NEW Freeway Killer (DVD)

Freeway Killer only offers a glimpse at the life of serial killer William Bonin, who was responsible for killing no less than 20 young men over a two-year period.

The film was written by David Birke, who had also worked on the serial killer films "Gacy" and "Dahmer." Overall, the film has the vibe of a made-for-cable movie. The majority of the cast had only acted in television, with the exception of film veteran Michael Rooker (Days of Thunder). Scott Leet, while having primarily worked in TV, shows great promise in his portrayal of the serial killer. Leet nails the role that finds him between the rage of a sadistic mentor, and the paranoia of a sociopathic headcase.

What made Bonin notable as a serial killer is that he was the first prisoner in California to be executed by lethal injection. Beyond that, there doesn't seem to be much to warrant having a film dedicated to his crimes. Bonin's own murky past is all but ignored until the film's conclusion; the audience never really understands what motivates his actions. Despite Bonin's history of molesting boys, details of his sexual deviance is also almost entirely omitted from the film as well.

The movie isn't particularly suspenseful, and it never delves into what turned Bonin into a monster in the first place. Beyond Scott Leet's performance, there isn't much else to offer praise for. It's worth a rental, but I wouldn't recommend buying it until after you've watched it and formed your own opinion.

Freeway Killer is one of the better serial killer films I've seen so far. Many of these films that are based on real life serial killers are largely inaccurate and/or the production value is mediocre at best. And though this film isn't overly great, it is a decent flick definitely worth viewing. Of course, the film isn't entirely accurate with the life and crimes of William Bonin, but it seems to be more accurate and factual than most I've viewed. Where the film lets the audience down, however, is the lack of background information on the life of Bonin himself. Only a small amount of info is revealed about his early life and that occurs when the film is nearly over. It's understanding that a film probably couldn't depict every important event of Bonin's life in a 90 min window, but still, some more insight or flashbacks would have been nice. Another major flaw is that film vaguely hints that Bonin was a sex offender, child molester, and that he not only killed his victims, but he tortured and raped them as well. None of these acts are shown, yet only barely implied. And though I understand this isn't a slasher film by any means, the body count here is pretty low. Bonin confessed to killing 21 young men and boys, convicted of 14 of them, and was suspected in about 15 more. Yet, in the film there is perhaps 3 or 4 murders. Again, I'm not expecting to see every murder he did on screen, but this is where some background about Bonin' past would have worked. A series of flashbacks perhaps, or the film could have started from his childhood to begin with, shown his earlier arrests, and shown some of his first murders. Instead, the film seems to only show the last few weeks, maybe days, of Bonin's killing spree. What I did enjoy though was the strong acting performance by Scott Leet as William Bonin. I was definitely impressed with the job he did, and also how much he looked like the actual William Bonin! In a bit of a ironic twist, Michael Rooker appears in this film as a detective, though be it a very small role and has very little screen time. The irony is that Rooker himself played a serial killer in the 1986 film Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. All in all, this is decent flick to watch. There's nothing really outstanding about it, but for these types of lower budget serial killer films, its actually pretty good. Definitely recommended for those interested in serial killers and true crime. However, for a complete overview of the life and crimes of William Bonin, I suggest you do some further reading in addiction to the film.

Based on an actual criminal case, Freeway Killer (2010) tells the chilling and disturbing story of a notorious serial killer named William Bonin who lived in California, and preyed on young men. Bonin would deposit the dead bodies of his victims along the side of major roadways, leading to his gaining the nickname of "Freeway Killer".

Roughly set in the 1979 through 1980 time period, the film does a fairly good job of recounting some very bizarre happenings, as Bonin (played by Scott Anthony Leet) may have been responsible for over thirty murders. Bonin would typically befriend young men, offer them rides in his van, provide them marijuana, and them kill them. Other times he would take them to his home, and murder them there. Bonin worked alone, and also with several partners, including Vernon Butts (Dusty Song).

Unknown to them, some of Bonin's victims walked a strange line between life and death. In some cases, instead of killing them, Bonin would attempt to get his victims to participate in the murder of another. The film shows an instance of this, as Kyle Peterson (Cole Williams), a convenience store clerk, is introduced to Bonin's and Butt's world of violence, and then participates in a brutal murder.

Bonin's compulsions to kill are overpowering, and lead to a rift between him and Butts, and also with new partner Peterson. Bonin's extreme recklessness eventually leads to his being suspected by the police, and his arrest while actually choking a victim.

The chilling story is told in flashbacks, as while on death row, Bonin has some conversations with a mother who suspects that her missing son was one of his many victims. The film features several up close and personal kills that spotlights the extreme intensity of the violence, and effectively portrays the taking of life in a realistic and scary way.

That all the victims are male, makes for a change of pace from the usual serial killer drama. The film doesn't specifically address sexual assault, although the real William Bonin did rape some of his victims, and also killed minors. The movie portrays Bonin as someone who's thirst for blood causes him to become reckless, although why he risked working with various partners, generally remains obscure. Vernon Butts, who fancied himself as having mystical powers, was apparently also quite an unusual character. The film doesn't show Butts committing any murders, but he was eventually charged as an accomplice in nine homicides.

The film seems to realistically capture, at least some of the madness that possessed William Bonin. Scott Anthony Leet's edgy performance is chilling, and explosively violence. Dusty Song, Cole Williams, and Michael Rooker as the officer in charge of the investigation, are all very solid. The commentary track by director John Murlowski and writer David Birke is helpful in both understanding more about the making of the movie, and the actual case. Freeway Killer is not a pleasant watch, but it is a very solid, often riveting crime drama with a conclusive ending. Rating: 3.5 stars.