by: Kevin Kreepshow
Posted on 07.31.10 in All Horror Films > Psychological Thriller
Release Date: 2009

This bizarre and bloody tale of brotherly love features a fixture of most small towns in America; that crazy old man who lives alone and is probably a serial killer. I know we had one back in my hometown and apparently this picture of small town America is no different. Something isn’t right with little Benny Hartley. Maybe it’s the violent and sadistic outbursts at school or perhaps it’s his penchant for vivisecting animals. Whatever it is Ma and Pa Hartley just can’t bring themselves to put Benny away. It’s a good thing too because otherwise this movie would have been really, really dull.

I went into this expecting your standard serial killer fare with lots of gory deaths by unconventional weaponry. This movie never really delivered on that but, what it did provide was a constant sense of tension that was just as effective. My stomach was in knots right up to the end. The overall pacing of the movie was a bit slow but, given the chilling anticipation that The Shortcut engenders this is a minor criticism at best.

I did find myself wishing that the older Benny, played by William B. Davies of X-Files fame, had been able to run amok for just a few kills longer. That aside the ending was an absolute treat and introduced a twist and a parallel that pulled the entire movie together in a very satisfying way. Was it a gore soaked splatter fest full of maniacal laughter and piercing screams? No but, don’t let that discourage you from giving it a rent.

• ★★★★★

  Acting:

• ★★★★★

  Blood:

• ★★★★★

  Violence:

• ★★★★★

  Partying:

• ★★★★★

  Language:

• ★★★★★

  Humor:

• ★★★★★

  Predictable:

• ★★★★★

  Girls:

• ★★★★★

  Gore:

• ★★★★★

  Sexuality:

• ★★★★★

  Torture:

• ★★★★★

  Overall: