Psycho Killer Movie Review: A Manhunt Thriller That Feels Strangely Hollow

So according to IMDb, this movie has a credited writer and director, which technically means it wasn’t assembled by artificial intelligence. I guess that’s reassuring… in theory.

Psycho Killer marks the feature-length directorial debut of Gavin Polone, working from a script by Andrew Kevin Walker — the same writer behind Se7en and 8MM, and more recently The Killer.

So yes, on paper, this should be prime serial-killer-thriller territory. The pedigree is there. The concept is there. The ingredients are all present.

And yet somehow, the finished product feels like it was built from a checklist rather than a story.

A Thriller That Checks Every Box… Except Emotion

The film centers on a satanic serial killer who leaves disturbing symbols in his victims’ blood, while a lone state trooper hunts him down. Classic setup.

And that’s kind of the problem.

Everything about the movie feels like it’s pulled from the most obvious tropes in the genre:

• Towering, shadowy killer with an imposing silhouette? Check.
• Deep, theatrical villain voice straight out of a ransom call? Check.
• Lone cop driven by personal tragedy? Double check.

It’s as if someone typed “serial killer manhunt movie” into a prompt generator and filmed the first outline it spit back. All the pieces are technically there — but none of them carry weight.

Georgina Campbell Carries the Film… Alone

The movie stars Georgina Campbell as the trooper pursuing the killer, and for most of the runtime she’s the only character who feels remotely central.

Other actors appear briefly, deliver a few lines, and then vanish from the story entirely. There’s no partner dynamic, no commanding officer, no meaningful interpersonal tension. Without those relationships, the investigation feels oddly detached from any real stakes.

At times, it barely matters that she’s even a cop. The story might actually have been more compelling if she were just a civilian caught in the chaos.

A Familiar Face, But a Forgettable Scene

Yes, Malcolm McDowell shows up. And it’s always nice to see him.

But his scene feels strangely disposable. Remove it, and the plot barely shifts. What should have been a memorable moment instead turns into a showcase for questionable visual effects — including a CGI blood spatter that looks unfinished at best.

It’s the kind of moment that makes you wonder whether the film ran out of time, money, or both.

Style Without Substance

For a while, one interesting element stands out: we rarely see the killer’s face.

In theory, that choice could reinforce the idea that monsters can be anyone — faceless, anonymous, unknowable. But given how uneven the rest of the film is, it’s hard to tell whether this was intentional symbolism or just a production limitation.

The movie often feels less like a narrative and more like a collection of disconnected “wouldn’t this be creepy?” moments strung together.

You know those conversations in high school where people pitch cool horror scenes without actually building a plot around them? That’s what this feels like on screen.

The Ending That Comes Out of Nowhere

Without diving too deep into spoilers, the final act reveals that the killer suddenly has a grand plan involving a nuclear facility.

The issue isn’t just the twist — it’s that nothing in the previous hour meaningfully builds toward it. The film spends most of its runtime on ritualistic murders and occult imagery, then abruptly pivots into something much bigger without proper setup.

It plays less like a shocking revelation and more like someone stapled a different movie’s ending onto this one.

Final Thoughts

I love a good serial-killer manhunt story. When they work, they’re gripping, tense, and psychologically rich.

But when they don’t, they can feel mechanical — like a thriller assembled from spare parts without a guiding vision.

Unfortunately, Psycho Killer lands firmly in that second category.

Sometimes a movie about a crime ends up committing the biggest one itself: wasting a strong premise.