Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘How to Be a Serial Killer’

Written by Scott Edwards

When you are feeling down about yourself and your situation, it is hard to believe that other people are having a joyous time in their own lives. But when you find out what it is that will make you happy, most people neglect to share that information, not because they are ashamed, but because they are afraid of what others will think of them. It is hard to know if what you have found will be right for somebody else, but you never know what they are into until you put your cards on the table. You may find that there are people out there that share your same interests and are having a great time pursuing them and never have to second guess their lives again.

While at the video store, Mike Wilson watches as a customer ridicules the poor clerk and knows that there is a better life waiting out there for this young man. Asking Bart what he would do to the a-hole customer if he could do anything, Bart comes back with 'beat him to death with a sledgehammer.' Backtracking on the comment, Bart decides that he would settle for shooting the man instead and Mike is ready to make his dream come true. Pulling out a pistol, he catches the jerk-of-a-customer in the parking lot and before he is able to leave, Mike lets a shot go and shows Bart that there are greater things in life than just working a dead end job.

Mike Wilson has found his calling in life by becoming a serial killer and he knows that there are more people out there that could embrace the call of murder just as he has over the years. With his new apprentice Bart by his side, Mike is ready to show the young man what it is all about, especially since the world needs more population control when it comes to people not being thankful for what they have. Driving the streets with Bart, Mike goes over the rules of how to be a serial killer and shows the young man how easy it really is. Looking for targets, Mike makes sure that Bart understands compassion when it comes to picking out the right one and just because someone is down on their luck does not mean that they deserve to die.

While taking in all of the information that Mike is throwing his way, Bart has questions of his own and is starting to get inside the head of his teacher. While he sees that Mike is in a healthy relationship with Abigail, he wonders what would happen if Mike’s secret was ever discovered by her. Not knowing how she would react, Mike would rather not think about it, but now the seed has been planted in the back of his brain and he cannot get it out of his mind. Even though killing comes easy to Mike, a mistake takes place making him the prime suspect and it causes Mike to deviate from his normal lifestyle. With Bart by his side, the two men feel like they can take on the world together but find out that not everybody will share their values when all is said and done.

Talk about a change of lifestyles for anyone that is willing to take the leap. I love how Mike sells the job and loves his work as he weans the population of bad people down in one of the biggest cities in the world. The amazement and enthusiasm for the job that Bart shows is just fun as he is taking it all in and learning all of the rules. This movie also featured a documentary style when it came to telling the story, which actually was enjoyable since you get to see how everyone else views Mike and his practices. With a ten-step training program being prompted throughout, you get to know all of the basics before time runs out.  

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