Early in Killers By Nature there is a scene where Cory Buckner and Jeffrey Mordrid have broken into the house of a former high school bully, Nick Baxley, with the intention of frightening him. Among other things, Cory recounts the time that Nick stole his dirt bike, and the time that he egged their house. At that point, Jeffrey stops him. “No, that was Benicio Campbell…. Benicio Campbell,” he quietly repeats. Cory realizes his mistake and abruptly apologizes.

This short scene, minor as it may seem, really helped set the tone for me, allowing me to enjoy the film in ways that many other people aren’t, or weren’t, able to do. Several reviewers have suggested that Spudic, in his first time out of the gate as a director (well, if you don‘t count Attack of the Bathroom Creature), really dropped the ball. They point out that the film, despite its powerful subject matter, ultimately fails to deliver any kind of real social commentary, hinting that Spudic has simply exploited the rash of recent school shootings (including, and especially, the Columbine tragedy) in order to render an excruciatingly violent, utterly pointless, film.

I saw it much differently.

I think this is a brilliant film and I honestly believe that Eric Spudic, although a little rough around the edges, in a filmmaker sense, has genuinely managed to fashion a very entertaining, albeit violent, low-budget film.

In the first ten minutes of Killers By Nature, the audience is given unfettered access to the lives of two lost, emotionally-desolate, social rejects as they convene in a cluttered kitchen. Jeffrey Mordrid (Eric Spudic), has just finished masturbating to a porno movie and can’t even be bothered to wipe off his hands before diving into his sandwich. When Cory Buckner (Jason Contini), Jeff’s best friend, arrives, the two head upstairs to drink beers and reflect on their past, their present, and, occasionally, their future. They tend to stay away from that though, content in their knowledge that the future—their future—holds nothing of interest.

We get the sense right away that Cory and Jeffrey’s friendship is neither traditional nor wholesome. Their relationship, which bypasses the usual macho-posturing, has developed into something intense and fiery. They share everything; their secrets, their personal pain, and, chillingly, their revenge fantasies.

In one long drawn-out scene, emphasizing their unique sense of boredom, we watch as these two young men cook up the ultimate revenge scenario. Energized by beer and nourished by one too many fantastical movie situations, which could have come from any of the countless posters lining Jeffrey’s walls, they quickly devise a plan of retribution against all those who did them wrong in high school.

After promptly hashing out a battle strategy, and a list of names, the two are soon gathering up their weapons of choice and heading out, in broad daylight. Within minutes, they are standing on the doorstep of their first intended target, Nick Baxley (Nick Hearne). Their plan isn’t too kill Nick, but rather, to simply terrify him. Of course, things go wrong when the victim/aggressor roles are compromised during the act. Cory and Jeff’s unrehearsed assailant characters don‘t easily alarm Nick—a guy who has apparently spent many years tormenting kids on various schoolyards, and is savvy enough to fight them off, somewhat. When Nick makes a mad dash for the street, a poorly placed shot from Jeff’s crossbow changes everything. They’ve gone from harmless tormentors to brutal killers.

While hiding the body, Jeff and Cory are confronted by Benicio Campbell (Rory Stumpf), another name on their list. What happens next changes the entire dynamic of the film, summed up in a follow-up scene where Cory and Jeff, absolutely caked in human blood, discuss whether or not they are becoming serial killers… and that the actual act of killing wasn’t really all that bad. Before long, we get the sense that these two social misfits have acquired a single, psychotic identity. With the two, there is no sense of guilt or pangs of remorse. As the bloodletting continues, the killings - - gruesome, sadistic and extremely violent—seem simply a means of gaining an adrenaline rush for the pair. Interestingly, the murders, which seem to cement their friendship early on, slowly drives a wedge between them as the film winds down.

This tension is further exasperated when Cory places Rory Emmerich‘s name on the list. Jeffrey admits that Rory was always nice to him in high school, and even protected him. To Cory, however, Emmerich was a violent thug, a bully who deserves to die. This sets up the final act, and a brutal confrontation between the film’s two protagonists that goes a long way in pointing out the sheer futility of it all.

As suggested early on when Cory had to be reminded what Nick did to them, it was obvious to me that Spudic’s message was that there was no message. Written one year before Columbine, this was a standard allegory about two lonely misfits, not unlike Leopold and Loeb, who decide to fill the void of their mundane lives by committing murder… nothing more.

Killers By Nature seems to walk a fine line between satirical comedy and outright horror. At times it’s easy to get lost, and elements of the film, including the rushed ending, don‘t really work. One thing is for sure, Spudic is clearly attempting to push the envelope with this. From the endless bloodletting, to the extreme and excessive violence, to the disgusting shot of human feces being flushed down a toilet, the film is intent on pushing those sensitive boundaries at every available moment. I guess when you’re being distributed on a label called ‘Extreme‘, it’s sort of expected.

The acting is impressive, with Jason Contini (2001‘s April Is My Religion) coming off as a real talent. He’s believable and even a little bit frightening. Eric Spudic (2003’s The Undertow), whose acting ability continues to improve with each new film he pops up in, is the most interesting character of the piece. Outwardly, Spudic projects the nicest guy in the world, but contrast that with shots of him cutting off a man’s hand, and you are left with something very unsettling. There is also a very nice cameo appearance by prolific b-movie actor William Clifton in possibly the film’s most gruesome killing.

Overall, the film is a fairly enjoyable, ultimately entertaining, diversion. I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.

On a side note, Eric Spudic’s DVD commentary of Killers By Nature should be considered mandatory listening in my opinion. It’s possibly one of the most interesting commentaries I’ve ever heard. Spudic has an encyclopedic knowledge of films that far surpasses just about every other person I’ve ever heard—including some self-described film historians. With his mellifluous voice, he literally rhymes off hundreds of titles, including various director’s filmographies, just off the top of his head, including many films I’ve never even heard of. His enthusiasm for the cinema and love of the craft is on par with that of Quentin Tarantino or Peter Bogdanovich, for sure. Spudic also gives tips on how to shoot a film, including pointing out some of his more obvious mistakes. This will surely come in handy to anyone seriously considering making their own micro-movie. After listening to this commentary, though, you’ll understand why Spudic is one of the hardest working guys in b-movies. If anyone deserves success, it’s him!

Three and a half stars.