So, this isn’t an out and out horror film, it’s definitely more of a psychological thriller. One thing I’ve noticed about a lot of 90’s horror is that a lot of it leans more towards being thriller-y. Despite that, it’s pretty horrific and all kinds of awesome. Brad Pitt gives an outstanding performance that he doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for, and the story is incredibly gripping, despite dragging a bit at times.
This movie follows a grad student (Brian) and his girlfriend (Carrie), played by David Duchovney and Michelle Forbes, who are looking for some carpool buddies to go on a road trip to California. The catch is, on the road trip they’re going to be stopping at the sides of serial murders for a book Brian is writing. Enter Early and Adele, played by Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis. They’re a poor couple looking to get a fresh start, leaving behind Early’s violent past. At first, their demographics don’t mesh: a redneck couple and some artsy grad students don’t have all that much in common, but they begin to connect as they travel together. However, as they travel, Early continues to unravel, becoming more and more violent and unstable.
As I said before, Brad Pitt gives an unbelievably brutal and convincing performance. He plays a man exploring and ultimately giving into his underlying nature perfectly. Juliette Lewis also gives a strong performance as the innocent and childlike Adele, a girl who just wants to be loved, even if it is by a sometimes abusive man. Duchovney and Forbes do fine enough, but compared to Lewis and Pitt leave something to be desired. One of the big weaknesses is that certain scenes tend to drag. The movie comes in just under 2 hours and I think easily could have been equally, if not more, effective at 100 minutes. There’s no one specific part I feel should have been cut either, more that if they just snipped a minute or two off each scene it would have been perfect.
I feel like this film is often overlooked and doesn’t get the recognition that it should. Despite its flaws, I think Kalifornia is definitely worth watching. The performances are memorable, the story is strong, and the violence is chilling.
Netflix available? No
Hulu available? No
Xfinity available? Yes, for a fee
Rating: 4/5
Final Girl Horror Reviews 