Natural Born Killers (1994, USA) C-122m. **** D: Oliver Stone. Starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Robert Downey Jr., Tommy Lee Jones, Rodney Dangerfield, Jared Harris, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Russell Means, Balthazar Getty, Emmanuel Xuereb, Lorraine Faris, Mark Harmon, Arliss Howard, Denis Leary. Oliver Stone's controversial masterpiece is the horror film for the 1990s: Mickey and Mallory Knox (Harrelson and Lewis) are two lovers who take it on the lam after breaking out of their low-class white-trash background by killing her abusive parents. On their 'honeymoon' they kill 52 people, before being captured by the police (in a psychotic role equally evil cop Sizemore). The media, foremost TV show host Downey Jr., eagerly embraces them and uses them for voyeuristic purposes. Delirious, sweat-inducing, graphically violent drama with a superb soundtrack (co-produced by Trent Reznor) is a mind-blowing assault on the senses, at times reminiscent of KOYAANISQATSI (1982). Much-discussed and blamed for violent outbreaks in the U.S., but artistically brilliant, an experience you will not easily be able to forget. From a story by Quentin Tarantino, who disowned the picture. Also shown in a cut version, which runs 118m. Cinematography by Robert Richardson.


© Ron Altman