Today sees the release of Michael Winterbottom’s divisive cinematic adaptation of Jim Thompson’s pulp novel The Killer Inside Me on DVD and Blu-ray. Which I suppose will cause some to raise the question; after suffering through its horrors once on the big screen, who on earth would want to own a copy of the film for repeat viewings?

I’d just like to say from the outset that I’m not in camp that brands The Killer Inside Me as misogynistic fare. I understand that many people have had a strong negative reaction to the film – my local art cinema received several complaints and suggestions that all screening profits be donated to women’s shelters – but I feel that The Killer Inside Me is right up there with some of my favourite Winterbottom films, if only for Casey Affleck’s star turn as the homicidal Lou Ford and it’s rich colour palette. El Vez has already posted a thoughtful review of the film and the issues surrounding it so I won’t reiterate them here. But I will say that it stood up to a second viewing, with the violent scenes taking on a new foreboding air as I knew when they were coming and how unrelenting they’d be.

For a film of this quality that also comes with so much critical baggage, it’s a shame to see that the only extras we get are vapid three minuteish interviews with primary cast members Affleck, Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson – What was it like working with Michael Winterbottom? Really, that’s the best you could come up with? – and a rather unilluminating 24 minutes of Behind the Scenes footage. Fortunately, the film itself is worth the purchase price, albeit a disc which will spend most of its life keeping Requiem for a Dream company on my DVD shelves – am I ‘really’ in the mood for those scenes tonight?

The Killer Inside Me is released on DVD & Blu-ray today.

https://youtu.be/_U2LUsfeMwg

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