Ed Kemper

Audience Reviews

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Jay D @vtology Aug 2 You start off knowing the movie is going to be a psychodrama. It's quite engrossing. You also know that the crimes of the real-life murderer were horrifying. So it's a bit intimidating to start watching this film. To me, the acting and reenactment or reimagining of childhood trauma, mostly psychological trauma caused by extreme neglect and conflicted parental role models, was very believable. When I got thru this heart-rending horror movie, I wanted to look into the central actor to see what other movies he's been in. The acting of the central character, as well as all the supporting actors and actresses, was key to this film's very great success, in my opinion, though perhaps not in the "box office" profits. It's a true-crime reconstruction of a news story. It's shocking. Not for the squeamish. But if you are in the profession of crimesolving or have an interest in true-crime as literature and for its documentary storytelling, this movie is for you. Like Dahmer, one viewing is enough. See more Melissa W. @RubyChi123 Feb 27 The actor portraying Ed Kemper delivered a solid performance, but the film overall felt dark and disturbing without being particularly intriguing or insightful. Serial killer dramatizations can be compelling when they balance horror with psychological depth or social context. Unfortunately, this one feels like it misses that mark. The film offers little to no background on the victims, which makes parts of it feel more like re-exploitation than meaningful storytelling. While it may have been attempting to present events strictly from Ed’s perspective, that choice ultimately limits emotional depth and narrative balance. The structure also feels disjointed. The time jumps suggest an unreliable narrator approach, but the execution isn’t clear enough to feel intentional. The portrayal of his mother is so exaggerated that it becomes difficult to distinguish between psychological nuance and tonal inconsistency. For example, the scene with the photo envelope — containing only the card addressed to her — felt like it was building toward something that never fully materialized. Introducing a more grounded secondary character (perhaps a sibling) could have helped anchor the story and clarify the family dynamics. There are also noticeable inconsistencies. The story is set during the Nixon era, yet one murder appears to take place in front of a modern solar farm. Small details like that break immersion. Additionally, the film glosses over important backstory elements: the large, seemingly affluent home he grew up in raises questions about his father’s role and whether his childhood was ever stable. These gaps leave the narrative feeling incomplete. Some effects and visual choices further undercut the film’s impact — particularly the low-budget practical effects and the oddly executed “orange demon” imagery. Instead of enhancing psychological horror, they feel distracting. A deeper look at the psychiatric evaluations or investigative perspectives toward the end could have added much-needed insight and cohesion. As it stands, the movie feels like a missed opportunity. Ed Kemper’s story has the potential to be as compelling as other true-crime dramatizations, but this version never fully delivers on that promise. See more Tai H. @jpjg00 Feb 13 Excellent! Keeps you locked in See more Joe B @JoeB19 Jan 18 Really horrible movie. Just an excuse for glorifying mindless violence. No real insight into the psychology of Ed Kemper. Very inconsiderate to the victims. Don't watch it. See more Nicci h @Nicci Jan 17 This is shocking in every way. I find the minds of people who do horrendous things to others disturbing but fascinating but never at the cost of the victims. I felt the victims of this show were dehumanised and used all over again.. disgusting. If their excuse was it was focusing on the mind of Kemper, they failed miserably there also, it is the worst true crime film I’ve ever seen by far. See more Georgie T @SnooBucket Jan 15 I don’t know who made this film, but I wouldn’t recommend it. It feels like it was made by high school students. See more Read all reviews

Ed Kemper

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