Mr. Brooks
Review by Peter Syslo

I’ll flat-out say it; I was very pleasantly surprised by MR. BROOKS (2007). In fact, I was very impressed; I didn’t think that the film was going to be terrible, but I initially got the feeling that it would be a watered-down, mainstream attempt at a catch-the-killer film. My gut feelings were definitely off and it turned out that I really liked this movie. I’m not really a huge fan of anyone in this film, but the cast really did a great job, with William Hurt and Kevin Costner definitely being the standouts. Even Dane Cook was good in this film; he played an annoying loose-cannon who you don’t like and who you wished would just go away - which was perfect for the climax of the film. In essence, it is a behind-the-killer story, like AMERICAN PSYCHO, BEHIND THE MASK, etc. and TV shows like, “Dexter”. As I stated in my other review, this type of horror film/thriller has really grown on me, recently.

MR. BROOKS is directed by Bruce A. Evans and is co-written by Evans and Raynold Gideon. It stars Kevin Costner, William Hurt, Demi Moore, Marg Helgenberger, Danielle Panabaker, and Dane Cook. The movie is about Mr. Brooks (Costner) – a family man, successful businessman, and community-loving humanitarian who leads a secret life as a psychotic killer who has an influential alter-ego (Hurt). Mr. Brooks is addicted to killing, but has been going to AA meetings to control his impulses (ala Dexter) and he has been “clean” for two years. However, he eventually succumbs to his inner turmoil and he stalks and kills a man and woman, in their home. But, it turns out that someone may have witnessed the crime and for the rest of the film Mr. Brooks tries to elude capture by a police detective (Moore). Mr. Brooks tries to clean up all the loose ends and he even has to deal with loose ends within his family; his daughter (Panabaker) holds many surprising secrets. In the end, you seem to root for Mr. Brooks, the bad guy (as in THE DEVIL’S REJECTS), and you want to see everything turn out OK for him – watch the film and see what happens.

I was shocked because I really liked this film; it is not perfect but it definitely surpassed my expectations. It does have a lot of the common elements of behind-the-killer films but it seems to build upon those elements and takes this kind of story in a new direction. Mr. Brooks is almost a character like the BTK killer – he has a high position or respectable position in society and this is the type of guy you would never suspect as a killer. That is what makes this story really interesting. It is neat because you get to see Mr. Brooks’ “secret lair”, which is a room off of his luxurious home where he keeps his “killing” tools, clothes, and an oven to incinerate evidence. He really goes into great detail in order to avoid capture and to continue doing what he does.

There is also the whole aspect of the alter-ego, which is an interesting angle and gives a new dimension to this story – it is refreshing and different from the usual “inner monologue”. The exchanges between Hurt and Costner are great and even slightly comical, in a dark way – they really bring depth and excitement to the movie. Another interesting/different aspect is the whole situation with Mr. Brooks’ daughter – I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say that it is definitely something new, regarding these types of stories. In a strange way, the situation with the daughter is almost a parallel to the situation of Mr. Brooks and the Mr. Smith (Cook) character – which I enjoyed, that was an interesting element, as well.

Cutting to the chase: I really liked the film and it was a surprise, for a mainstream production. It takes the behind-the-killer story into some different directions and the result is a movie where you are cheering for the anti-hero, in the end. The side story with Demi Moore is almost unnecessary, at times, but it does add some tension and confusion to the story and perhaps it sets the stage for Mr. Brooks to “set the record straight”. Overall, I thought that it was a well-made thriller and if you like these types of killer/forensic films, you may like it; also, it has the high-production appeal, for those of you who dislike indie films because of the way they look, etc. If you are a diehard horror fan or a gore-fan, you may not like it – it is more cerebral than visual/action-oriented. But, if you want to settle in with a solid flick, on a cold winter night, give it a try.