THE MUTILATION MAN (2011)

Directed by Derek & Shane Cole
Written by Derek & Shane Cole
Starring: Stephen Twardokus, Sabrina Carmichael, Jon Gale, Denise Gossett

Though shot on the budgetary low, I have to commend the makers of MUTILATION MAN on a well-done slasher flick. This type of horror film is often a slave to convention, but writers/directors Derek & Shane Cole keep the scope low while aiming high with stylistic and patient shots throughout, making MUTILATION MAN a slasher film with much potential.

At first, the motivations of the masked killer in MUTILATION MAN are murky. The filmmakers take their time unraveling the reasoning behind his rampage, but the whys, though important, don’t seem to be what the makers of this film are interested in. The film really excels at setting a tense scene and milking it for all it’s worth. A couple are taken by surprise by the killer and bound and gagged in their garage. A timer is set. And when the alarm goes off, the killer reenters the scene and tortures the couple a little more. These scenes grew in intensity throughout the film and inevitably pay off in the final moments.

The acting is not the best. The film looks to be shot on digital in someone’s office and home with very little when it comes to expansive locale and scene. The story is somewhat by the numbers, and the Mutilation Man looks and acts a whole lot like Michael Meyers. But with a level of tension set on high due to some clever editing and shot composition, MUTILATION MAN reaches beyond its budget limitations. Given a bigger budget, it’d be interested to see what these directors could do with a creepy character like the Mutilation Man, who is obviously being set up for something bigger by the way this film ends.

Check out the trailer here!!