Seemingly inspired by the notorious BTK murders, Duncan Skiles’ The Clovehitch Killer from 2018 is a low-key slow-burn thriller that leans on atmosphere and character to overcome some scripting missteps. The premise essentially asks what would you do if you suspected a close family member was actually a sadistic serial killer. At 109 minutes, it’s nicely paced, but some of the larger story beats are delivered too easily. Nevertheless, as November 16th marks its fifth anniversary, I decided to take a look back.
Tyler Burnside (boy next door Charlie Plummer) leads a very normal teenage life with his parents and younger sister in a small town in Kentucky. He’s active in the Scouts and his church, and he has a stable family life at home. However, he’s not so squeaky clean that he won’t occasionally do something like secretly take his father’s truck in the middle of the night to meet a girl. On one such excursion, his girlfriend discovers a wrinkled BDSM magazine clipping in between the seats. Thinking it’s Tyler’s, she demands to be taken home.
Considering the town where they live has never fully gotten over a series of unsolved murders that abruptly stopped a decade ago, I think you might see where this is going. Tyler’s father, Don, is played by Dylan McDermott and is our other lead. Does his wholesome and loving demeanor conceal the heart of a ruthless killer? The largest supporting role belongs to Madisen Beaty as Kassi, a teenage pariah and amateur Clovehitch Killer sleuth who befriends Tyler. Other notable roles belong to Samantha Mathis as the Burnside matriarch and Lance Chantiles-Wertz as Tyler’s tightly wound and judgmental best friend.
Christopher Ford’s script doesn’t hold on to its mystery for very long. There are a couple of curveballs, but the writer seems to be more interested in character than in scares. A few character beats feel unearned and inauthentic, and I don’t buy the film’s final moments at all. I wouldn’t say it’s poorly written, and the performers certainly elevate the material, but the delivery ultimately fails to capitalize on what is a more than solid hook. That being said, the dialog is naturalistic and the façade of the idyllic all-American home is pleasingly realistic.
So, while the story jettisons the mystery for the most part, Skiles wrings every bit of tension out of the script that he can. Atmosphere is certainly one of the film’s strengths and Skiles opts for the grounded thriller approach as opposed to elevated horror. Plummer and McDermott are both captivating and have great chemistry. As an actor that I’m typically indifferent toward, McDermott particularly impresses, evoking the spirit of the devout but not stern fathers who are ever present amongst the population of rural America. The small-town Kentucky location and sets also effortlessly portray the Anytown, USA vibe, further grounding the proceedings. Luke McCoubrey’s capable photography unobtrusively captures the mundane life of the town with a hint of warm nostalgia (the story seems to take place in the recent past, possibly around 2012). Matt Veligdan’s score is mostly in the background, but it competently conjures both melancholy and light dread in key moments.
I enjoy Duncan Skiles’ restrained The Clovehitch Killer even if I don’t think it completely works. Opting for quiet unease and creeping tension over overt scares and graphic violence, the film is the opposite of the sensational serial killer flick. I admire that it’s interested in asking moral questions, but I wish it was just a tad more mysterious. I also think that a little visceral gore could have increased the psychological impact of the picture without vetoing its classy pretenses. Recommended, with caveats, for fans of Summer of 84, My Friend Dahmer, and Stoker.
Michael Cavender