Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

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Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

1986

1h 23m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

89%

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65 Reviews

71%

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10,000+ Ratings

Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from prison following his mother's murder. He supplements his job as an exterminator with a series of indiscriminate and violent murders. Fellow jailbird and drug dealer Otis (Tom Towles) becomes a willing accomplice in Henry's bloody killings. But as the depravity escalates and Henry forms a bond with Otis' sister, Becky (Tracy Arnold), things start to get out of hand. The film is based on the true-life story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.

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Critics Consensus

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

The film's artful gaucheness saves it from prurience and gives the story its ghastly sense of godlessness. Yet beneath the non-interventionist style there is a wealth of symbolic or motivic detail.

Feb 28, 2023

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

[Director John McNaughton] shows few of Henry's dozen or so crimes. Instead he reveals the victims, at the scenes of their deaths, in slow zoom shots accompanied by elegiac music. He is a coroner with a touch of the poet.

Apr 21, 2020

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John Hartl

Seattle Times

In a world in which eight nearly identical Friday the 13th movies offer the adventures of Jason the ax-murderer as entertainment for teen-agers, maybe we do need this sobering alternative.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 16, 2014

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Henry is extraordinarily perturbing, but it is also a notable cinematographic work. [Full review in Spanish]

Nov 16, 2022

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Rob Aldam

Backseat Mafia

A relentlessly creepy study in evil.

Apr 15, 2022

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Bill Cosford

Miami Herald

Make no mistake: Henry will give you the creeps.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 18, 2021

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Leaburn O

Reminded me of the Iceman film and documentary, both of which are more chilling and better produced. This one is a cold blooded serial killer story with some voyeuristic scenes but it’s all a bit disjointed and poorly produced. Watched it on DVD.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

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Aaron D

Michael Rooker gives an (almost concerningly) fantastic delivery of a serial killer while the supporting cast shows up and does great jobs. The gritty, bitterness of the world keeps you interested start to finish even if the practical effects have aged some, yet it's effectiveness has not dulled at all.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/20/24

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Carlos I

Few films have the ability to get under your skin and shake you as much as this grim, ugly character study. It's all around soo grimy, it'll make you want to take a shower after, but that won't help you.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/14/24

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Joe W

An unpleasant watch, yet somehow riveting. The antagonist characters are ugly and disgusting. You can almost smell them. The main reason for so few stars is that the acting is rather poor. This isn't how real people behave. Sometimes I got that "student movie" feeling.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/02/24

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TamÃ¡s V

Aside from some strong moments it is an uncomfortable slog with amateur made for TV vibes. Too bad, it could have the potential to be remade into a much better film.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/23/24

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Tyler B

A very gritty film where we get a rare look at the lifestyle of two lower class American cereal killer's.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/04/23

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John McNaughton

Director

Michael Rooker

Henry

Tracy Arnold

Becky

Tom Towles

Otis

Anne Bartoletti

Waitress

Mary Demas

Dead Woman

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Synopsis

Henry (Michael Rooker) is released from prison following his mother's murder. He supplements his job as an exterminator with a series of indiscriminate and violent murders. Fellow jailbird and drug dealer Otis (Tom Towles) becomes a willing accomplice in Henry's bloody killings. But as the depravity escalates and Henry forms a bond with Otis' sister, Becky (Tracy Arnold), things start to get out of hand. The film is based on the true-life story of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas.

Director: John McNaughton
Producer: Lisa Dedmond, Steven A. Jones, John McNaughton
Screenwriter: Richard Fire, John McNaughton
Production Co: Maljack Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 6, 2016
Runtime: 1h 23m

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