DREAD and Epic Pictures have done it again with Ed Kemper, biopic of the real-life “Co-ed Killer” that sent 70s California into a panic with reports of murder, necrophilia, and dismemberment.
Starting with flashbacks of his murderous past, larger-than-life Ed Kemper is warned not to involve himself with his hateful mother. And of course, that is the first thing he does. Kemper lives every day being berated by his mother, eventually breaking and turning his murderous fantasies into actions once again, picking up hitchhiking college students, kidnapping them, and performing inhumane acts with their bodies. Kemper effectively loses his mind, changing from a reformed child psychiatric patient to a bona fide serial killer and only comes to an end when the singular problem in his life — his mother — becomes one of his victims.
If you are into true crime like I am, Ed Kemper is a must-see. There are really two types of serial killer documentaries: those that contain only facts and real-life media and interviews, and those that are dramatic retellings of the crimes. Ed Kemper is that of the latter, and I’m happy about that because there is a sort of wall between seeing these grisly crimes that really happened and then being able to enjoy a “horror” movie.
Kemper, played by Brandon Kirk, does a fantastic job as the 6-foot, 9-inch behemoth of a killer. His mother (Susan Priver) is somehow just as evil as he is, constantly berating her son for the smallest infractions, cigarette always in her mouth. There is no absolving Kemper’s crimes, but here we can see how their dynamic absolutely played into the killings.
Kemper, being a hulking mass of a person, did not have issues sadistically tearing apart his victims; Ed Kemper showed us that in all its glory. There is no hiding his true nature as we see him cut off pieces of young women and pose them, taking pictures, and defiling their bodies. There is blood and a true vulnerability that can only come from a naked torso and strewn-about limbs. But Ed Kemper somehow does this with some semblance of class, not holding the camera too long on certain shots — these are still real people we’re talking about here.
If I were to rate this true crime dramatization on a scale from “completely inaccurate” to “Toy-Box Killer Tapes,” this would be a good middle ground film. It has all the makings of a serial killer documentary with just enough artistic liberty to make it watchable without that icky feeling you can sometimes get with the real stuff. I hate to say Ed Kemper was “enjoyable” because that doesn’t quite feel right knowing this is a true story, but was it entertaining? Yes, it definitely was.
Ed Kemper is now playing in select theaters, and will be available to rent or purchase on VOD on April 8th. For more, information visit the Epic Pictures website and follow Ed Kemper on Instagram.
