Poor Agnes Review: A young serial killer finds herself falling for her latest would-be victim in this twisted thriller.
Poor Agnes review by Kat Hughes.
Poor Agnes Review
If there’s one thing that films have repeatedly told us, it’s that all serial killers are men. If you rack your brain you might be able to think of a handful of ladies that have amassed multiple murders, but on the whole, the killing game has been dominated by the male of the species. Poor Agnes sets out to re-balance the scales, and overall, it succeeds.
The serial killer thriller gets a modern-day makeover in Poor Agnes. Agnes (Lora Burke) lives in rural Canada; on the surface she looks like your average all-Canadian lady, but she’s hiding a disturbing secret, she’s actually a murderess. She gets her kicks out of ensnaring men, kidnapping and torturing them before finally killing them. All is going swimmingly for Agnes until private investigator Mike (Robert Notman) turns up on her doorstep looking for one of her past victims. She sets to work seducing him and trapping him in her basement, but then the unexpected happens, she falls for her would-be prey.
Poor Agnes Review
The premise is essentially reverse Stockholm Syndrome, with the captor falling for the captive. It’s a very interesting idea and one of the freshest takes on the rom-com (if it can be classed as such) that we’ve seen in years. Poor Agnes explores the toxicity of relationships and exposes the power plays that occur within them. There’s a forever swaying balance of power between our core couple, each taking a turn at being both dominant and submissive, which is interesting to see play out. It is a shame however, that one of the first times we get a female serial killer, that she has to fall for her victim. Some will see this as a weakness, the woman still falling for the man, but remember Mike isn’t her first victim and she shows that she’s certainly very feisty.
Poor Agnes Review
At the centre, holding everything together, is Burke as our titular Agnes. This role could have oh so easily been played as a crazy bitch, but Burke gives Agnes layers and depth. There’s much more than one level within this role, she plays innocent coquettish girl next door as well cold and detached monster, in addition to misty-eyed and clingy. Burke’s performance is that of a chameleon as she flits between friendly and ‘normal’, to cold and monstrous within the blink of an eye. There’s something very unsettling about her turn as Agnes, managing to portray that dead psychopathic unfeeling persona that we have come to know. Told from Agnes’ point of view through the use of voice-over, Poor Agnes could in many ways be likened to a female American Psycho. Matching Burke is our hapless victim Mike, played by Notman. Notman matches Burke’s crazy beautifully, and the audience can never quite tell if Mike’s fallen under Agnes’ spell or not.
Poor Agnes is very much like a twisted romantic comedy that delves into some unexpected areas. It raises some interesting ideas around relationships and their powers to both destruct and heal, and is held together by a fantastic performance from Burke.
Poor Agnes review by Kat Hughes, October 2017.
Poor Agnes is currently playing as part of the Grimmfest programme.
