With “Dahmer – Monster”, Netflix 2022 has succeeded in creating a real series phenomenon. The format about real-life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who not only killed his male victims but also achieved uncanny fame through his penchant for necrophilia and cannibalism, was compelling as a subtle account of a battered soul. In the end, “Dahmer” not only stayed on Netflix’s internal charts for weeks, drawing critical acclaim (as well as criticism), but also gave lead actor Evan Peters his first Golden Globe.
Has your interest in serial killer material been sparked with “Dahmer – Monster”? But you still don’t feel like seeing big massacres or other acts of violence? Then Netflix is the right place for you. With “The Clovehitch Killer” there is a movie available for subscription that should be exactly to your liking. Rather than relying on cheap, very superficial shock effects, Duncan Skiles, in his fact-inspired insider tip, reservedly observes how a small town stews in constant fear.
That’s what The Clovehitch Killer is all about
16-year-old Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer) grows up as a respectable boy in a small town in the Midwest of America. The black shadow of the so-called Clovehitch Killer, who was up to mischief here ten years ago and shook the city to its foundations, still hangs over the place. At that time, he killed several women in a very bestial way, but suddenly stopped and was never caught.
One day while on a date with Katti (Madisen Beaty), Tyler discovers an old, disturbing and pornographic photograph in his father’s (Dylan McDermott) car. He then starts rummaging around a bit further – and, in addition to some Sado Maso magazines, also comes across a blueprint of the family house, on which basement rooms are drawn that are completely unknown to him. Soon a terrible suspicion arises in him: is his own father the wanted serial killer?
Inspired by true events
The Clovehitch Killer is inspired by the true case of Dennis Rader, the BTK killer who rose to fame over decades. Between 1974 and 1977 and between 1985 and 1991, he killed at least ten people. His procedure follows directly from the initials of his name: Bind, torture, kill. What is special about this case is that the BTK killer repeatedly paused for years before continuing to kill. He was finally caught in 2005 when the police received one last piece of information they needed. The case was also addressed in the second season of Netflix’s Mindhunter.
However, “The Clovehitch Killer” does not attempt to accurately recreate the incidents, but was – as I said – only inspired by the BTK killer. Duncan Skiles and screenwriter Christopher Ford (“Spider-Man: Homecoming”) are also less concerned with making the fascination for serial killers tangible in this case (as, for example, “Dahmer – Monster” did on Netflix). Rather, the attempt here is to cover a mixture of a small-town portrait, a coming-of-age story, and a father-son relationship. The focus is not on the horror itself, but on how the horror finds its place in everyday life.
By classic genre parameters, “The Clovehitch Killer” only works if Tyler harbors growing suspicions that his father (played brilliantly by Dylan McDermott) may be the infamous serial killer. Skiles’ slow-motion, very careful staging remains mainly observational until the end. The violence that increasingly finds its way into the film is not exploited voyeuristically. Ultimately, The Clovehitch Killer is about the big picture.
It is said that serial killers always point out what is currently wrong in their society. In the case of “The Clovehitch Killer,” the serial killer is also the disturbing symbol of a conservative Christian community, whose backward facade alone provides the appropriate breeding ground for extreme human abyss. And that’s where “The Clovehitch Killer” and “Dahmer – Monster” finally meet: it’s not about the how, but always about the why.