Serious Killer

[Chris Slack]

Serious Killer (AKA Asesino en Serio) (2002)
Mexico
North American Premiere
Director: Antonio Urrutia

Jesus Ochoa plays a cop assigned to find the perpetrator of a series of hooker killings in which each of the prostitutes dies with a smile on her face, the victims of “el ultimo orgasmo”, the ultimate orgasm. The murder trail leads towards a corrupt priest (played with great restraint by Santiago Segura) who promises the solution to the murders so long as he agrees to keep the techniques leading up to the deaths a secret.

This movie reminded me a lot of the European sex comedies of the ‘70s (ludicrous comedic plot and lots of nudity) but with better looking ladies and a visual flair reminiscent of De La Iglesia or Almodavar. Ochoa did a fine job as the morally ambiguous cop wrestling the temptation to learn the secrets of providing the “ultimate pleasure” to women. I was expecting the usual over-the-top performance by Santiago Segura (who, along with Guillermo Del Toro, co-produced the movie) but was surprised at how subdued his portrayal of the priest was. Don’t get me wrong, he did a great job but when I think of Segura I think of a raving lunatic, not a mellow (but still zany) priest. All in all it was an entertaining 84 minutes. I wouldn’t recommend shelling out big money for an import of this but would strongly suggest checking it out if it comes to a local cinema or video store.