Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

The Clovehitch Killer Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson March 6, 2019

Last October, my colleague Brian Orndorf reviewed Summer of 84, a retro horror mystery drama about some teen friends who believe that the neighborhood cop living next door is actually a serial killer. In mid-November, IFC Midnight released producer/director Duncan Skiles's The Clovehitch Killer in major US cities and on streaming platforms. Skiles and his screenwriter friend Christopher Ford (Robot and Frank, Cop Car, Spider-Man: Homecoming) loosely based their fictional drama on the secret murderous life of Dennis Rader, a self-proclaimed BTK (Bind, Torture, Kill) serial killer. In a little town neighboring Wichita, Kansas, Rader served as his town's compliance officer, leader of the Boy Scouts, the president of his church congregation, husband and father of two. Over three decades, Rader stealthily preyed upon, terrorized, and killed ten residents. After authorities received a series of suspicious letters, Rader was finally caught in 2005. Skiles and Ford don't try to explore the mind of their film's serial killer in the same manner as say, for example, Lodge Kerrigan gets inside the head of a schizophrenic in Clean, Shaven (almost literally!). "I’m less interested in serial killers than I am regular people dealing with moral dilemmas," Skiles told the e-zine, Mother of Movies. Instead, the film is told mostly through the eyes of the young teen and main protagonist, Tyler Burnside (Charlie Plummer).

The Clovehitch Killer opens with Tyler and his fellow Eagle Scouts raising the flag in observance of a ten-year anniversary of thirteen female victims who were killed bondage-style by a still-unknown perpetrator. Tyler lives along the Bible Belt in a small and quite suburban town in Kentucky. Tyler and his mother Cindy (Samantha Mathis) are active in the local community, clipping coupons for a local food drive. Tyler is also close to his father Don (Dylan McDermott), who assumes leadership roles in the town's evangelical church and Tyler's Eagle Scouts group. One evening while in his dad's pickup truck, Tyler is close to making out with Amy (Jones Emma) from school but she uncovers a clipping from an S&M magazine by one of the seats. Tyler reckons it belongs to his dad but an unconvinced Amy dumps him on the spot. Tyler is ostracized from his school friends, including by his buddy Billy (Lance Chantiles-Wertz), who labels him a "perv." Kassi (Madisen Beaty) is the lone outsider that Tyler connects with to share his lurid discovery. She's known as the promiscuous girl who bedded a half-dozen football players but Tyler sees a completely different side of her. Kassi is smart and independent with adroit investigative skills. She's been collecting newspaper articles and photographs of the Clovehitch murders ever since they first happened.

Don Burnside always seems to retreat to the woodshed in the backyard in his leisure so one night, Tyler gains the combination to the padlock and sneaks inside. Beneath the floorboards and the hunting magazines stored in a shoe box, Tyler unearths a disturbing Polaroid showing a woman tied up. The writing displays the name of one of the Clovehitch victims. Scared but also very curious, Tyler begins to suspect that his dad may have played the central role in her and the others' deaths.

The Clovehitch Killer is a slow burn heavy on atmosphere and the characters' body language. In spite of its languid pace, it kept me continually engaged. Don becomes increasingly aware that his son has been snooping through repugnant pictures and other potentially incriminating artifacts. Father and son go on a camping trip together and Don confides in Tyler that he believes the town's mass murderer is his invalid brother, Rudy (Mark A. Nash), who can no longer speak. Rudy was in a near-fatal auto accident ten years ago just after the bodies showed up. Is Don covering up for his brother, abetting someone else, or did he commit the atrocities on his own? Dylan McDermott delivers an exceptional performance as the dorky dad whose the consummate family man but also creepy in his idiosyncrasies. Charlie Plummer (Lean on Pete) proves that he's one of the brightest actors of his generation. The Clovehitch Killer's violence is much more psychological than it is overt. I had trouble shaking off the disturbing aspects that unfolded and the experience stayed with me long after the final credits rolled.

The Clovehitch Killer Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Clovehitch Killer debuts on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory, which has provided a slipcover for this Blu-ray-only release. (The studio seems to have abandoned the BD/DVD combo packages.) Shot on the Arri Alexa Mini, Skiles's second feature appears in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1. (I can't confirm if the movie was originally exhibited in the Spherical 1.85:1 in its limited theatrical release.) The picture looks free of blemishes and compressional artifacts. It was definitely filmed in the fall as you can see from the screenshots in #s 5 and 14. Except for the natural daylight, the film has a relatively dreary and pallid look to it. Black levels are pretty deep. Skiles and his cinematographer Luke McCoubrey go chiaroscuro when Tyler and his would-be girlfriend talk in the truck. You can notice that Tyler's face is nearly half-lit in #10. I've posted some other captures that characterize the low-key lighting that's only illuminated by one lamp or small set of lights. The only weakness is that the image can appear rather soft but that was probably the filmmakers' intent. The MPEG-4 AVC-encoded transfer is stored on a BD-50 and sports an average video bitrate of 34000 kbps. The remainder of the disc boasts a total bitrate averaging 40.47 Mbps.

The 109-minute feature comes with twelve chapter selections.

The Clovehitch Killer Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround mix (2610 kbps, 24-bit) and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo (1570 kbps, 24-bit). The uncompressed 5.1 isn't an overly aggressive track. There are frequent passages of silence where only natural sounds are heard. Dialogue is perfectly audible, crisp, clean, and authentic to the master sound track that was mixed. There isn't much musical underscore except for a haunting piano melody that composer Matt Veligdan performs over the end credits.

Optional English SDH can be chosen from the menu or on the fly via your remote.

The Clovehitch Killer Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making-of Featurette (9:02, 1080p) - this isn't really a "making-of" but a collection of humorous behind-the-scenes moments captured by one of the crew members. One of Skiles's friends is seen pestering the wardrobe department's trailer. I would have much rather had a traditional EPK featuring interviews with the cast (who we don't even see in this piece). In English, not subtitled.

• Theatrical Trailer - IFC Midnight's trailer for The Clovehitch Killer presented in 1080p. I woudn't watch this, however, until after you've seen the film.

• Previews - a few trailers for other IFC catalog titles that only play before the disc reaches the main menu. They can be skipped but aren't accessible on any of the menu options.

The Clovehitch Killer Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the messages that I gained from watching The Clovehitch Killer is that some family secrets are better left unsaid or kept from others knowing about them. But this isn't to imply that only one should know. Tyler is a scarred, morally compromised character who earns the audience's sympathy. He is like his father in several ways but can he apply that knowledge to chart a different path in his own life? Director Duncan Skiles lingers on details much like Fincher does in his films. If you loved Zodiac, then you'll definitely want to check out this much smaller picture. Scream Factory delivers a terrific transfer and a serviceable lossless sound track. Unfortunately, there really aren't any extras. Still, a STRONG RECOMMENDATION for an excellent indie.