‘Joel’ – A True Crime Serial Killer Film Review

Back in the late eighties and into the early nineties, loner Joel Rifkin killed at least seventeen prostitutes. He is New York’s most infamous serial killer. I found out quite a bit about him recently when I watched John R. Hand’s upcoming film Joel. I do have an interest in true crime stories, and what intrigued me about this particular film are two things. Before I had watched the film, I honestly didn’t know much about Joel Rifkin or his murders, and I was incredibly interested in such a personal perspective of his story, as it is told through the viewpoint of the killer himself. Does this movie work with this innovative story telling technique? Read on to find out!

 

Synopsis:

Joel is a true crime film based on the story of New York’s most notorious serial killer, Joel Rifkin, who murdered at least seventeen prostitutes in the late eighties and early nineties.

The product of over three years worth of intensive research, Joel is one of the most accurate and in-depth cinematic renderings of the life and crimes of a serial killer ever made.

 

Director Statement:

It took me years of searching to discover Joel Rifkin’s story. It took a few more years of false starts, rewrites and total rethinks before I could reduce Rifkin’s story to the essential elements and finally create the completed film.. The story of Joel Rifkin is often neglected – there’s no extravagant details of ritualized crime scenes, no sordid tales of a warped childhood. Rifkin had a normal upbringing until various obsessions and emotional forces led him to the murder a string of sex workers in the New York area.
There were many elements of Rifkin’s life story I could relate to, such as his early abuse at the hands of his school classmates, his early adult floundering at finding a job, and his inability to live up to his father’s expectations. His surface normality forces us to confront his humanity and makes his crimes even more horrifying.

Most films made from the stories of real-life killers take only the basic details of the actual events and then invent their own fictional stories and characters. The filmmakers frequently invent a specific character, usually a law enforcement figure, who can guide us like children through the world of our killer as a kind of rational window into the world of madness. With Joel, I wanted to strip that away and tell the story directly from the viewpoint of Joel Rifkin with as much authentic detail as possible. I wanted to use his own words taken directly from interviews to weave a fractured portrait of the man, his crimes, and his victims.

My Thoughts:

Joel is, in a word, raw. The film is definitely innovative in storytelling. Serial killer movies aren’t usually told through the eyes of the killer themselves. You can see the research that was put into this film. It left me disturbed and stuck with me long after. To watch Joel Rifkin’s transformation into a serial killer is brutally honest and real. The film takes you on the path of Joel Rifkin’s self destruction and you understand why he may have done this and that is what makes it so terrifying. Arnold Odo’s performance is captivating. You believe he really is Joel Rifkin.

Final Thoughts:

Joel is definitely worth watching, especially for true crime fans. The effort put into this film is amazing. You are right there with Joel Rifkin as he becomes a notorious serial killer. Arnold Odo’s performance is memorable and will stay with you long after you finish the film. Be sure to check out the film’s Facebook page for more information. I hope to see this movie out there for everyone to view. It is an disturbing and raw film, but captures Joel Rifkin perfectly.