When The Screaming Starts takes aim at our collective cultural obsession with true crime through the mockumentary form. When overly ambitious documentarian Norman Graysmith (Jared Rogers) finds aspiring serial killer Aidan Mendle (Ed Hartland), he plans to film Mendle’s path to becoming a proper serial killer. As Aidan and his girlfriend Claire (Kaitlin Reynell) form their own serial killer cult, Norman will realise there might be more to this documentary than he originally planned.
★★★✰✰
A specifically British polite and bumbling charm is captured in the opening minutes of When the Screaming Starts. As trainee serial killer Aidan Mendle is introducing his documentarian to his murdering techniques and various weaponry, the film strikes a comfortable comedic tone. Juxtaposing our notions of the serial killer against the mundanity of England makes for an effective introduction that suitably endears us to Aidan’s murderous goals. Hartland imbues his performance with just enough charm to make you feel sympathy for this clearly purposeless man, whilst adding in a boyish enthusiasm that grounds you in his ambitious struggle.
That struggle is the main focus of When the Screaming Starts. The film follows documentarian Norman Graysmith (Jared Rogers) as he attempts to film Aidan’s serial killer journey and make his name in the process. This all changes when Aidan and Claire decide to form a Manson-style family of killers.
When The Screaming Starts is for the most part a reliable, if uneven, horror-comedy that has a few genuinely funny moments. Its dialogue works best when it focuses on the mundanity of the situation, and the more unrealistic Aidan’s aims become, the better the film is able to ring the awkward humour out of the situation. It’s not laugh-out-loud, but it is not designed to be. The humour works best as a casual force that undercuts the proposed violence from Aidan. This is helped by a consistent tone that knows when to lean on the sentimental and dark, producing some surprisingly interesting moments. A standout is Micky (Rob Tofield), the only applicant to not be accepted into the family. His few moments on screen shine as he prompts genuine sympathy, Tofield’s reserved nature making his character all the more heartbreaking. He is a good example of how When the Screaming Starts uses its tight ninety-minute runtime to its full.
Sadly, this economical approach to the story is not found in the majority of When the Screaming Starts. The introduction of the team grinds the narrative pace to a halt, something only really recovered from towards the end of the film. Having to go through several arbitrary steps, like the interviews and subsequent training, halts the enjoyably free-flowing tone of Aidan’s introductory segment. A film about a serial killer should feel as sporadic as the main character is trying to be, but the team’s addition does little for the overall story. It is not helped that the majority of the members are given little character and not much to do.
The best team member is undoubtedly Amy (Octavia Gilmore). Her character is given the same amount of backstory as the others, but her performance delivers a good amount of manic energy that bolsters up some of the more meandering sections. Amy is the most magnetic on screen, mainly because she is one of the few that actually gets their hands dirty. When the bloody violence eventually breaks out, it is both brutal and comedic. The violence never goes too far, managing to keep itself in its comedic milieu. One stand-out scene at Amy’s parent’s house during dinner is an explosive example of how to do horror-comedy well, harking back at times to the highs of Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy. The violence packed a punch, and because of where it appears in the story, after the lengthy team-gathering scenes, it is made more impactful.
The main issue that When the Screaming Starts has is its clearly telegraphed conflict. Due to the fact that most of the characters are properly fleshed out, the inevitable conflict is not the dramatic climax it should have been. It exposes the characters, especially Aidan, as rather one-note. Whilst this may have worked for the comedic moments, when it comes time to get serious, When the Screaming Starts tends to fall short. The film’s conflict feels stuck in its comedic trappings, and the need to make jokes does little to help the already flimsy drama.
Luckily, When the Screaming Starts mostly ditches its comedy for an excellent final act that elevates the film. It embraces violence to create a tense finale that employs its best use of its mockumentary form, building on the comedically violent dinner scene with a more intense approach to its bloodshed. Even if the ending takes a specific character and suddenly changes their entire demeanour, it does not blunt the effectiveness of the film’s climax. When the film takes itself seriously and commits to the darkness of its small-scale story, When the Screaming Starts grips its audience.
The Verdict
When the Screaming Starts is an enjoyable little film that finds a small unexplored corner of the serial killer craze and exploits it, to mostly good results. The stumbles in pacing and character do bring the film down, but the controlled approach to violence and its ending, with a few decent laughs sprinkled in, is enough to keep the film enjoyable. When the Screaming Starts should be recommended as a fun, if not amazing, horror-comedy that can produce both laughs and excitement in the same screaming breath.
Words by James Evenden
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