"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" review

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Directed by John McNaughton
Writing credits Richard Fire

Michael Rooker.... Henry
Tracy Arnold.... Becky
Tom Towles.... Otis

I was vacationing in New York when this movie came out. I was out with my cousins looking for a movie to see. "Henry" was suggested. I had told my cousins that I wanted to go to Times Square. This was at the tail end of the complete decadence era of 42nd Street. I can't think of a more perfect film to see in that cesspool. Mind you, this was not the 42nd St. of today. Back then, you were taking your life in your hands seeing a flick down there. The theater was great too. It had a ten rows of 8 seats each separated by a walkway down the middle. Forget stadium seating, surround sound. You were lucky if the movie came out in the right order.

"Henry" is a depressing, nasty piece of work. Henry kills people with efficiency. He doesn't seem to get any joy from it. It's just something that he does. He teaches his roommate the ropes on how to be a good serial killer. Henry becomes disgusted with him when he starts taking too much pleasure in it. This leads to the one gory scene in the movie. It involves a bathtub and a saw. The minute it was over, a girl in the audience got up and ran out of the theater. Most of the movie house started laughing at her. I kept watching.

Excellent movie. Nasty, grim and mean.

SCORE: 4 out of 4 Times Squares