Every once in a while, there comes a film that really makes you feel something that you can't quite put into words. Killer Joe is that films.
The film marks a solid representation of what you'd get if Bad Lieutenant, Training Day, and Cape Fear were all rolled into one. It's shockingly unrepentant and a great watch, even if it does place its toes over the line on some occasions. The story centers around Emile Hirsch's Chris Smith, a Texas boy who gets into trouble with a debt that he most certainly cannot repay. In order to make amends, he hires the services of a corrupt cop to kill his mother so that he can collect the benefits. What follows is a strange and marvelous sight to behold, one that simply must be seen to be fully understood.
McConaughhey's Killer Joe Cooper is his best role to date, and I'd love to hear some Oscar talk for both his performance and that of his co-stars. The controversy over the rating is justified, and even with clever editing I don't see how they will get by with any cuts. Killer Joe should be seen as is, and director William Friedkin proves he still has it.
