Cyrus (2010) Brian Krause, Danielle Harris, Lance Henriksen, Tiffany Shepis Movie Review

Cyrus (2010)   3/53/53/53/53/5


Brian Krause in Cyrus (2010)

Sex, Torture and Murder

Investigative journalist Maria (Danielle Harris) and her cameraman roll up to the home of Emmet (Lance Henriksen) who claims to know the true story of Cyrus, a serial killer who is claimed to have murdered over 200 people. As Emmet sets about telling Cyrus' story he explains that Cyrus was a normal guy who between making a bad decision to buy a farm and catching his wife cheating on him ended up snapping. One thing led to another and soon Cyrus having moved on to a diner is doing a roaring trade with people coming from far and wide to try his "Roadkill" burgers with their secret ingredient. As this is going on Maria begins to wonder how Emmet can know so much about Cyrus.

"Cyrus" or to give it its full name "Cyrus: Mind of a Serial Killer" is the sort of horror movie which might just about entertain a casual horror fan who doesn't mind wandering down the budget side of cinema. But other than familiar faces it offers little for those who regularly watch horror movies because quite frankly it ends up a predictable jolly through some violent but minor horror scenes, failing to generate surprises as it telegraphs pretty much everything.

Lance Henriksen in Cyrus (2010)

So in fairness "Cyrus" tries to be creative with Danielle Harris playing this journalist trying to discover the truth about Cyrus the serial killer. It allows the movie to be bigger than its basic storyline with the mystery, or supposed mystery surrounding how Emmet knows so much. But from the minute we meet Emmet it causes you to think certain things and these are supported when we meet Brian Krause as the stony faced serial killer.

That brings me to the dramatization of Cyrus' murderous life as we watch him torture then kill various people who cross his path after snapping due to his wife's infidelity. Now that sense of being obvious is still there when it comes to those special roadkill burgers which he sells but then there is the typical. What I mean is all we seem to get are scenes of horror as Cyrus kills one person after another or women running away through a field with their shirts undone and breasts bouncing around. In fairness there are some darker scenes which try to suggest things about Cyrus's darker side but they are few and far between.

It means that "Cyrus" ends up a mediocre horror movie which doesn't end up overly memorable. Worst thing is that it features some familiar names and faces but with the exception of one actor it is a waste of talent. That actor is Brian Krause as at least he makes Cyrus an intimidating person who you wouldn't want to spend much time around. But it is a minor highlight in an otherwise ordinary horror movie.

What this all boils down to is that "Cyrus" doesn't offer much other than a lot of familiar horror scenes and ends up a movie which trades partly on violence and secondly on the performance of Brian Krause who really is the only good thing about the movie.


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