Killer Joe: The Movie of the Summer

It's been a terrible summer at the movies -- probably the worst in 40 years. But "Killer Joe," from director William Friedkin ("The Exorcist," "Cruising"), stands out. It is the best movie of summer 2012 by far. But be forewarned: it deserves its NC-17 rating. It is a brutal depiction of human depravity. 

A family of trailer-park trash hire a hitman (Matthew McConaughey) to off one of their members. They also force their 12-year-old daughter to provide sexual services for the assassin as part of the deal. And we get to watch her perform some of those services. Yes, it's stomach-turning. (Twenty-two-year-old Juno Temple plays the girl in a daring performance that must have made her parents die a slow death when they saw it on-screen.)

The script, based on a play by Tracy Letts ("August: Osage County"), effectively uses comedy from time to time to blunt some of the impact. On one level, you could describe "Killer Joe" as a black comedy. But Friedkin, as he is wont to do, depicts a good amount of the brutality in a realistic, non-comedic way. So the comedy only lightens the atmosphere to a degree. This is a tough movie to watch.

McConaughey is having quite a year. After turning himself into an ultra-mainstream movie star, he appears to have decided in 2010 or so that he wanted a new career. This year, he did Richard Linklater's "Bernie," Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike," and now an art-house film with an NC-17 rating where he rapes a girl and beats a middle-aged woman nearly to death. And he's done a great job in all these films. He's brought fearlessness and skill to all these roles. A very impressive career turn-around. I loathed him in 2010, and now I really respect him as an actor.

Let's see if Hollywood has the guts to nominate "Killer Joe" for Best Picture. It deserves it. The direction is crisp and brilliant almost from start to finish. The actors all know exactly what they're doing. The cinematography is suitably dank and lurid. Every shot is interestingly composed. The screenplay bristles with creativity and punch (pardon the pun). The editing is a tour de force, moving everything along at an exhilarating pace.

I wouldn't go too far in singing its praises though. "Killer Joe" doesn't really cut that deep. It spins its nauseating tale effectively. It is a true work of art, exploring the underbelly of American life and human consciousness. But does it say anything truly profound or new about life? Not really. It's one helluva ride though.