Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is one of the most disturbing serial killer flicks of all time, but seemed to me to be an unlikely candidate for the sequel treatment: despite receiving praise from serious horror fans, the original film's grim subject matter and unflinching approach to cold-blooded murder was hardly blockbuster material, meaning no-one was ever going to get rich or famous by making a follow up.
But what surprises me even more than the fact that a sequel was actually made, is that this film, a virtual rehash of the original bereft of both the first film's star, Michael Rooker, and its director, John McNaughton, actually turns out to be much better than I had expected: it is suitably repugnant, sleazy, violent and shocking, and even though it never quite matches the power of McNaughton's classic, it's an effective little serial killer flick that refuses to pull its punches and certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored.
In Mask of Sanity, Neil Giuntoli replaces Rooker in the central role of Henry, a seemingly mild but psychotic drifter who leaves a trail of death wherever he goes. Penniless and homeless, Henry finds himself a job servicing porta-loos, where he makes friends with workmate Kai (Rich Komenich) who invites Henry to stay with his family, sexy wife Cricket (Kate Walsh) and geeky niece Louisa (Carri Levinson), until he can find more permanent lodgings.
When Henry discovers that Kai has been setting fire to warehouses for a little extra cash, his newfound pal cuts him in on the deal; in return, Henry shows Kai how he keeps busy in his spare time: by murdering people!
Writer/director Chuck Parello does a pretty good job at emulating McNaughton's style, taking time to build his characters and develop their relationships whilst also presenting scenes of extreme violence in a cold, matter of fact style. At first Neil Giuntoli is hard to accept as Henry, being less physically imposing than Rooker (thanks to his rather short stature), but once he has done away with a few innocent people in brutal and bloody fashion, there is no doubt that he was a good choice for the part. If you're not even a little bit frightened of Giuntoli's Henry after he casually hacks off one poor victim's head with a knife, you're made of tougher stuff than me!
Admittedly, Mask of Sanity rarely strays from the formula set by the first film, even going so far as to start with a montage of Henry's earlier victims and end with a nihilistic finalé that sees the killer lay waste to virtually everyone he knows before once again moving on; but even though the format is familiar, this unlikely sequel is definitely more hit than miss.
But what surprises me even more than the fact that a sequel was actually made, is that this film, a virtual rehash of the original bereft of both the first film's star, Michael Rooker, and its director, John McNaughton, actually turns out to be much better than I had expected: it is suitably repugnant, sleazy, violent and shocking, and even though it never quite matches the power of McNaughton's classic, it's an effective little serial killer flick that refuses to pull its punches and certainly doesn't deserve to be ignored.
In Mask of Sanity, Neil Giuntoli replaces Rooker in the central role of Henry, a seemingly mild but psychotic drifter who leaves a trail of death wherever he goes. Penniless and homeless, Henry finds himself a job servicing porta-loos, where he makes friends with workmate Kai (Rich Komenich) who invites Henry to stay with his family, sexy wife Cricket (Kate Walsh) and geeky niece Louisa (Carri Levinson), until he can find more permanent lodgings.
When Henry discovers that Kai has been setting fire to warehouses for a little extra cash, his newfound pal cuts him in on the deal; in return, Henry shows Kai how he keeps busy in his spare time: by murdering people!
Writer/director Chuck Parello does a pretty good job at emulating McNaughton's style, taking time to build his characters and develop their relationships whilst also presenting scenes of extreme violence in a cold, matter of fact style. At first Neil Giuntoli is hard to accept as Henry, being less physically imposing than Rooker (thanks to his rather short stature), but once he has done away with a few innocent people in brutal and bloody fashion, there is no doubt that he was a good choice for the part. If you're not even a little bit frightened of Giuntoli's Henry after he casually hacks off one poor victim's head with a knife, you're made of tougher stuff than me!
Admittedly, Mask of Sanity rarely strays from the formula set by the first film, even going so far as to start with a montage of Henry's earlier victims and end with a nihilistic finalé that sees the killer lay waste to virtually everyone he knows before once again moving on; but even though the format is familiar, this unlikely sequel is definitely more hit than miss.