The Anatomy of Monsters is a 2014 American psychological thriller directed by Byron C. Miller (Phantom Theater) from a screenplay co-written with producer Paul Morgan (director of short Ghosts in the Graveyard: Better in Black). The film’s working title was Witching Hour.
The film was released by Artsploitation Films on November 15, 2016 on DVD and VOD/streaming.
Main cast:
Tabitha Bastien, Jesse Lee Keeter, Conner Marx, Keiko Green, Meredith Binder, Asher Vast.
Plot:
Andrew Costello (Keeter), a seemingly normal yet homicidal young man, ventures out one night in search for prey. At a lonely bar he meets Sarah (Bastien), a young woman, takes her to a hotel room, ties her up and prepares for the kill… until he discovers the woman harbors secrets far worse than even he could imagine. What unfolds is a diabolical game of cat and mouse, and a soul bearing confession of love and death…
Reviews:
” …an unexpected atmospheric gem that is unafraid to devote much of its running time to old-fashioned dialogue. On that end, it’s definitely not a film for everyone, and likely won’t satisfy your hunger for a traditional horror romp. But if you’re in the market for an engaging character study, and can look past a few surface flaws, The Anatomy of Monsters will not disappoint.” Cinema Slasher
“The bizarre framework for the entire love story is truly un-entertaining. The entire idea of a serial killer looking to make things work within their daily lives has been done better. Even charismatic killers exist in the forms of Dexter and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. If there was more time to re-write this script idea and re-edit this movie it may have been salvageable.” HNN
“Anatomy of Monsters isn’t an in your face horror film, but it is a subtle type of terror that slips into your mind and festers causing a great deal of unease and tension.” Ain’t It Cool News
“The sound is uneven – sometimes muffled and too loud in the same scene – and picks up room echoes on some sets. As for the score, instead of unobtrusively setting or enhancing the tone and emotion of a scene, it’s intrusive and at times seems counter to the scene’s needs. Despite the shortcomings, The Anatomy of Monsters is a good film. It’s a fascinating, well-acted, well-written study into the lives of serial killers.” Gruesome Magazine
“As a viewer we are taken full force into the mind of a psycho, and it isn’t a fun place to be, that’s for sure, but goddamn if the folks involved don’t make it an engaging journey. I really dug the Anatomy of Monsters was cerebral, well written and acted, and really made me feel like I needed a few extra showers…” Famous Monsters of Filmland
“The cinematography is mediocre at best, with extremely shaky camera work that made me want to punch myself. It gets old quick and had me screaming tripod!!! or dolly!!! during these shots. The story certainly had potential, however the majority of it is two people talking in a hotel room with uninteresting tales to tell just didn’t do it for me.” Legless Corpse
