My latest review of Evan Jacobs' films- this movie once again delves into a more serious sphere beyond the comical hilarity of Death Toilets and productions similar to it. 'Carekiller' revolves around a non-verbal mentally challenged individual who ultimately turns against his assigned caregiver, murdering and ultimately cannibalizing the man while embarking on his first outing into the world in literal decades. Carekiller certainly contains interesting ideas and plot points that I would've liked to see followed up on, but I feel the overabundance of sequences that focus on a single element rather than progressing the story hamper it significantly. What exactly are Carekiller's strengths and weaknesses? Let's get into it!
A majority of the movie involves our literal silent protagonist within extended sequences of doing various activities, mainly watching a grainy video involving two elephants while eating crackers and drinking water. These initial segments are abruptly interrupted when he decides to murder the caretaker without warning. Here's where I believe the movie could've been great. While it advertises itself as something of an odyssey where Clifton (our lead character) embarks upon a quiet journey of contemplative insanity after committing the murder. Instead- he lasts about twenty minutes outside before simply returning to his house where we receive the same series of sequences of him staring quietly at the video and then chopping the caretaker's body, the film ultimately ending with him devouring his victim's corpse before smiling at the camera. I have a theory about this I'll get back to at this review's end.
The parts where Clifton is outside are undoubtedly the greatest though. It actually created a tense atmosphere where I was left wondering if he'd kill anyone else, especially since we don't really understand how his mind works and how he decides who's deserving of death. Hell, I'm pretty sure the caretaker was this character's first kill anyway, so it could've just been a random act of violence and therefore no one else was really at risk- though again, my imminent theory might disprove this. Either way, a kindly older woman sheds some background on Clifton, stating that during childhood she knew about him and lived near his home. Here we garner some knowledge of his upbringing which is crucial for our understanding of his character. After Clifton and the generous lady reach a Jack in the Box, the lady enters the restaurant to purchase some food for him, but Clifton simply trudges back home. I was constantly thinking of whether Clifton would harm the lady or simply let her be, and that whole air of tension quickly dissolved as he remained inside his house and continued doing the same idle things he was doing at the start of the movie, combined with some admittedly funny scenes of him slicing apart the caretaker- the movie finds itself in the territory of unintentionally hilarious with Clifton's character several times.
Now, here's my personal theory to make a sense of the plot from my standing: Clifton was likely planning this murder for some time. Whatever mental illness he's affected with, whether it be schizophrenia, vivid hallucinations, or something else entirely, it's led him to become fixated with a cartoon video of two elephants interacting. This video must have some manner of deeper meaning unto the narrative I can't yet discern, but I'm sure that it plays a role in Clifton's decision to murder and dismember his caregiver. Another dead giveaway that Clifton was planning this execution was his sudden smile flashed at the end, probably the best part of the movie as it caught me off guard, and I have to admit I couldn't help but laugh a little because it felt like Clifton was addressing the audience with a smarmy look of "yeah, I just got away with it!" Why exactly Clifton committed the murder remains a mystery, but I have a feeling its related to trauma that took place during his childhood from the context clues the lady gives us during his outing.
Nevertheless, Carekiller is pretty alright with an excellent musical score, but I can't help but feel certain sequences of the movie could've done with being shortened heavily or removed entirely, while the outside world part could've been extended to include the film's climax. That's just my opinion though. More reviews coming soon, God Bless everyone!