A documentary centered around a polish serial killer who murdered five woman between 1975 and 1982, Marcin Koszalka's The Lust Killer explores the lives of the key individuals affected by the infamous "vampire from Bytom". Interviewing both the arresting officer and a former journalist, Edward Kozak, who concedes to the fact that the himself struggles with various obsessions. The Lust Killer is a beautifully shot documentary that uses interviews and this sort of stream of conscious visual flair to comment on humanities faults when it comes to lust, perversion and desire. It's a beautiful film that at times literally confronts the viewer, using characters that break the fourth wall almost as if the director is trying to trigger lust within the audience. The film argues that all humans have dark tendencies and the only difference between many and a serial killer is the ability to separate fantasy from reality. This film openly supports Dostoevsky's quote "The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons", using Edward Kozak to further capture this point. Edward is a man whose one true accomplishment revolves around the lust killer, a seemingly good man who himself struggles with his own demons. While I found the film to be interesting, The Lust Killer ultimately struggles in its exploration due to relying almost entirely on Edward's issues. There is no question that he is a slave to his lust and desires but I wouldn't say it's enough to hammer home the film's greater ambitions.
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June 2023
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