Katiebird’s papa made a monster and that monster is Katiebird herself. At the film’s opening, the relationship between an adult Katiebird and her male companion for the evening is getting a little…weird. Weird and violent. Before things can spin too far out of hand, we‘re taken back into Katiebird’s history to find out just what her problem is.
Turns out having a serial killer as a father is a huge problem. Throughout various flashbacks we watch Katiebird’s father take her under his crooked wing, teaching her how to be a killing machine just like him, and ultimately sticking our noses in some rather nasty torture sequences. A date movie this is not. Well, not for some of you, anyway.
But it’s not the scenes of graphic torture that audiences need to be warned about. Hey, if you’re sitting down to watch the origin story of a serial killer, then you’re more than likely expecting some gruesome imagery. What people need to be warned about is the actual look of this film – split screen city. The entire movie is made up of split screens, wipes, mattes, you name it. This effect makes the movie look like a melting comic book, with all of the different panels collapsing in on one another. It’s cool to look at…here and there…and it illustrates Katiebird’s mental collapse well…but for a movie that’s more of a grim character study rather than popcorn fodder, I think the performances should carry the bulk of that mental collapse rather than visual effects. And the performances here are more than able for that duty. Helene Udy, Taylor M. Dooley and Lee Perkins are amazing in their roles, I just wish I wasn’t constantly pulled away from them with camera trickery.
All in all, “Katiebird” is a unique and memorable experience. Those looking for a gruesome evening can’t go wrong with this one.
