspects that Leslie may have offed her former flatmate she begins a campaign to rid herself of him, but things don't quite go according to plan. There are some nice story strands as Ellen is dogged by a homicide investigator who's always suspected she offed her missing husband and then there's a hammer recovered at the latest White Angel murder scene which may have her fingerprints on it which leads to a deliciously twisted finale. The film is a bit claustrophobic as 90% of the film takes place in Ellen's home but the acting and some nice shots of the killer filming the murders prove intriguing.
DVD: The film is presented in 1.33:1 fullframe aspect ratio despite the being advertised as widescreen with a 2.0 stereo soundtrack. No subtitles or bonus features are included.
Verdict: A tense and well-acted thriller. I can't recommend you run out an buy it but if you run across it I think you'll be intrigued. A recommend for those who enjoy a good British psychological thriller and won't mind it's made-for-television aesthetic.
2.5 outta 5
