Jason Shining

For some reason, when I think of spring, I think of serial killers. Everyone knows one of those sweet, secret-but-slightly-scary make-out point. I guess I just have a lot of them so they’re on my mind. Here are the top three serial killer movies you probably haven’t seen.

Elephant: This crazy movie shot from the different points of view of a bunch of high school students. There are a lot of single-scene shots and it came out around the columbine era. It’s a tastefully done film examining not only the psyche of the killers but the people whose lives they affect. Personal and shocking, this is one of my favourites.

The Talented Mr.Ripley: An all-star line up with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Matt Damon, Jude Law, and the ever elegant Gwyneth Paltrow. The movie is about Tom Ripley (Mat Damon) and his adventures in Italy right around the 1940s. It’s a great take on identity theft and the power that an impression can make. The scenery is gorgeous, and it’s a unique look at the perils money can lead to.

Polytechnique: A black and white French subtitled flick about the Ecole Polytechnique shooting in Montreal. Raw and shocking, this film chronicles the motivation behind the shooter, painting a frigid and authentic feel of Montreal in the dead of winter. This is not for the faint of heart and, although none of the movies are especially gory, this film definitely left me shook.