Mr. Brooks
Director: Bruce A. Evans
Starring: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt, and Dane Cook
Genre: Drama, Thriller and Crime/Gangster
Duration: 2 hrs.
Rated: R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, nudity and language.
Plot: Consider Mr. Brooks: a successful businessman; a generous philanthropist; a loving father and devoted husband. Seemingly, he’s perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret–he is an insatiable serial killer, so lethally clever that no one has ever suspected him–until now. Earl Brooks is a man who has managed to keep his two incompatible worlds from intersecting by controlling his cunning, wicked alter ego. A simple mistake puts all of that in danger.

My review: I had been looking forward to this one since seeing the trailer for it as I’m a big fan of dark thrillers. Mr. Brooks is definitely a dark themed semi-mystery, but mostly thriller. Kevin Costner does a great job playing the mild-mannered, responsible citizen by day and very intelligent sociopathic killer by night. You may or may not have been able to tell from the trailer (see below), but William Hurt plays his evil id (not a spoiler as you find out in the first few mins) and this was likely my favorite part of the movie. Hurt and Costner play off each other incredibly well and add a great dimension to the film.

Rounding out the cast is Demi Moore as the detective hot on Mr. Brooks trail and a surprisingly unoffensive Dane Cook. Demi Moore does well in her role, but really comes across as completely replaceable and forgettable. Perhaps it was just the character that limited her potential, but the “girl with something to prove” angle just doesn’t add much to the story. Then there is “comedian” Dane Cook, who I really can’t stand because, wait for it, he’s not funny. Thankfully though Cook isn’t here to be funny and that’s why it actually works for him. Cook plays the blackmailing, nosy neighbor that learns of Mr. Brooks’ dark secret, and does it very well.

The storyline moves along quickly and doesn’t seem to waste time pursuing dead ends. The twists were pretty predictable as I had figured out all but one of the turns by the end. That was alright though because the movie keeps its wheels on the ground through each tight turn and that provides a satisfying result.

If you’re a fan of dark movies and don’t mind some gore and violence then I’d definitely recommend this movie. My only complaint was how damn loud they made the gunshots. They could have been going for a startling effect, which worked, but during the shoot out scene it gets to be a little heavy. Overall, a strong, polished cast and an entertaining storyline make Mr. Brooks a worthy investment of $10 and 2 hours of time.

My rating: 4/5 stars
High point: Costner and Hurt’s on-screen dynamics
Low point: LOUD gunshots!

Mr. Brooks Movie Trailer:

Check Out the rest of our Movie Reviews.