Craig is a Dark Low-Budget Danish Horror Gem
Craig gives a realistic account of the progression from abused and troubled man to psychotic and brutal serial killer.
Written by The Horror Czar
May 8, 2009
Watch the Craig Horror Movie Trailer!
Release: December 9, 2008 (U.S. DVD)
Directed by: Kim Sønderholm
Written by: Kim Sønderholm and Jan T. Jensen
Starring:
Kim Sønderholm as Craig Anderson
Peter Ottesen as Johnny
Christian Magdu as Chris
Jan Tjerrild as Cliff
Merete Van Kamp as Leila
Lloyd Kaufman as Voice of God
Craig (played by writer/director Kim Sønderholm) is in a very bad place; the interrogation room of the local homicide division answering questions about his whereabouts during the raging fire that killed his parents and left his sister in a coma. The distraught Craig tries to answer the questions and deal with the suspicious cops, but ultimately explodes with tearful emotion and must be let go. He has been through a lot with his family now gone and begins working diligently with his therapist to process the survivor guilt.
Craig’s only family now is best friend Cliff (co-writer Jan Tjerrild) but that doesn’t help much. Cliff has his own troubles between his bitchy wife and womanizing ways. According to Cliff, the answer to every whoa is to hit the local singles bar and pick up a trashy bar fly – but women tend to treat Craig badly, likely due to his weight. Craig isn’t obese by any means, but surely a bit dumpy. The singles crowd doesn’t cotton to that in Danish land, it seems…
As the days and weeks go by Craig has more and more trouble keeping things together. Fits of screaming nightmares and the constant state of being picked on wherever he goes starts to put more pressure on Craig than his therapist can help alleviate. Something’s got to snap… and eventually it does.
Finally, the hooker that checks her blackberry while riding the lonely Craig sets him off. She must die, and later every woman who has ever wronged him is a target for a murderous rage that leaves blood on Craig’s hands and body parts in his trunk. The ghost of his dead father egging him on doesn’t help matters at all.
Craig is a brilliant film for the right audience. The production quality is good, but obviously micro-budget. Many folks in today’s horror market have�trouble watching films that do not have the appropriate “Hollywood Slick”, and those folks will not be able to see past the choppiness of the film into the real value; this is a realistic portrayal of the creation of a serial killer. A man with a propensity for mental illness, an appropriately abusive childhood and an ongoing chain of experiences and let-downs throughout life can actually emerge it all as a killer. We see inside the mind of the man, feel the building weight of anger and disappointment and can watch a path of behavior unfold that does not seem unreasonable. One of the things about serial killers that always eluded me was a concrete “why” to the killing. Sure, I can intellectually understand the concept of anger, illness, and psychosis – but in Craig you actually see it happening.
Craig is one of the creepiest films about a serial killer I’ve seen because I really get it... not that I necessarily sympathize with his murder spree but because I could see where things were going with such clarity that the possibility that the quiet neighbor down the hall could snap in a similar fashion is a�chilling possibility. For those not accustomed to low-budget horror, this one may be just the primer. No real gore to speak of, but even for a self-identified� gore-hound this film had an impact. Questions or comments about Craig? Discuss it on The Ossuary Forums!
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