[Review] 'The Widower' Looks into the Mind of a Killer

Peter Mckeirnon is one of the most active and proficient filmmakers in the UK right now. With his production company Slumberjack Entertainment, they have delivered a variety of short horror films ranging from the simplistic to the outright bizarre. They've also branched out into a web-series with  the well received Dead Town.

And now the guys are back with their most ambitious project to date, The Micro Killers.

The Micro Killers is an upcoming anthology film which is set to feature 15 micro budget shorts shot on a budget of £200 or less, which will also feature some of the leading names in the UK indie horror scene.

So, we were lucky enough to be given the chance to check out one of the segments from the upcoming anthology in the form of Peter Mckeirnon's The Widower, and we can give you a little taste of what to expect within.
The Widower is a single location piece set in the cellar of Percy Simpkin's (Neil Gallagher) underground network. Unfortunately for our victim, Marc "The Youth" Moore (Sully Hay), he finds himself bound and gagged to a chair while Simpkin's lays out his entire plan, while revealing that he isn't the only mass murderer, in fact there is a mass network of murderers and he is just one of the many victims.

The aged Simpkin's is unflinching in his approaching. Meticulous and calculating. He even shows a slight sense of humor in his eccentric ways, while always leaving that sinister look that Gallagher pulls off so well.

Speaking of Gallagher, if you're new to his work you're in for a treat. The guy can pull off a multitude of different characters, all with their own unique mannerisms and Simpkin's is just one of the many examples. The guy is a true pleasure to watch, and I can't wait to see his entire performance in this one.

The short runs at around the 9-minute mark and it's a intriguing little take into this potential world of underground mass murderers. During the short, Simpkin's reveals that he has played out a few scenarios in which he has inflicted pain and suffering and is working his way towards the perfect kill. In this instance it's just "Too messy." So how many victims have there been, in what sinister ways have people fell victim, too?

Also, you'll notice there's a symbol on the door. The same symbol appears to be a running theme through the anthology, The Micro Killers, so does this symbol represent the network of mass murderers? It will be interesting to see how this fits into the entire movie.

The Widower is a neat little short, and considering it was shot on just £15, I mean, it costs me that just to get a couple of buses! But considering the extremely limited micro budget, Mckeirnon and his team have done a stellar job in recreating such a gloomy-looking piece. Sure there isn't much blood-shed, it's more an entry into the mind of a killer and it's done really well. Could his be our Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer for a whole new generation?

As a side note, Percy Simpkin's also appeared in Mckeirnon's critically acclaimed short The Dog Walker, which I loved; I covered that one over at Horror-Movies.ca.

For more information, hit up their Slumberjack Entertainment group on Facebook.