Killers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Killers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 13, 2024

Spoiler warning: some sections of this review discuss plot developments (including ones found on the Blu-ray cover art and in marketing materials).

In a case of amazing timing, 1996’s “Killers” is being issued on Blu-ray for the very first time just as interest in the world of Lyle and Erik Menendez is at a high once again. Co-writers Dave Larsen and Mike Mendez (who also makes his directorial debut with the feature) look to use what was once fresh headline news to inspire their own tale of violence highlighting two murderous brothers following up the killing of their predatory parents with additional carnage. Mendez attempts to make a stylish understanding of menace with the endeavor, clearly pulling from the worlds of Michael Mann and Oliver Stone with this study of media stardom and domestic confrontations. It’s a valiant effort to launch crazy, vicious B-movie entertainment, but boy howdy, “Killers” doesn’t work. It derails in spectacular fashion after a passable opening 15 minutes, with Mendez obviously struggling with editorial and storytelling issues as he tries to piece together something mildly topical that gradually descends into more horror happenings. The execution of this picture is all wrong.

Charles (Burke Morgan) is a man committed to his family. He’s married to Rea (Damian Hoffer), and parent to 11-year old Jami (Nanette Bianchi) and teenager Jenny (Renee Cohen), trying to keep happiness in the household, hoping to live like a T.V. dad from the 1950s. Settling in for the night as Christmas Day approaches, Charles and his loved ones are violently confronted by Odessa (Dave Larsen) and Kyle (David Gunn), two siblings who’ve recently escaped from death row, looking for a place to hide for the night. The brothers went to prison for killing their abusive parents, and now they have a taste for blood, commencing an evening of torment as the home invaders take control of the household. On the case is Lorna (Wendy Latta), a tough cop invested in the criminal case, looking to singlehandedly take down Odessa and Kyle, searching for their whereabouts. During the hunt, Charles reveals he’s not the angel he initially seems to be, with Lorna learning more about his past, which directly involves Odessa and Kyle’s future as the gunmen get ugly.

Odessa and Nick’s propensity for violence is found early in “Killers,” with the men favoring shotguns and surprise attacks when taking out victims, including their parents. How the twosome manage to break out of death row isn’t detailed, but they’ve accomplished the seemingly impossible, soon out in the world again, searching for shelter. Their choice of refuge is Charles’s home, with the happy dad attempting to be a positive influence on his family, with Jami the only rebel, fond of smoking weed in her room while conversing with young Jenny. Charles appears to be a carefree guy, making him an easy target for the brothers, who eventually burst into the household, armed with weapons and attitude as the long night begins.

Charles and his family are initially frightened when Odessa and Nick arrive, facing gunmen who make it clear they won’t leave any witnesses behind. “Killers” explores their acts of intimidation, with the siblings exposing Charles’s financial troubles, and they have strong opinions about the hostage’s VHS selections, mocking his love of “Free Willy,” which becomes the first indication that something isn’t quite right with the writing. The family values household is violated, which could lead to a long stay of suffering and mind games, but “Killers” escalates quickly with the situation. Too quickly.

Mendez gets mighty confusing with “Killers,” missing a crucial transition of power as Charles’s masculinity is shut down, while the adult women give themselves to the criminals. It’s a jarring move from threat to conspiratorial mode, with Rae suddenly curled up with Odessa, and Jami (who has the Necronomicon from “Evil Dead” in her bedroom) is ready to have sex with Kyle. Something seems to be missing from this section of the film, as turns of character happen so fast, they don’t make sense, breaking whatever level of suspense Mendez has managed to build to this point. Not helping the cause is the acting, with Larsen particularly cartoonish, walking around hunched over, doing a rough Mickey Rourke impression that involves a lot of cigarette smoking.

“Killers” graduates to more absurd events once Charles’s history is revealed, and Mendez can’t keep it all straight. The picture is terrible with spatial relationships, with visual information difficult to discern. And perhaps this is intentional, as storytelling crumbles in the second half, forcing the production to ramp up style, which largely involves intrusive editing and overcooked cinematography that turns everything into a bizarre light show. Dialogue doesn’t bring anything to the feature, with Mendez and Larsen saddling the actors with lame monologues, and toughness is mostly communicated through excessive cursing, helping the high school film project vibe of the endeavor. “Killers” eventually becomes a blur of bad ideas, while the central concept of Charles as someone more in step with a dark side than he initially appears to be is lost in a scramble to get bizarre with the tale as genre elements are crudely stapled to the movie.

Killers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded (1.78:1 aspect ratio) image presentation is listed as an "original unrated director's cut scanned and restored by Multicom Entertainment Group." "Killers" intends to be a very stylish feature, especially with lighting, and heavy blues and Christmas hues remain intact during the viewing experience. Primaries remain strong, and skin tones are natural. Detail reach about as far as possible for the dark movie, capturing skin particulars and textured costuming. Interiors are open for inspection, and household exteriors, while limited, retain some depth. Delineation is satisfactory, doing well with specific lighting and shadow play. Grain is heavy and film-like. Source is in good condition.

Killers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix struggles with age and condition, with sibilance issues detected throughout the listening event. Intelligibility isn't threatened, with performance choices understood. Scoring cues are acceptable, delivering a basic synth sound, and soundtrack selections are passable, missing some fullness. Sound effects are also a bit blown out at times, especially with heavier gunfire.

Killers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features co-writer/director Mike Mendez.

• Alternate Ending (3:48, HD) wisely deletes the genre element of the original conclusion to "Killers."

• And a Promotional Trailer (2:37, HD) and Promotional Trailer (Bloody Version) (2:37, HD) are included.

Killers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The bright side of "Killers" is that Mendez would go on to make better movies in his career, including "Big Ass Spider," "Don't Kill It," and "Satanic Hispanics." His debut film certainly doesn't promise a brighter tomorrow, but it serves as an educational experience for the helmer, who would learn to manage storytelling, deal with actors, and calm down with passes at style. Perhaps "Killers" has some value due to its 1996 production year, giving viewers references to O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown, and Ricki Lake gets a shout-out as well. Memories of past tabloid mayhem might be of use to a few viewers, but it requires sitting through this half-baked endeavor, and that's not recommended.