Some Guy Who Kills People (2011) User Reviews

Good Film with Bad Title

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 20 July 2012]

This has to be the worst title the producers could possibly have come up with; someone must have lost a bet. It's a shame because it is really good and very few people will ever see it, unless the word of mouth helps, as happened with Boondock Saints. I reluctantly watched that and ended up loving it.

Ken works at an ice cream parlor after being released from a mental hospital. He has nightmares of a hazing type of attack from his high school days. One by one the classmates responsible die horrible deaths. Barry Bostwick is the town sheriff, and he is wise ass who is having a good time with Ken's mother played by Karen Black. She and Bostwick are terrific and sarcastically funny throughout. Ariel Gade is Ken's daughter Amy, and she is an actress to watch out for. The chemistry between her and Kevin Corrigan as Ken, her father, are totally believable. The girl is an absolute natural; never mugging for the camera, as many child actors have a tendency to do.

Ken is an outcast living with his mother and spending his spare time drawing sketches. His daughter finds out that he is her biological father and they have an awkward reunion. This is a murder mystery, a comedy, and a sporadically violent family film, all at the same time. Although a bit confused, the acting is so good, I was able to accept some plot holes along the way. Bostwick and Black are funny as hell, and the young Ariel Gade still manages to steal the picture, her potential is unlimited. Ignore the ridiculous title and trust me; try it, you'll like it.

What a nice surprise this movie turned out to be...

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 15 December 2012]

This movie totally surprised me in a good way. With the name of the movie, I thought that this was going to be one of those movies. Yeah, you know the kind I am talking about. Boy was I surprised when this movie was finished.

Despite having a super cheesy named, "Some Guy Who Kills People", then the movie really had a great storyline and it was really nicely executed. Plus the characters in the movie were really interesting, vibrant and full of personalities. And of course, the great cast really helped moving the movie along nicely.

The story is about socially-challenged Ken Boyd (played quite well by Kevin Corrigan) who has been released from a mental institution, and he is now living in a small rural community. Having been bullied by a bunch of people, Ken plans for the demise of his tormentors. Unforeseen, his estranged daughter shows up in his life after 11 years, and Ken is now also struggling to coming to terms with being a father.

"Some Guy Who Kills People" does have a great list of actors and actresses to its credit. As mentioned above, then Kevin Corrigan really did a great job in portraying the main character. And his daughter, played by Ariel Gade, really brought a lot of charisma and merriment to the movie. It was also great to see Barry Bostwick and Karen Black in their respective roles.

This is the type of movie that lets you slip into the storyline alongside the characters, because they are so nicely portrayed and have a lot of depth to their personalities. You quickly form bonds with characters and get carried away into the movie.

The movie is so wonderfully absurd and twisted that it is actually fun and a great treat to watch. The director, Jack Perez, really handled the balance between comedy and horror so well, and made it work so great, and the end result is a rather enjoyable movie that most likely will surprise most viewers.

If you haven't seen "Some Guy Who Kills People" yet, then you should treat yourself to it, because it is well worth a watch.

Very darkly funny film!

[barracuda_magoo · 7/10 · 27 March 2012]

Kevin Corrigan plays a former mental patient who is trying to re-adjust to society but is haunted by memories of high school bullies. When his estranged daughter shows up and forces a bond, he starts finding happiness again. Meanwhile, murdered old high school jocks start showing up around town and all signs point to the resident crazy person. This film was directed by Jack Perez, who previously directed Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus but don't let that discourage you - this flick is dark and hilarious. Corrigan does a great job, and Barry Bostwick, who plays a policeman, is very funny. Not to be missed if you are a fan of black comedy.

Gade shines through in a off-beat and somehow mesmerising film

[jtindahouse · 7/10 · 19 March 2019]

The first thing that attracted me to the film 'Some Guy Who Kills People' was the cast. It's full of actors and actresses who aren't perhaps household names, but have always done interesting projects and made the best of every role they've been given. And that's the best thing this film has going for it is the actors and their performances. Everyone is trying to outdo each other and it makes for great viewing.

Somehow through it all though the stand-out actor and stone-cold scene-stealer of the show is little Ariel Gade (in her last credited acting performance for some reason?). She is just terrific in every scene she is in. Whoever wrote her her dialogue did a particularly fantastic job, but also her delivery of those lines is a masterclass. She blew me away.

'Some Guy Who Kills People' is such an odd title for a film, but somehow that is fitting. This film is very off-centre and I think that's what I liked about it. I found myself glued to the screen. If you are looking for a polished film with every brick lining up perfectly then this is not the one for you. However, if you like a little mayhem and chaos in your cinema structure then you might just have the time of your life with this one.

A Gentle, Little Black Comedy...

[xheil · 6/10 · 13 December 2011]

...tailored to fit well with fans of many genres, and suitable for an occasion where you fancy something a little special.

This film brings an 'art-house' sensibility to the serial killer oeuvre, delicately interweaving the more macabre elements of shlock horror with a sweet tale of Americana.

The characters, though all somewhat disquieting, have a warmth which is slowly revealed. This is to be found most especially in our protagonist; the restrained and morose, yet decidedly murderous 'Ken Boyd', who at 34, still bears both the mental and physical scars of a kidnap and torture by several members of his high-school - snippets of which we are shown in flashback from the start, and which quickly evoke sympathy for our anti-hero.

That same sympathy is snatched away from us several times throughout the flick, only to have it returned as we see him begin to open up to his estranged daughter 'Amy', who walks into his life one day - and decides to stay, her sweet nature bringing a light of life into his dark world, her enthusiasm so infectious, it even persuades him to try dating.

All this is played against the backdrop of a small-town America where an intriguingly eccentric cop is trying to solve the spate of killings that have recently occurred there, while several more, most fascinating characters walk in and out of Ken and Amy's lives.

If I have any major complaints, it would be that the pacing is at times quite staid - on two occasions I found myself wanting the story to move along a bit faster. I also found the violence a little too understated, but then, that was in keeping with the rest of the movie, where subtext and understatement were the words of the day.

I also think I would have appreciated some of the characters being fleshed out a bit more, Ken's Mother being the prime example, for at times she is quite truculent toward him, then in other moments she shows a sweet tenderness toward Amy, I really couldn't quite grasp where her deep bitterness came from.

But again, it's fair to say I found everyone portrayed in this piece quite alluring, yet like the perfect guest who doesn't outstay their welcome, this little black comedy tottered off into the night...leaving me wanting more.

Enjoyable with light humor

[baywoodarborist · 7/10 · 14 May 2019]

Good low budget film. You find your self rooting for the supposed killer. The realationship with the man and his daughter was nice. The sheriff and mother were interesting characters. The director and camera work worked well.

Amateur film

[LaverneandShirleysucks · 1/10 · 23 December 2020]

Badly acted and boring. It's also shot terribly. For example, the lead guy takes one look at his childhood bully at a party and the next shot is of him chasing him down an alley with an axe. How did he get from looking at him at the party to suddenly chasing him down a dark alley to kill him? It was like there were whole scenes missing there. After that I just turned it off. Not worth my time. 1 star.

Beautifully crafted black comedy

[chaugnurfaugn-269-83012 · 9/10 · 14 May 2012]

The Dexter series has paved the way nicely for some modern anti-heroes. It's OK to be a serial killer provided the people you kill are not nice people. The worse the crime, the more acceptable (on screen) it is to kill the criminal and the less guilty we can feel about enjoying the spectacle of their death.

So Some Guy Who Kills People rides along on similar rails and gives us someone we can both root for, be afraid of and concerned about all in one highly confusing package.

Kevin Corrigan plays unorthodox Ken Boyd, a depressive cartoonist recently released from the 'loony bin' into a world he doesn't understand. Clearly resident in the kind of small town community where everyone knows everyone else, Boyd lives with his sardonic mother (Karen Black) and works the only job he can get: slopping out ice cream at the local diner.

Ken keeps his head down and his mouth shut, but life has a way of intruding on his self-imposed cocoon in the form of his best friend Irv's unyielding encouragement to get out there and grab the bull by the horns, the attentions of beautiful English girl Stephanie (Lucy Davis) and Ken's long absent daughter of eleven years, Amy. This trio of distractions are merciless in their presence, drawing Ken away from his preferred mode of introspection and silence.

Character development is awesome, with young Ariel Gade hitting just the right level of chatty pre-teen and needy daughter vs vulnerable sweet kid and mini-charmer to win us over rather than put us off. Corrigan is effortlessly charismatic despite his apparent predilection for decapitating his enemies, and his rarity of lines (despite his presence in most scenes). Lucy Davis is a little too attractive and besotted to be believable, particularly as the first time she encounters Ken he is dressed up in a most unbecoming giant ice-cream costume. Davis also has a limited acting range, giving the same performance here as she gave in The Office and other American projects of late.

But Barry Bostwick is simply sublime as the eminently watchable Sheriff Walt Fuller and Karen Black puts in a great performance as the disillusioned chain-smoking mother with only the lowest expectations in her son.

Ultimately a moral warning about the perils of withdrawing and allowing the past to consume the present; thus missing out on the important things (like the parent/child relationship) Some Guy Who Kills People is a thought-provoking, beautifully crafted tale from beginning to end featuring some of the most comically subtle black humour you're ever likely to see on the big screen. You'll laugh, but you'll also hover on the edge of your seat. Mixing comedy with genuine drama is no mean feat and full credit should go to Perez, Levin and their wonderful cast for pulling it off with unparalleled aplomb.

Andy Griffith meets "Fargo" ..........

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 17 April 2020]

With a small town Sheriff and his bumbling Deputy, you would swear you were in Mayberry. You are not however, you are in a "Fargo" like "black comedy", that is laced with Fargo's wood chipper type violence. The story of a High School prank that has left life long scars moves along quite nicely. Acting is above average for a low budget film, with Ariel Gade especially memorable. Don't let the generic title scare you off, as you will be missing something quite original. Also, you will be tempted to watch a second viewing almost immediately in order to clarify the ending. What sets the film apart is the fact that it is willing to take chances, and the fine acting by the entire cast. Recommended for the "dark comedy" crowd. - MERK

Nothing special here, please go on

[p_imdb-238-926380 · 1/10 · 14 December 2011]

This is the first review I write. I am just doing this to set things straight and bring a more realistic opinion into the reviews. Other reviews gave better ratings to this movie as for instance A Space Odyssey or Forest Gump or Shaw of the Dead have (how come? PR Agencies?).

This is a boring B-Movie with an uninteresting story, boring characters and no twists.

Here on IMDb this movie is listed as: - Horror - Comedy - Thriller

None of these specifications have been fulfilled up until 50% of the movie (for the rest I don't know, as I walked out). There is no "horror", occasionally there is some blood been shed, but no more than in Scream.

"Comedy" at best you could say this movie has a dull humor, well I didn't even grin for a second in this movie.

"Thriller" the only thing that thrilled me, was to see how far I can see this movie without going out of the theater.

I don't have high standards and enjoy nearly all genres. I know this movie didn't have a big budget, but nevertheless why should I care?

I gave this movie a 2, as it might be good on a Sunday morning to pass time while having a hangover. This is nothing you see to enjoy your time or have a good time with friends.

Fun, inventive, and unique

[nagyjr-80-585669 · 10/10 · 13 June 2011]

The title of this film, 'Some Guy Who Kills People' says it all. It's a tongue-in-cheek look at the horror and who-done-it films.

Kevin Corrigan and Barry Bostwick were great, but the person that really stole the film was Ariel Gade. She was funny and brash, but came off so sweet.

It has a dark subtle humor that I'm a fan of. The kind that makes you pay close attention so you don't miss a line. The Directing and cinematography were excellent, and the acting was spot on.

This is a film has many layers and will be liked for it's comedy, mystery, and horror elements.

A very satisfying performance ruined by a silly ending

[siderite · 7/10 · 29 December 2012]

I like Kevin Corrigan. He has played in over 100 movies and TV shows and I instantly recognize his face as he has that weird, yet cool look. As the protagonist of this here film, he is perfect, with just the right amount of creepy and nice to not know where the coin is going to drop. His daughter is also well interpreted by Ariel Gade, even if she has that annoying role of the teenager who, based on her experience, thinks she can get away with anything. You then understand my frustration with the ending, which introduces a ridiculous twist and turns the entire premise to crap.

Just having watched God Bless America and Hobo with a Shotgun, I thought a movie entitled Some Guy Who Kills People is the natural continuation. If you thought the same, let me dispel that thought. The movie is nothing like that. Instead deals with feelings of alienation, friendship, guilt and some pretty weird, but ultimately decent people.

To sum it up, this is a good movie. Some people might even like the ending. I obviously didn't and I think it ruined the entire film, but one can still dream around it, even so. The performance of the actors is very good, the atmosphere is nice, the little town feel is strong and irritating, which empowers the plot. It is worth viewing.

some guy who bores people

[Patronizing-Bunny-Rabbits · 4/10 · 30 July 2013]

Was expecting a funny horror maybe in the vein of a cheaper version of Shaun of the dead.It wasn't.

It never really got going and the ''twist'' ending was pretty underwhelming.I like Kevin in other movies he's been in not quite leading man material or possibly just needs another vehicle to better suit his talents.The mayor from spin city plays the sheriff in this one and is quite funny as the love interest of the killers mum witch sets up some funny scenarios.

was expecting much more from other reviews i read and am quite disappointed.Low budget is no excuse for bad writing.

4/10.If you've got nothing else to watch....find something else.

"Enjoy Your Delicious Scoop!"... "Most Bodies Have Heads!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 29 April 2019]

Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) seems like a regular guy in a regular dead-end job. However, while the job -ice cream parlor server / mascot- is awful, Ken himself has a terrible secret. He's haunted by a nightmarish incident from his past, when a group of town thugs put him through a torturous hell. Now, years later, these same goons start dying in gruesome ways.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Walt Fuller (Barry Bostwick) and his officers are on the case. In the midst of all this, someone enters Ken's life whom he never expected to see. Her name is Amy (Ariel Gade). She's pint-sized and about to change Ken's life forever.

SOME GUY WHO KILLS PEOPLE is a smart, wickedly funny, and refreshing take on the cat-and-mouse / serial killer / revenge movie. It works as a black comedy, a murder mystery, and, believe it or not, a touching father / daughter film! It has its poignant moments, which even tugged at this stone heart!

Corrigan is perfectly deadpan as the title character, and Ms. Gade provides the sunlight for an otherwise darkly comedic story. Bostwick makes a great, bumbling lawman, and Karen Black plays Ken's mom, Ruth, with her usual ease and grace. Lucy Davis takes on the part of Ken's suitably bewildered girlfriend.

A definite keeper...

A lot of fun

[danthepoetman · 6/10 · 14 August 2022]

Fun, efficient, very well put together, never a dull moment. It is somewhat told like a cartoon book or an illustrated novel, which fits the narrative. I suspect that it was a concerted effort in editing. Actors are good, are slightly overacting at times, almost taking the characters to caricatures, but once again, it fits the narrative. The main protagonist, Kevin Corrigan, is perfect in the role. Also a lot of fun to see Karen Black again, although her character is not well defined.

Yet, everything considered, it's a very good little movie, fun, well made and entertaining.

I thought we were doing puns.......

[FlashCallahan · 7/10 · 3 December 2013]

Ken Boyd is not long out of a mental hospital, and is working at an ice-cream parlour.

The people that put him in the mental hospital start turning up dead. He finds out he has a daughter while at the same time that these killings are happening in the town.

The local Sheriff is going out with Ken's mother and he starts to suspect that Ken is the killer.

All the evidence is pointing that way, and Ken's estranged daughter catches him in a compromising position. It's not looking good.....

What's striking about this film, is that it almost feels like something Terry Zwigoff could churn out in an afternoon. Its kooky, and a little leftfield, but never complicated, which is why it's endlessly watchable.

But the story is nothing original, man gets released from an asylum, and soon the people who put him there start turning up dead, the foundation for many horror movies during the eighties, except, this has a very humanistic element to it.

The inclusion of the protagonist having a daughter, and the narrative focusing on his relationships and returning to normality, rather than putting its all into the actual killings.

The lead is very endearing, and I could watch Lucy Davies read the phone book, but Bostwick steals the film with a really strange performance that grabs your attention whenever he utters a syllable.

So all in all, it'd not for all tastes, but it's very kitsch, and a lot of fun.

Well done

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 23 November 2021]

Some Guy Who Kills People is a horror /comedy that is pretty unique and excellentlly acted. The film delivers the bloody goods with black humor and wit. Plus, for the gorehounds out there lots of red stuff flies freely across the screen. The character development was excellent and humanized the main character through the course of the film. Some Guy Who Kills People was quite entertaining and in my opinion, a good film.

Some flick that killed time...

[punishmentpark · 5/10 · 16 November 2015]

Thriller, comedy, drama, it's all there. A little horror (gore) as well, but I'm not sure what the makers exactly had intended. The total mix isn't very impressive, unfortunately. The cast, with Kevin 'Grounded for life' Corrigan, Barry 'Spin city' Bostwick, Karen '!' Black, Ariel (don't know her, at times she was almost annoying) Gade, Leo 'Kids' Fitzpatrick and Lucy 'The Office UK' Davis, is quite good, but couldn't turn things around. Maybe even, they're the reason I'm lenient here.

A big problem is the rather lame developing of the plot (drama, yes, but not in a good way). For a minute there, I thought that Ken Boyd was the actual culprit, which had me rooting for a terrific finale. But it was idle hope. Another option was the chamomile tea freak played by Regan 'Oblivious' Burns, but that also turned out to be wishful thinking.

Too much drama without substance, too little fun, not enough horror and / or thriller. Just barely doable.

5 out of 10.

Best New Horror Film?

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 25 June 2012]

Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan), a lonely man fresh out of the loony bin, sets out to kill those he deems responsible for his miserable life.

Since I did not know most of the people attached to this (besides Karen Black and executive producer John Landis), I did not know what to expect. I set my sights low, and came out with quite an impressed mind. This is not your typical slasher. It is oddly endearing and has just enough comedy and plot twists to really keep the audience interested.

Kevin Corrigan is superb, Barry Bostwick even better... but, of course, we must salute Ariel Gade in this breakout performance. She adeptly portrays the precocious 11-year old Amy, and is both likable and a good plot-carrier. Gade, even more than Corrigan, keeps the story going.

I have not yet checked out the special features, but would like to. I think they would greatly enhance my understanding and appreciation for this already pleasantly-surprisingly gem.

"You don't cut off a man's head unless you're some angry fella."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 12 May 2023]

You know, this wasn't half bad. The misdirection with the character of Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) was well done, I should have seen that twist coming but I didn't. You could tell Sheriff Fuller (Barry Bostwick) was giving him the benefit of the doubt even when it looked like Ken was the serial killer. One minor issue I had with the story was with Amy Wheeler (Ariel Gade). She was just too sugary sweet throughout once she learned who her father was. You would expect a little resentment there when she learned who he was and how close by he lived without ever getting in touch with her. The chance meeting at the ice cream shop wasn't explained very well, they each lived in different towns, so how did she get there? The set up with Kenny's history of mental illness was well done, and his buddy Irv's (Leo Fitzpatrick) strong support went a long way in keeping the misdirection going. Only thing is, if it was really Irv sending those fragmented notes to the Sheriff, what were the cut-up magazines doing in Kenny's car?

more drama then horror

[trashgang · 5/10 · 19 July 2012]

Another horror comedy and yes I laughed a few times and yes it do has rather gory moments but still it didn't work for me because the story is in fact a bit about a father wanting to get his lost daughter back.

On one hand Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) wants to take revenge on those who have given him his miserable life by killing them and when he does it is gory. The copper doing the investigation, Sheriff Walt Fuller (Barry Bostwick) is a loony and I laughed a few times with his stupidity (espescially the tipi scene). But on the other hand when Amy Wheeler (Ariel Gade) gets to known that her father isn't her real father she goes searching for the real dad. And what a performance she gave, already seen in AVP:Requiem (2007) and Invasion (2005-2006). But the movie focus a bit too much on the latter part.

For the horror buffs they surely will recognize the face of Ruth Boyd (Karen Black) seen in so many genre flicks too much to mention.

The effects for the gore was well done and does work but it couldn't save the day. A bit to many emotional parts.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Script 3/5 Comedy 1,5/5

Violent, yet touching.

[evlkeith · 8/10 · 16 December 2011]

You can smell the involvement of John Landis in this production very early on. It hits just the right tone of slapstick horror, comedy and family drama.

Ken Boyd (Kevin Corrigan) has been in a hospital for the treatment of his depression and suicidal tendencies. When he gets out, he acquires a little job working in an ice-cream parlour (the advertising of which provides many chuckles). We get flashbacks of bullies at school torturing him. Then, back in the present, the bullies start to get killed with a modicum of gratuitous violence. Throw into the mix his daughter Amy (Ariel Gade - Dark Water), who has just found out where her dad lives, and you've got the recipe for gory death pie topped with tender fatherliness.

This film has many strengths. It is well made and well written. Most of the funny lines go to the Sheriff and Boyd's mum and there are enough to keep you laughing throughout (your sense of humour needs to be on the black side though). The main strength is the acting and relationship of the father and daughter. Corrigan is fantastic as a man coming from depression into a state where he feels more able to cope with life by the end. Gade is wise beyond her years and the relationship between her and her dad comes across as very real.

One fly in the topical cream is the inclusion of Lucy Davis as a love interest for Boyd. She was in The Office. She's irritating.

If you can stomach a small amount of gore and blood you will be rewarded with a funny and touching experience.

Maybe not the best chosen title

[adi_2002 · 5/10 · 27 January 2014]

Ken works at a ice cream shop and lives with his mother. Things changes when some crimes are committed and soon her daughter makes her appearance. He now must confront with a terrible past that can not forget when he was mocked by some peers, a little girl that comes in his life unexpected after eleven years, his job and the killings that have place in the little town. He has some dates with Stephanie a costumer from the shop where he works but it seems that he can handle a relationship at this time. Only the energy of life from Amy can make him forget about the problems that he has. But in doesn't take long until she leaves from his house when he think he saw him near a dead body and she thinks that maybe he is the perpetrator. The police manages to put pieces together and finds out who is the murderer.

I delayed this one mostly because of the name, it sounded like it was going to be real bad but the movie is almost reasonable. The bad part? The stupid jokes that Sheriff Walt along with his deputy makes at the dead bodies found, the ridiculous black humor that the mother has, the killings were too gory, the blood scattered all around like the water from a garden hose. Nevertheless the story saves a little the film along with the fact that with a low budget came up something so "cute".

One of the Best Movies I've Seen This Year

[JonahWhorfin · 29 August 2011]

In an age when most movies exist only to sell toys and Gogurt, it's refreshing to see a film where it is obvious from the beginning that EVERYONE involved actually cares about telling a good story. Writer/Producer Ryan Levin has created smart, likable characters, the cast brings them to life brilliantly (This is Barry Bostwick's best performance ever, as far a I'm concerned), and Jack Perez (The director) creates a unique, constantly interesting look with a low budget. Some Guy Who Kills People is witty, gory, tender, constantly surprising, and pretty much puts every film released by the studios this summer to shame. This is a great, GREAT movie.

Some Movie That Bored Me.

[mhorg2018 · 1/10 · 23 April 2023]

I find it amazing all the trash movies on IMDb that get 10's and way better ratings that they should. When will IMDb wake up and add a way needed 'ZERO' category. This was a terribly slow, barely competent film. The best characters in it were Lucy Davis (the UK and better version of The Office and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and the actress who played the daughter. I've seen the main star in better things than this (City on a Hill, Ray Donovan) but he seems like he's sleepwalking. The killings and the way they happen make no sense at all and the film just bounces around from scene to scene, consistently boring me as a viewer. Just one loser of a movie. Lame from beginning to end.