Directed by Tibor Takács, I, Madman is a modestly budgeted horror movie that attempts to be more than it is, while also evoking the good old-fashioned horror movies of the past, where a creature is on the loose, blending elements of the slasher genre with a touch of the supernatural. The monster in question here is a killer named Dr. Kessler, who has carved off his own face and, because of that, is now looking to replace all those features with pieces of his victims.

This is the kind of film that any horror fan can get behind, not to mention those who occasionally enjoy a scary movie. Mad doctors, geniuses, scientists, or what have you always make for a good time, especially those with unclear motivations, as their madness comes off even more frightening. Given the fact that Kessler also likes to dissect pieces of his victims’ faces to mould a face of his own, it makes it even scarier. With that comes a decent amount of blood and gore, but it never goes over the top, and one never really sees people getting their faces cut off, which is probably a good thing. Takács handles it all not necessarily off-camera, but away from it, balancing that no-budget look with what modern audiences want to see.

Starring Jenny Wright as Virginia, the diminutive book clerk who loves to read scary novels, she does a good job as the damsel in distress, but ends up playing almost two roles by the end. Initially, her character is bright and confident, whereas by the end, she has transformed into someone nearly altogether different. One could say that her character simply fell apart due to the circumstances she found herself in, perhaps even going a little mad herself, but it is more than likely lazy writing, as that final act did not pay off as well as it could have. At the very least, the makers of this film take that novel premise—the villains in the books Virginia reads coming to life—and give it a resolution that makes sense. For the most part, and despite the horror and suspense that continue to build throughout, some scenes could have been trimmed to make the narrative more effective.

The makeup and practical effects used for Kessler were effective as he looked perfect as a killer who had made a name for himself, but the demon-like dog creature was a little poor. Watching this, one knew what they were going for, but either the special effects were a little too expensive or simply were not advanced enough at the time to make the creature look any better than it did. That being said, it was not the worst a person would see on the big screen. Adding to all of this would be the effective use of lighting and set design, which creates an overall atmosphere that evokes a sense of dread more often than not.

At the end of the day, I, Madman was an entertaining bit of horror. Taking a stab at doing something a little different than the norm is always a risk, but Takács manages to succeed no matter the perceived weaknesses found within. Fun, spooky and suspenseful, it is definitely worth a look.

3 out of 5