You'd assume Killer Joe is Joe's story, but all the other characters get just as much of a look in as he does, but with no real outcome for any of them. It's a 'slice of life' - an absurd life, yes - but it isn't much of a 'story'. So much so that there appears to be a lack of focus here - who's driving this thing forward, who's journey is this film? Sure, you can have multiple leads, but Killer Joe seems to have one big supporting cast, no leads, and not a clue why it's even bothering.
Overall, it's most likely Dottie's story, but she gets about five minutes of screen time and most of that is mind bogglingly uncomfortable. Her brother is the cause of a lot of her family's troubles, so he's filmed doing a lot of running - is it his tale? Whoever's story Killer Joe is, it's a strange one. Completely mental in most cases.
There's violence waiting around every corner and violence is fine - even the goriest, most twisted violence - it's just that here, there doesn't seem to be any real point in seeing much of it. There's not enough story or background to give the blood any impact other than shock value. So, in the end, you're sat there just watching these folks go fucking crazy, all the while hoping that there'll soon be some form of consequence that goes deeper than a physical pummeling - a reason, a moment that makes it all make sense. But there isn't one.
It's basically a sequence of events. Some people are pissed off, so they do a whole bunch of stuff that pisses a few other people off (none more so than Killer Joe) and then, as a result, they get the shit kicked out of them (especially the ones who've been fibbing). At times it loses its way - for example, early on we're presented with a whacky dream sequence that does nothing but suggest there's an extra layer to the film that, unfortunately, we never get to see. We don't get inside Killer Joe's head, or ever understand what makes him tick. We don't get to grips with Dottie or find out what makes her behave the way she does, or why she's so fascinating to Killer Joe. We just see what people do - we never know why they do it.
It's tricky to know who to like or if we're even meant to like any of the characters at all! Most of them are quite easy to dislike, but Ansel is the most enjoyable character to watch. He treats us to a number of laughs, which is most welcome in between all the anger. That said, he's still not a particularly likeable guy.
Everybody in Killer Joe makes stupid decisions, which gets them into progressively more and more trouble - but why? Is it all an excuse to make us cringe at these idiots, and then watch them get punched in the face? It has to be said though - it's impressive that the film treats its characters so horribly. It doesn't care what we think or even if, by any chance, we've taken a liking to anyone. It relentlessly degrades, abuses and fucks up everyone involved. Which is admirable. Too many films are afraid to lay a finger on characters that have done enough to deserve a beating - unless they're the bad guy.
One indescribable scene involves a lump of fried chicken - keep your eyes peeled for that.
★★☆☆☆
Roo