‘An unreal true-crime story’
Faking a Murderer is a 2020 American crime film about two filmmakers who try to find a man they believe to be a serial killer. Are they in over their heads? Yes.
Directed by Stu Stone (Scarecrows; The Haunted House on Kirby Road) from a screenplay co-written with producer Adam Rodness – both of whom also star – the movie also stars Josh Cruddas.
Plot:
Filmmaking duo Adam Rodness and Stu Stone stumble upon a series of online videos which they believe contain a man confessing to the murder of someone named Stacy. With “true crime” being the hottest genre in the industry, they decide that they too should cash in on the trend, creating a hit series of their own.
After convincing a broadcaster this project is sure to be a success, their pitch earns them the green light. Adam and Stu hit the ground running and begin their investigation, hire a production crew and head out on the road. Only, they don’t know exactly where to start.
As time ticks away and their bank account runs dry, they must go to any means necessary to deliver what they promised. What they believe to be a straightforward murder case turns into an unforgettable manhunt that could have deadly consequences for all.
Faking A Murderer sees director Stu Stone and producer Adam Rodness helming the project, only this time the two filmmakers appear in front of the camera as well as behind it. After discovering a chilling video online that seemingly includes a murder confession, Stone and Rodness assemble their team to investigate this unreal true crime story that lurks somewhere in the rural countryside.
Now, the footage has been assembled into a feature-length presentation which captures the origins of their investigation, the absurd moments they experience, and the harrowing stakes that continue to rise as they close in on their target. Faking A Murderer pulls back the curtain to reveal the behind-the-scenes of how true crime shows are actually produced and how well-intentioned beginnings can quickly spiral out of control.
“As a die-hard fan of the true-crime genre, I knew this would be an exciting project for 5’7 Films to take on next,” states Stone. “While investigating baseball cards for our documentary Jack of All Trades, we successfully managed to track a lot of people down to get the answers we needed. We figured that finding a killer would be a bold new mission for us and a huge challenge. We were right.”
Rodness concurs. “We’ve obviously filmed some horror movies over the years and after we had the success on Netflix with Jack of All Trades, the next logical step for us as filmmakers was to investigate… murder. This film captures that process in its entirety.”
Reviews:
” …the so-called unreal true crime story is faker than a plastic Rolex.But that doesn’t subtract any attractive to the film, because Faking A Murderer (2020) is the sort of comedy that keeps a smile on your face during the entire running time, and eventually at some points makes you laugh out loud. The chemistry between the two filmmakers and protagonists of the story is delicious…” Ganiveta
“With Faking a Murderer, Rodness and Stone have created a film that is both grounded and completely off the rails, tossing caution to the wind to chase down a wild story. They’re stubborn and recklessly optimistic, which — in this case — is a winning combination. Faking a Murderer may lean less on the “true” part of true crime, but it sure knows how to be “unreal”. iHorror
“True crime fans and newbies alike will get a kick out of this genre-blending romp. Faking a Murder is a refreshing take on the current true crime trend. It not only delivers on the tension, mystery, and bloodiness factor, but it also offers a satirical glimpse at how far our current obsession with true crime goes.” Toronto Film Files
Release:
Faking a Murderer had its world broadcast premiere in Canada on the Hollywood Suite channel on October 14, 2020.
4Digital Media is releasing the film On-Demand and Digital on August 6, 2021.
Trailer:
