The Killing Jar (1997) Review

"Are you against me, Diane!?"

-Michael Sanford

Michael Sanford (Brett Cullen) returns to his hometown, along with his wife, Diane (Tamlyn Tomita), to take over his family's vineyard.  Soon after, a serial killer starts butchering families in the region and Michael accidentally witnesses one of the crimes.  He ends up helping the police by going through hypnosis to reveal more about what he saw, but awakens memories and secrets hidden in his past.  As the killings continue, everyone, including Diane, becomes more and more suspicious that Michael is actually the one behind all of the murders...

What Works:

I found The Killing Jar on a collection of 25-horror movies that I had never heard of.  This was the 10th film in the collection that I watched, with none of the other 9 being any good.  I didn't have high-hopes for this once, but I was shocked to discover how much I enjoyed it.  Sure, it's a low-budget, independent thriller and it has many flaws, but it's actually a fun and engaging movie.  One thing to note, it's a thriller, not a horror movie, and doesn't belong on that collection, but it beats everything else I've seen on there so far.

The Killing Jar felt like a low-budget, straight to TV, mystery thriller, with a smidge of Stephen King added to the story.  This could have gone poorly, but the filmmakers managed to do a lot right, especially with some of the little things.  The score is surprisingly good.  I was really digging the music and it also added some emotional weight to several scenes.  There is also a moment with some excellent gore.  It involves a fishhook through an eyeball.  I wasn't expecting it in the slightest, but really enjoyed when it happened.

One thing that helps is the acting.  Brett Cullen, Xander Berkeley, and M. Emmet Walsh are all solid actors and I've seen them in plenty of other things.  They all do a great job in this film giving emotional weight to dialogue that...isn't the best.  There characters were all interesting because of the actors and I give them props.

The film is a bit of a whodunnit and it does a solid job.  I didn't know who the killer really was or where the film was going to end up going.  It was a bit all over the place at times, but that helped make the film unpredictable for the most part.  It definitely made it more enjoyable to watch.

What Sucks:

As I mentioned above, the dialogue isn't the best.  It's repetitive at times and cringey at others.  Cullen, Berkeley, and Walsh all manage to sell it, but some of the lesser actors aren't as effective.  In fact, a few of the supporting and minor actors are pretty bad.

The problem with the film being a bit all over the place is that it leaves a few plot threads hanging.  The film is poorly resolved and the fates of several characters are left ambiguous.  Some characters who we thought were important were somewhat abandoned part way through.  The script as a whole could have used some tightening up.

Verdict:

I don't think I could possibly have had lower expectations going into The Killing Jar, but I was pleasantly surprised with an enjoyable movie.  There are some excellent performances, thrilling moments, a great score, and a fishhook through an eyeball!  Sure, the dialogue, the story, and some of the acting could have been improved, but this was a fun little movie that I'm glad I happened upon.

 7/10: Good