Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
| Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer | |
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Original film poster
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| Directed by | John McNaughton |
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| Cinematography | Charlie Lieberman |
| Edited by | Elena Maganini |
| Distributed by | Greycat Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $110,000 |
| Box office | $609,939 (US) |
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a 1986 American psychological horror crime film directed and co-written by John McNaughton about the random crime spree of a serial killer who seemingly operates with impunity. It stars Michael Rooker as the nomadic killer Henry, Tom Towles as Otis, a prison buddy with whom Henry is living, and Tracy Arnold as Becky, Otis's sister. The characters of Henry and Otis are loosely based on real life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole.
Henry was filmed in 1985 but had difficulty finding a film distributor. It premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1986 and played at film festivals throughout the late 1980s. Following successful showings during which it attracted both controversy and positive critical attention, it was rated "X" by the MPAA, further increasing its reputation for controversy. It was subsequently picked up for a limited release in 1990 in an unrated version. It was shot on 16mm in less than a month with a budget of $110,000.
Henry is a drifter who murders scores of people - men, women and children - as he travels through the country. He migrates to Chicago, where he stops at a diner, eats dinner, and kills two waitresses.
Otis, a drug dealer and prison friend of Henry's, picks up his sister Becky, who left her abusive husband, at the airport. Otis brings Becky back to the apartment he shares with Henry. Later that night, as Henry and Becky play cards, Becky asks Henry about the murder of his mother, the crime that landed him in prison. He tells her he stabbed his mother because she abused and humiliated him as a child, though he later claims he shot her. Becky reveals that her father raped her as a teenager.
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