HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) | Defending the True Crime Horror Classic

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986/1990) d. John McNaughton (USA)

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Tonight we take a look back at one of the most disturbing and uncompromising horror films ever made: Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. Loosely inspired by the real-life confessions of Henry Lee Lucas, John McNaughton’s debut feature is relentless in its refusal to offer comfort, catharsis, or a triumphant finale of good over evil. Originally slapped with an X rating, which made it nearly inaccessible for years, Henry is no ordinary '80s slasher. And what it lacks in graphic cinematic splatter, it makes up for in atmosphere and dread.

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Aspiring writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has reached a certain level of fame and success cranking out hard-nosed genre novels under the pen name of George Stark. But now Beaumont thirsts for “respectability,” something that eludes his popular but critically dismissed alter ego, and believes his latest effort will provide just that. At the same time, an erstwhile fan (Robert Joy) discovers the link between Beaumont and Stark and threatens to expose the secret unless some monetary compensation is forthcoming. With the support of his loving wife (Amy Madigan) and publishers (Rutanya Alda, Tom Mardirosian), Thad decides to publicly put Stark to rest, even staging a fake burial for the papers. However, the decision sparks a series of increasingly violent murders of the author’s intimates and associates, all implicating Thad. The evidence proves particularly damning since the killer claims to be none other than George Stark, who shares an uncanny resemblance – right down to his fingerprints – to you-know-who.

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986) movie review

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) d. McNaughton, John (USA)

John McNaughton’s unsettling chiller (inspired by the real-life exploits of Henry Lee Lucas) is simply one of the most disturbing and frightening horror films ever made. Grimly underplayed by Michael Rooker, Henry is an illiterate drifter who moves from job to job, killing at random.