Confessions of a Serial Killer tells the tale of Daniel Ray Hawkins (Robert A. Burns), he has just been arrested in Texas & is being held prisoner. Sheriff Will Gaines (Berkley Garrett) questions him, the cold blooded Hawkins has no problems in recounting & describing his horrific crimes in which he claims to have murdered over 200 people...Written & directed by Mark Blair I thought Confessions of a Serial Killer was an excellent piece of film-making, the script is great, the character's are superb & the dialogue is assured. It's chilling, it's unsettling & it's pretty damn frightening that a person such as Hawkins could exist. I think the character of Hawkins is based on Henry Lee Lucas who confessed to over 500 murders across America but was only convicted of 10. Anyway this is a basic film at heart with Hawkins simply recalling various incidents from his past from the very first murder he committed to when he was a child he would see his Mother (Jane K. Smith) bring men home & have sex with them in front of him, a practice which made his Father (Bill Boyd) commit suicide. Confessions of a Serial Killer is pretty shocking stuff throughout as Hawkins callously murders his victims without remorse or feeling, almost as if it's a normal thing to do. This is a million miles from my own mentality & I simply can't relate to this guy which makes what he did even more frightening. A deeply unsettling film that had a genuine power & nastiness. Why aren't more challenging films such as this made? The only negative thing I have to say about Confessions of a Serial Killer is that the final 20 or so minutes felt like a condensed slasher film such as Friday the 13th (1980) although I loved the sombre down beat & abrupt ending, I though it worked perfectly as it doesn't really give closure & there's no happy Hollywood ending to make the audience feel good about themselves. It's a pretty rough ride all the way but one well worth taking.Director Blair gives the whole film a bleak, minimalist look & feel which adds to the uneasy feeling that the guy standing next to you in a que could be a Daniel Ray Hawkins. There are some nasty scenes that mix sex & violence, a prostitute's head is bashed in & her bra ripped off, a woman is raped at the same time as having her throat slowly slit, there are more cut throats, broken necks & murders.Technically Confessions of a Serial Killer is as good as it needs to be, this is raw uncompromising stuff that doesn't need the latest CGI computer effects or high paid actors to get it's message across. The acting is strong by all involved especially Burns as Hawkins who gives a cold performance, the guy remains cool & calm throughout, he doesn't even flinch as he recalls the details of many of his brutal crimes & he has a chilling detachment from what he has done. Burns was actually the art director on classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) also production designer, The Hills Have Eyes (1977), The Howling (1980) & Re-Animator (1985) among other's, sadly he committed suicide after being diagnosed with cancer in 2004.Confession of a Serial Killer is a great film for those with the stomach, it's as simple & straight forward as that. A fantastic performance from Burns & an absorbing script detailing brutal crimes that on occasion sent shivers down my spine. What are you waiting for? Find a copy now, sit back & enjoy (if enjoy is the right word)...

This is a very strong entry in the serial killer genre. Robert A. Burns portrayal of Daniel Ray Hawkins (a very thinly veiled character based on the notorious serial killer, Henry Lee Lucas), is disturbingly low-key and realistic. The film itself has a gritty, dirty feel that also adds to the realism. The acts of violence are suitably brutal but lack any real gore, which really doesn't deter from the film at all. CONFESSIONS plays out more like a case study than a "horror" film. Those seeking blood and guts may want to look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a good psychological scare, this may be the one for you. Definitely not for the casual horror goer, this film may be disturbing to those who enjoy mainstream horror fare. Every bit as good as the more popular HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (also a great film). Highly recommended 8/10

Mark Blair's 'Confessions of a Serial Killer' is a rather good film but – whether you like it or not – you automatically compare it to John McNaughton's 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer' and then it definitely loses the battle. Reviewing this movie actually states all the more how powerful and unequaled McNaughton's effort really is. 'Confessions...' is very grim, but 'Henry' is at least a dozen times more grim! Rober A. Burns is truly eerie in his role, but Michael Rooker is at least a dozen times eerier in his! 'Confessions...' is disturbing, but... You get the picture! Based on the testimonies of the real Henry Lee Lucas, Burns plays a forty-something Texan hillbilly who quietly and without showing any form of emotions unravels his life as a serial killer to a patient copper. How he picked up multiple hitch-hikers and later dumped their cadavers in peaceful meadows. How he managed to stay out of the police's reach by being on the road all the time, etc... There's very few explicit material featuring in this film and that rather disappointed me. Not that I'm a sick puppy but a documentary about a serial killer is much more realistic when you're exposed to raw, shocking or even downright repulsive footage. Like it was the case in (sorry for bringing it up again) 'Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". . The film is suspenseful, however, and the extended sequences of Daniel Ray chasing terrified victims though corn fields are truly unsettling The character drawings of Moon Lewton (Daniel Ray's homosexual accomplice) and his sister Molly are weak and the giant anti-climax is sorely disappointing. It's pretty much like the title says: confessions! You sit and listen to a man clarifying his vile acts, but you never really get inside his twisted mind or guess for the motivations of his insane behavior. Worth seeing but certainly not a must.

This film takes the glamor out of serial killin'. The titular murder is a simple man, and his country-boy manner and affability caused me to like him in the scenes where he was not hacking at women and then copulating with their corpses. The happy-go-lucky sidekick character--an essential element of the Henry Lee Lucas story--is especially sleazy in this film, which is a nice touch, I think. The fact that he is named "Moon" only sweetens the pot. I am a fan of disturbing cinema, and this film definitely disturbs. I found "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" absolutely unwatchable, simply due to its lack of plot, characters, and satisfying gore. This movie, on the other hand, boasts down-home characters, good performances, vile acts of posthumous sodomy, and paints a gritty portrait of what it is like to house an insatiable bloodlust. The other obvious advantage over "Henry" is that the more acclaimed picture lacked the proper plot structure necessary for such a film. This movie, on the other hand, with its flashback setup, is a tasty treat from start to finish. I give it three stars out of five.