Perhaps somewhere on the movie poster for the new serial killer thriller Mr. Brooks—maybe underneath the shot of a stoic Kevin Costner standing silently—should have been the words, “No more Mr. Nice Guy.” Can you honestly remember a time when this man played anything resembling a bastard, or even a guy with a character flaw beyond workaholism?
Truth be told, even as a prolific serial killer, Kevin Costner is still a nice guy. But at least he’s stretching, which is more than I can say for his last film, The Guardian, which was pretty much The Bodyguard in the Coast Guard. It’s always intriguing to see Kevin Costner play against his clean-cut image in darker roles like this. What begins as a slow-burning drama quickly reveals itself as a psychological thriller, anchored by its lead’s calm menace.
The titular Mr. Brooks (Kevin Costner) lives a double life as a box factory owner by day and a struggling serial killer by night. Yes, he struggles — he suffers from a compulsion to kill. It’s an addiction, and it’s as potent as any other. Brooks hasn’t killed anyone in two years, but after winning the Chamber of Commerce Man of the Year Award, he listens to his imaginary alter ego, Marshall (played by William Hurt), and murders a couple he’s been stalking. But it’s still hard to imagine Brooks as the killer, even as the audience sees it unfold. It’s insidious how this mild-mannered, respected businessman and philanthropist leads a secret life that even his closest family can’t detect.
The murder is performed with the Thumbprint Killer’s usual precision. Brooks is known to police by that name for his penchant for leaving the bloody thumbprint of his victims at the scene. This time, though, Brooks is caught on camera by the couple’s nosy neighbour (Dane Cook), who calls himself Mr. Smith. He approaches Brooks with a proposition: he won’t go to the police if Brooks takes him along on the next kill. Writers Bruce Evans and Raynold Gideon construct a chilling scenario that lures viewers deeper into Brooks’ psyche.
“Well-paced and well shot, while being just original enough to make you wonder where it’s all going, I found Mr. Brooks most satisfying indeed.”
There’s a lot about Mr. Brooks that I enjoyed, despite some of its goofball, movie-of-the-week contrivances. Costner turns the qualities that made him such a successful leading man on their head; the Brooks character shifts between a doting, father-knows-best type who enjoys pottery, and a man who intellectualizes his murders while trying to deny the pleasure he gets from them.
Costner is great when teamed with William Hurt, who plays the devil on his shoulder — egging him on through various killings, but also serving as a sounding board for Brooks to bounce ideas off. You can tell Hurt is really into playing Marshall, baiting Costner and getting the audience to question who the true villain is, despite the fact that Marshall is just a figment of Brooks’ imagination. Director Bruce A. Evans keeps the tone unsettling yet grounded, resisting the urge to glamorize the violence.
On the other hand, there’s a whole subplot involving Detective Atwood—the cop investigating the Thumbprint Killer—played with conviction by Demi Moore. She’s navigating a messy divorce from a complete slimeball, but what this thread adds to the main story is questionable. It feels like filler more than substance. Another subplot revolves around Brooks’ fear that his daughter may have inherited his homicidal urges, albeit without his methodical restraint.
While this could have fallen as flat as the divorce storyline, there’s something undeniably unsettling about the idea of Danielle Panabaker’s sweet, innocent demeanour masking something far more sinister — it’s creepy enough to hold interest. Dane Cook, surprisingly, proves to be a draw as Mr. Smith. He delivers a more restrained performance than expected, reining in his usual antics to fit the role. Meanwhile, Demi Moore brings intensity to her character, but the script gives her frustratingly little to work with.
Well-paced and well shot, while being just original enough to make you wonder where it’s all going, I found Mr. Brooks most satisfying indeed. Apparently, this may be part one in a possible trilogy of Mr. Brooks movies. Well, if that’s true, then I say bring it on — I’ll take evil Costner over Postman Costner any day of the week.
