The tyranist's thoughts
There is a very large portion of the public that instantly equates 'independent' film with pretention. I don't happen to be one of them due mainly to my love of the horror genre and the astounding number of independent horror films that are quite good or wonderfully terrible. Still, there are moments and My Sweet Killer was one of them.
This movie tries to go so many directions at once and use so many "symbols" that I found myself bored rather than fascinated. Is it the story of a man driven mad by a ghost like Dark Places? Or is it the story of a reclusive ultimately deranged psychopath like. . .well, pick a film here, there are lots (I'm leaning toward Maniac)? Or perhaps it tells the story of a man caught in his circumstances (he was abused as a child) and unable to express himself in any way other than violence like the twins in Basket Case? Maybe it is the story of a man already insane who ends up using his insanity as a gateway to greater violence? I honestly don't know. The complexity of the movie made it that much more difficult to read and if I'm not willing to put forth the effort, then most horror fans won't be either.
In its favour, I must say that Kirk Harris' performance was very, very good. In fact, I'd hate to meet him in a dark alley. He looks menacing and deranged throughout the entire film. There were a couple of interesting moments that had beauty regardless of their context (like when he punched out the jerk at the sandwich stand). Finally, the movie looked very good in spite of what must have been a tiny budget. In some very positive ways I was reminded of Pi, but I will watch Pi over and over again, where I probably won't watch My Sweet Killer even half that often.
This is probably worth at least one look if you are into complex horror. There are no real scares and very little gore but this is still distinctly a horror movie. Don't expect a masterpiece and you might enjoy yourself. If I've already put you off and you think this is going to be too high-brow for you, check out Sorority House Massacre 2: Nighty Nightmare instead.