THE UNGODLY is another film in the recent trend for found-footage style serial killer films, a la THE LAST HORROR MOVIE and others. The granddaddy of all these is the seminal '80s film HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, with its unremitting bleakness and harsh realism that enhanced the grisly sights the film had to offer.
I'll admit that THE UNGODLY is a little better than the usual barrel-scraping stuff that fills the genre these days (including the horrendous Spanish film, H6: DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER, and the Uwe Boll-made SEED). The production values are pretty good, and the director elicits two solid central performances: Mark Borkowski has the relatively straightforward role of the killer, while Wes Bentley (AMERICAN BEAUTY) shines as the film-making student who finds himself drawn into an incredibly dark world.
Thankfully, THE UNGODLY is better plotted than other serial killer movies I've seen, and it retains your interest throughout. It's also thankfully not as gruesome as others I've mentioned, although the material is still more than disturbing. I can't say I enjoy watching films like this, but I can appreciate what the director and writer were trying to achieve.
I'll admit that THE UNGODLY is a little better than the usual barrel-scraping stuff that fills the genre these days (including the horrendous Spanish film, H6: DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER, and the Uwe Boll-made SEED). The production values are pretty good, and the director elicits two solid central performances: Mark Borkowski has the relatively straightforward role of the killer, while Wes Bentley (AMERICAN BEAUTY) shines as the film-making student who finds himself drawn into an incredibly dark world.
Thankfully, THE UNGODLY is better plotted than other serial killer movies I've seen, and it retains your interest throughout. It's also thankfully not as gruesome as others I've mentioned, although the material is still more than disturbing. I can't say I enjoy watching films like this, but I can appreciate what the director and writer were trying to achieve.