Natural Born Killers

Natural Born Killers

By: Nicolette Karter

        So, I’ve said before how awesome I think Woody Harrelson is, but I also love Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., & Tommy Lee Jones. So it makes sense that when I saw they were all in this, it caught my interest. It was weird, too be sure, but by the end of the movie I actually liked the film.

        The film starts by showing Mickey (Woody Harrelson) & Mallory (Juliette Lewis) Knox randomly killing almost everyone in the diner they were at. The married couple seemed to really enjoy the murders, & the one scared shitless guy left alive was spared to spread the word of Mickey & Mallory Knox (dun dun dunnnnnn…) continuing their killing spree. This is great for reporter Wayne Gale (RDJ) & Detective Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), who make tons of money off the growing fame of the serial killing duo.

        I think that this was supposed to show how backwards our media obsessed society is, by allowing people to idolize murderers they same way one might idolize Bradgelina (who ironically met while playing assassins, or paid murderers). But at the same time, I would like to know if I’m in the same room as a serial killer or two, so I ‘m glad they get famous. Also, the more famous a dangerous person is, the less places they can hide, right? Though some to think of it, then they may have to resort to dark actions because they can’t catch a break. It’s a conundrum, & I’m glad I don’t have to deal with it.

        Tangent aside, there was a love story in this, which was weirdly a very romantic considering the film is about killing people. Mickey & Mallory just love each other completely & can’t stand being away from each other. They fight, & even though she’s a girl (& people still have a stigma about hitting girls, & they shouldn’t get in fights because they wouldn’t hold their own or whatever) she can really throw a punch & I thought it was really progressive of Mickey for letting her take half the fights. But they have each other’s back, & understand the other. The film shows they both come from troubled backgrounds, & had to kill to get out. And since they met, they were inseparable & I was rooting for these two crazy kids by the middle of the movie. It’s like the Notebook but with a killing spree.

        And, to get a better life for themselves, they decide to stop killing people, but it doesn’t go as well as planned, & wind up in jail. Understandably, because while they are misunderstood & want to change, they still did kill a lot of people. So, this is where Tommy Lee Jones fits in as the awesome badass warden of the prison they got put into. No warden could get away with what he does, but it’s a movie, so he does. And the inmates know not to mess with him, plus it gives Mr. Jones a chance to act crazy so I don’t mind.

        It’s here that RDJ comes in for an interview with Mickey, & the climax starts. A lot of stuff happens, including a prison riot & this is when Mickey tries to go across the prison to reach Mallory, because as I said before, they are madly in love with each other. Several more deaths (not all at the hands of Mickey & Mallory) occur, & the best part is, it was all on live TV, because of the interview with RDJ. People, turn the camera off when people start to die, you can’t put that on TV, it’s illegal. But it’s also a movie, so whatever.

        Anyway, I would say this movie is worth a chance, even though it’s a little freaky. I was getting weirded out at the beginning, but I loved it by the end. And there aren’t a lot of graphic murders or other things (remember, madly in love married couple), so unless you are really squeamish &/or hate movies that have psychedelic effects, I think you would like this movie. And the depth & chemistry the actors gave to their characters, especially Mickey & Mallory (Woody & Juliette have amazing chemistry together) is laudable.