RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
88 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:36

Rotten:5

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: Henry is an effective, chilling profile of a killer that is sure to shock and disturb.

Runtime: 3 hrs 8 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, loosely based on the case of Henry Lee Lucas, a confessed serial killer, is a terrifyingly intimate journey into the twisted life of a murderous psychotic. As the... HENRY PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, loosely based on the case of Henry Lee Lucas, a confessed serial killer, is a terrifyingly intimate journey into the twisted life of a murderous psychotic. As the blank-eyed Henry (Michael Rooker) drifts from place to place, he selects victims at random, slaughters them, and captures the brutality on videotape. When he is joined by his deranged roommate, a loudmouthed ex-convict named Otis (Tom Towles), the almost unfathomably malevolent acts multiply. John McNaughton's film, in the tradition of such classic studies of homicidal personality as PEEPING TOM and TAXI DRIVER, goes further than both of these movies in its flat refusal to tell the killer's story on anything other than the killer's terms. McNaughton is able to present the world Henry aimlessly traverses as Henry sees it--almost unendurably bleak and meaningless--and in doing so he allows his film to go as deep into the nightmarish mind of a killer as anything ever committed to celluloid. [More]

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold

Starring: Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold

Director: John McNaughton

Director: John McNaughton
Producer: John McNaughton, Lisa Dedmond, Steven A. Jones

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Sep 29, 2009

[DVD Details]
 
 

Blu-ray Disc Features:

  • Region [unknown]
  • NTSC
  • Special Edition
 
 
 
 

Reviews for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

McNaughton, co-writer Richard Fire and Rooker have pulled off an amazing feat -- a portrait of a damaged mind that refuses to explain, judge or glamorize psychopathic violence.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/20/08
Channel 4 Film

This is sicko territory with a vengeance but certainly has an impact.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
10/20/08
Empire Magazine

Certainly not for everyone, but if slasher movies are your cup of tea this is a lot better than most, and the use of Chicago locations is especially effective.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment 1 Comment
10/20/08
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Genuinely frightening.

comment Comment
12/05/07
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

[T]his is a movie that will anger and frighten audiences... Many will also find this one of the most impressive film debuts of the '80s.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
04/16/07
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

McNughton's film has both suspense and graphic violence, combining a clinical approach with semi-documentary technique that result in genuinely disturbing horror, deepling upsetting look at a murderer; a highlight of indie cinema of the 1990s.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
12/05/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

comment Comment
10/28/06
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

McNaughton's compelling study of a blithe sociopath makes the flesh crawl and the mind reel.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out

A genuinely upsetting film that's guaranteed to make you more paranoid.

comment Comment
10/21/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

Longe de traçar o “retrato de um assassino”, o filme apela para o choque barato, mas evita o fracasso absoluto em função da força das performances de Rooker, Towles e Arnold.

comment Comment
10/15/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

No review available.

comment Comment
09/30/05
Nicolas Lacroix
Nicolas Lacroix
EnPrimeur.ca

As an emotional map, Henry is decidedly raw, personal, and unrelenting.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
09/07/05
Jeremiah Kipp
Jeremiah Kipp
Slant Magazine

No review available.

comment Comment
07/15/05
Jonathan R. Perry
Jonathan R. Perry
Tyler Morning Telegraph (Texas)

No review available.

comment Comment
04/21/05
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

No review available.

comment Comment
11/19/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

Chilling.

comment Comment
06/12/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

A brutally honest intimate portrait of a serial killer that makes you feel rotten inside.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
04/04/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer surely ranks as one of the most frightening and disturbing films ever made.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide

No review available.

comment 1 Comment
07/12/03
Kevin N. Laforest
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal

There are still some shocks.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
07/08/03
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

March 23, 2007: Robert Englund Discusses the Future of "Freddy"
Before he was known the world over as Freddy Krueger, Robert Englund was known as just another colorful character actor, but now that he's played the dream-bound boogeyman in... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…
19% 19% Transformers: Revenge …
55% 55% Orphan

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
98% 98% Up
88% 88% Ballast
66% 66% The Merry Gentleman
56% 56% Enlighten Up!
12% 12% Spread

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

60+ New Moon pics

60+ New Moon pics

You want Twilight images? We got 'em!

What to Watch?

What to Watch?

Find out with RT's Holiday Movie Preview!

Friday Harvest

Friday Harvest

This week's best pics, videos, and posters!

New Posters

New Posters

Your next glimpse of Alice in Wonderland!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
69
  • Rachel McAdams Rumored for Spider-Man 4 Source: Mania.com
162
  • Danny Elfman Leaves The Wolfman Source: Cinemusic.net
29
  • Oldboy Remake Rumored Dead Source: Latino Review
20
  • Francis Lawrence Directing a Futuristic Sgt. Rock Source: Hollywood Reporter
3
  • Can Avatar Make Money? Source: New York Times
121
  • Robert Pattinson Says Breaking Dawn Could Roll in Fall 2010 Source: Collider.com
38
  • Joe Johnston Talks The Wolfman Source: Ain't It Cool News
8
  • Jason Schwartzman Talks Scott Pilgrim Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Abrams eyes Micronauts, Aykroyd as Yogi Bear
102
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: John Cusack's Best Movies
91
  • Five Favorite Films with Roland Emmerich
77
  • Critics Consensus: 2012 Isn't Quite Earth-Shaking
41
  • RT on DVD: Up, the Ultimate Watchmen Cut, and More
38
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Christmas Carol Tops, Precious Rocks
34
  • 10 Movies That Changed The (End Of The) World
28
  • Five Favourite Films with Ang Lee
28
  • Weekly Ketchup: Rachel McAdams Reads for Spider-Man 4
23
  • Friday Harvest: Clash of the Titans, Kick-Ass, and more!
14
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
4
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
15
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
40
  • Michael Moore: The RT Interview
139
  • Andrea Arnold talks Fish Tank - RT Interview
4
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Best of Disaster Porn
Best of Disaster Porn External Link

Moviefone looks back at 7 films that have paved the way for movies like 2012.

Actors with Famous Parents
Actors with Famous Parents External Link

BuzzSugar rattles off their 10 favorite current actors with celebrity pedigree.

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T External Link

The AV Club looks back at a dance sequence from the only movie written by... Dr. Seuss?

10 Questions - Ewan McGregor
10 Questions - Ewan McGregor External Link

The Men Who Stare at Goats star answers your questions on TIME.com.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.