I didn't know anything about this film and I wasn't expecting much. I only watched it because I'm a fan of some of the actors and because it was yet-to-be reviewed on IMDb.
Owen (Zachary Ray Sherman) is a teenage boy being plagued by vivid nightmares that usually involve random sleepwalks. They always seem to feature a young woman being drowned in a bathtub and then out comes the power-saw. Before too long the murders get closer to home and Owen soon becomes the prime suspect. His usual quack (Svetlana Efremova) brings in a different quack (Ron Perlman) and all of a sudden the sh*t hits the fan. Armand Assante portrays a cold-blooded killer on death row. You'll be speculating about the significance of his character for the first half of the film. Horror veteran Lin Shaye is on the ball as Owen's long- suffering mother, desperate to cure, or at least understand her sons bizarre sleeping disorder.
They do a good job of making you suspect everyone. Is Owen the killer? Could it be his geeky, yet sexy girlfriend? Could it be his mother? Surely Hellboy wouldn't be the killer? And how could Armand possibly get out of his cell every night?
Zachary Ray Sherman has the potential to make it as an A-list actor, although some of his lines do feel forced and tacky. It's hard to tell if it's his fault or the writers. He shares a scene with Armand that is certainly a highlight and both actors were in good form that day.
To sum up... Ron, Armand and Lin are doing their very best to make this low-budget chiller watchable. Haley Hudson plays Owen's weirdly attractive love interest. Her character is quite fascinating to watch, even though she seems to randomly fluctuate between virginal and sultry. Watch this face.
If you're in the mood for a thriller and it's slim pickings at your local video store, you could do a lot worse than Killer By Nature.
Check out my IMDb List for some better suggestions. "HORROR/THRILLER: Obscure, Overlooked & Underrated" http://www.imdb.com/list/8QFZ78e4Ar8/
