Dumb and predictable... sums up this indie serial killer feature. Sure even with those descriptions, you could get some sort of entertainment, yet this film wallows in its own stark nastiness. While technically competent, even if it looks like it was shot hand held, what brought "CYRUS MIND OF A SERIAL KILLER" down is that it defies logic and most notably common sense.
I don't know if I've come across such a dense character in a role that you wouldn't expect, as this story hungry investigative TV reporter (played by a spunky Danielle Harris) seems to discard ("Oh there's no way he's a killer") obvious evidence that should be enough of a red flag to be quite weary. Instead the script plays up the stupidity, where the actions become largely questionable to the point of finding it insulting. From this aspect you know where it's going to lead, in what feels like all build-up to its contrived reveal. There's not all that much to figure out and that's within the first 10 minutes.
Supposedly based upon true facts ("The County Line Cannibal"), this film at times plays out like a semi faux-documentary as it intercuts to unrelated interview footage of doctors, psychologists, authorities, victims and killers giving some sort of pointless insight into the origin of what makes a serial killer tick to truly grasp where they are coming from. Those moments are probably more interesting than Harris' reporter tracking down a local man (an unnerving Lance Henriksen) who claims to have information about the unsolved disappearance of 200 Midwestern University students. He goes on to tell her the killer's name (Cyrus), that they were friends and the horrific details of Cyrus' crimes from how it all began.
Most of the narrative is about us learning of Cyrus (Brian Krause), from what pushed him over the edge, getting into his disturbed mind (mummy issues) and watching him psychically and mentally torturing his captives. I wasn't particularly sold on the sloppy skin-deep characterization and of Krause's' psychotic performance, but there are a couple moments that have grimy shock value in their attempts to make you uncomfortable. Now the cannibal side of the story barely scrapes the surface, yet that was the most engaging facet, as he butchered his captives alive, feeding them to his grill house customers. How's that for ya?
Rae Dawn Chong makes a cameo appearance as one of interviewees and Tiffany Shepis shows up in a few flashback scenes as killer's unpleasant mother. After the end credits have rolled, it finishes on another one of those faux-interviews with chilling (if already well-known) info on some of the infamous serial killers of America.
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