There are bad movies, and there are worse movies, and there is Mind Killer that resides somewhere in between. The title would have a person believe that there is some crazy psycho that stabs people in the brain or fries their brains or does something to that critical organ that allows a person to exist. If only. Instead, the only mind that is killed is that of the person who watches this film.

It is not all bad, though it definitely tests the patience of those who partake. The last fifteen to twenty minutes are decent, but it takes an eternity to get there. During that marathon, the viewer continually gets their hopes up, thinking that something is going to happen any minute, that their diligence and fortitude will pay off, and that, sadly, is not the case. There is drama and some attempts at comedy, but it is poorly executed, and what should have been an episode of a horror anthology is stretched out into a feature film. At least half of this movie could have been cut down and still provided enough story to make it enjoyable, but instead, it was padded out, making it seem interminable at times.

The story itself would involve two young men working in the basement of a library, hopeless fools who would never get a woman, yet have each other as the best of friends. For one, that is not enough, and while pulling papers out of the stacks as part of his duties, he discovers a paper involving the powers of the mind and how to unlock one’s potential. He reads it, does just that and starts to use his newfound mind powers for his own benefit. On the receiving end is a young woman who has been brought in for a new position in the library, and he is incredibly smitten with her. Sadly, that only goes one way, so he uses his powers to force her into dating him. As things progress, his powers start to transform his body until finally, his brain escapes and takes on a life of its own. It all ends with his friend at the bar, surrounded by women and the intimation that he is also controlling them with his mind.

While the building of a story is essential to any film, the makers of this picture dragged it out for far too long, and any suspense or tension they wanted to create fell by the wayside. It would not be until the final act that things eventually picked up and became interesting. Despite the limited budget, the special effects were decent and creepy-looking. Warren, the young man in question, becomes a true monster, both in appearance and temperament, by the end of it all, and it is a bit of a shame that the creature could not have played a bigger part in the movie for a more extended period.

All in all, even bad movies have something to offer, and that is also true in this case, at least for a few minutes. With a better story and a stronger script, Mink Killer could have been so much more.

1.5 out of 5