Man Bites Dog AKA C’est arrivé près de chez vous (1992) is a darkly comedic mockumentary that sees a film crew follow the life of a serial killer as he goes about his daily routine.
The lack of onscreen gore takes nothing away from the brutality of the sociopathic, Ben. A role that owes everything to Benoît Poelvoorde who plays it (as well as co-directed) completely straight, almost as if you were following the daily life of any blue collared worker. As he recites poetry, admires architecture, is even playfully short with his girlfriend when they play music together, the movie somehow hypnotizes you with charm, leading you to forget you’re watching this horrendous creature commit some of the worst atrocities known to man.
In short, this Belgian masterpiece is a dark comedy in every sense of the word, but definitely isn’t for everyone. If slapstick and dad jokes are your thing, probably steer clear. However, if you’re curious to see how some of the darkest parts of the human psyche can be made humorous through a truly original medium, get involved.
Available on Netflix (US) & Amazon Prime (US)
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