Official Synopsis:
The more Vann tries to make a success of his new life, the stronger are the mysterious forces that pull him in a darker direction. When quiet and amiable Vann Siegert (Owen Wilson) drifts into town, no one suspects the evil that lies beneath the surface. When locals start to disappear, it becomes clear that an eerie subtraction is at work among the lost and lonely of this sleepy, seaside hamlet. People look toward Vann, but no one can quite put their finger on who he really is. Through it all, he carries on a surreal dialogue with imaginary detectives (Dwight Yoakam and Dennis Haysbert) who question his crimes and motives. Jeaneane Garofalo, Brian Cox and Mercedes Ruehl also star in this unsettling and offbeat psychological thriller that looks in the mind of a serial killer.

  
Our Take:
Having been released on DVD in 2000 and with no new extra features to speak of, I’m unsure of why Lionsgate felt the need to re-release The Minus Man other than to capitalize on Owen Wilson’s latest film, Drillbit Taylor. Of course, considering how that movie played out at the box office, you can see exactly how smart that strategy was.

Still, I remember seeing trailers for The Minus Man when it first came out (when nobody except for us Bottle Rocket fans knew who Owen Wilson was). Somehow I’d never gotten around to seeing it, but this re-release seemed like a perfect chance to discover a hidden gem. After all, it’s written and directed by Hampton Fancher (who wrote the screenplay for Blade Runner), and it boasts a surprisingly good cast for such a small film: Wilson, Janeane Garofalo, Brian Cox, Mercedes Reuhl, Dennis Haysbert, Sheryl Crow, Eric Mabius, and Dwight Yoakam.

Unfortunately, the movie is terrible. It plays like a student film, with Wilson’s dreamy-voiced narration both clichéd and annoying. Sure, you can present this serial killer as a nice guy, but for me the biggest danger was being killed by boredom. The film is so quiet and serene and dull that it will put you to sleep. All the actors in the world can’t save the dreary script and overly laid back direction by Fancher.

As I mentioned earlier, this new DVD edition of The Minus Man doesn’t include any real extra features, just the following:

- Serial Killer Biographies.
- Theatrical Trailers.

I thought The Minus Man would be one of those overlooked DVD treasures, but instead it turns out that it’s been overlooked for good reason. Don’t let the great cast pull you into this terrible movie.

Overall Picture:
Movie: D-
DVD: C

- Mike Spring

Editor