The Killing Gene - Unrated (2006/Dimension Extreme/Genius DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C
I like a
good, dark thriller with edge and think Stellan Skarsgård is one of the most
underrated actors of his generation.
When I heard he was the co-star of Tom Shankland’s The Killing Gene (2006) I had hoped for another Insomnia and hoped he had landed a
solid script with some challenge. Trying
to emulate Se7en, the film has
bizarre murders with marked bodies in the middle of current urban/ghetto
situations and that could have made for a tense thriller with a difference, but
the film eventually falls into the tired torture porn formula and the result is
a big disappointment.
Skarsgård
gives a fine performance and gives it his all; maybe more than he should have
considering the result, while he is matched by a good performance by Melissa
George (Alias) in the ‘new partner’
role. Unfortunately, besides the lame
torture angle that eventually ruins a good idea, the subplots cannot hold together,
too many are tried and you eventually could care less who gets killed,
mutilated or otherwise because it is such a mess. Selma Blair also stars.
The
anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image looks good in many shots, but is styled
down and with its motion blur, suggests an HD shoot even over a bad digital
internegative of any kind of film shoot.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has some good soundfield, fairly good music
and usually good dialogue. Extras
include the trailer, two making-of featurettes, deleted scenes and a
multiple-interview piece.
- Nicholas Sheffo
