User Reviews

I do like the movie.. Joel is an interesting man as monsterous as he is... The objectivity of how he as a person developed down the line into who we know Joel as is incredibly well done.. Very often the story is told to emphasize the dramatic perception that they just ARE monsters.. not they end up the monsters we know when they're caught... I have one major major criticism... The narrator/actor is portraying Joel Rifkin the person in first person.. not a character, and not reading a manuscript of his interviews.. He needed to BECOME Joel.. He IS the New York Ripper... And this actor just simply read as generic person X. Joel has a way of talking, and importantly his NY accent... that's a part of who he is... You miss a lot neglecting to add those details.. attitude, tone, showing lack value of the lives he took, the sense of his inner battle trying to convey his actions in an understandable way with no understanding himself.. Whether actor or director.. that was a big fail... it's hard to hear the narration in this movie in that bland young guys voice and tone and try to dive into Joel's mind and ride through that mental battleground of a person he was.... That voice did not sound like it had any relation to what was playing on screen.. It pulled you into the story about as much as an entry level job's employee training video does.. If your interest is the visual representation of real life Joel's actions.. this movie is great... but if you wanted to not only know what he did, but also dive into their dark minds to try to connect and understand it. this isn't that...

Movies about serial killers, it's a good subject and when it's well done they can have a big success, but in this case it's a failure, not worth watching. A story about New York's famous serial killer Joel Rifkin sounded interesting but it turned out to be a borefest. The murders are all badly acted, looked completely fake. None of the actors will ever win an Oscar, I can assure you that. The directing wasn't great and the cinematography wasn't of good quality. As for the plot they could have made it so much more interesting, instead you get a lame story about every murder, all basically the same boring images, shot way too long so they become automaticly boring. And when even the murders look fake there is really nothing good left in this disappointing movie. I would skip it.

Bad. Boring. Just bleh and meh So ovious the director wrote the good reviews.

Ive watched alot of serial killer/true crimes movie and this was absolutely one of the best ive seen. The whole vibe of the movie is dark and reflects the mood of Rifkin perfectly. Ive seen a couple of interviews with him and the calm,rational way he talks about what he's done makes the crimes he commited even worse. The movies director and writer have done a tremendous job. I hope there will be more from this guy in the future!

This is a motion picture,containing lots of genres,from sexual thriller and dominant violence style,documentary style,real life drama style,and gives such a profound insight of a serial killers life.it is at time rather extreme, its like you'll not believe it. it called horror movie in the ads,but this is horror far beond what i call horror. its all too cold and premeditated....and would not have been shown on norwegian broadcasters at 6 p.m in the afternoon.

the producers and director have made a bold decision making this movie.

the story about joel rifkin a serial killer with suspected 17 killings on the record, are a narrative styled story, and ''seems ''like its told by himself . and the story is chronologically well told and extremely graphically acted,with semengly real life rapes and strangulation scenes, and lots of sex S/M ,domina and nudity.

i hope no copycats will show themselves after watching this movie, because some of the murder scenes seems very easy to do,and may give someone ''the kick''.also the thorough absence of conciousness and guilt are very scary.

Arnold Odo ,the main actor does a brilliant job,if you like it or not,i felt sick in periods of the film but the acting kept me watching it all. it is definately not a film for minors or the fainthearted, and should not be seen without company of a good friend or parents......its strong stuff!!!!

"Joel" from 2018 stands out for its solid direction and a well-crafted script. John R Hand manages to pull off a compelling narrative that, while far from perfect, keeps the audience engaged. Arnold Odo shines in the role of Joel, delivering a fantastic performance that evokes empathy and emotional depth.

The film notably approaches the true story, capturing the essence of the events. However, the excess of sex scenes, though elegantly shot, could have been toned down to maintain a more consistent narrative balance.

Regarding the portrayal of murders, the decision to focus on Joel instead of explicitly showing violence is smart but not executed well, in my opinion. It allows for a stronger connection with the main character and directs attention to the plot's development. However, there's a particular scene that could have been handled more subtly to preserve the movie's tonal coherence. Overall, "Joel" offers a captivating cinematic experience, though with areas that could have been refined to reach its full potential.

I have no doubt it was a limited budget. Some scenes seemed a bit drawn out to waste time but if you like true crime or serial killers you'll love this movie. Excellent way to kill an hour and a half.

This film is very funny if you view it as a documentary about Nick Mullen. The resemblance both physical and mental is delicious.