39 Years Later, This Beloved MCU Star’s Debut Horror Still Disturbs Viewers

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Michael Rooker is a familiar face to many, known for roles like Merle in The Walking Dead, Yondu in the Marvel films, and a memorable cameo in Kevin Smith’s Mallrats. His ongoing collaboration with James Gunn has taken him from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the DC Universe, with appearances in The Suicide Squad and Season 2 of Peacemaker. But despite a long and successful career, his first film, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, released almost 40 years ago, still stands out as a particularly chilling and unsettling horror movie.

Michael Rooker and James Gunn first worked together on Gunn’s 2006 horror film, Slither. So, it’s interesting that Rooker also appeared in the much grimmer Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which premiered at a film festival in 1986. Co-written by Richard Fire and directed by John McNaughton, Henry struggled to find distribution despite the popularity of violent movies at the time. The original movie poster, painted by Joe Coleman, was even rejected for being too disturbing for marketing purposes. While inspired by real events, the film’s story is unique among serial killer narratives. Released around the time FBI profiling of serial killers was just beginning, Henry almost feels like a commentary on that new investigative technique. Despite not being entirely realistic, the film’s power comes from the chilling possibility that someone like Henry could actually exist—a testament to Michael Rooker’s acting ability.

Michael Rooker Is a Big Reason Why Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Is a Classic

Michael Rooker began his acting career after graduating from DePaul University. He got a part in a play directed by someone who would later work on this film, and Rooker was excited to make the leap to movies, taking any role offered. As Henry, he delivered a remarkably natural performance. Though the character isn’t as emotionally complex or funny as some of his later roles, Rooker portrays Henry with a subdued power, punctuated by sudden bursts of anger and surprising moments of weakness. Henry isn’t a murderer motivated by psychological issues or pleasure; he kills quickly, efficiently, and seemingly without discrimination.

Many films about serial killers delve into the minds of their subjects, but Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer takes a different approach. Unlike most, it doesn’t focus on Henry’s psychology in a typical way. The film deliberately delays showing Henry commit a murder for almost half an hour, which actually makes him more unsettling. The main cast includes Thom Towles as Otis, Henry’s prison friend, and Tracy Arnold as his younger sister, Becky. Surprisingly, before the first murder, Henry appears to protect Becky from her brother’s inappropriate advances. It’s only after this that he and Otis pick up two sex workers, and Henry kills them, much to Otis’s shock.

It’s hard to say who Henry actually cares about, but Becky seems to be the closest. Still, he spends almost all his time with Otis, and somehow gets him involved in terrible crimes. They weren’t exactly partners, though. There’s this awful scene where Henry films Otis committing a home invasion and murdering an entire family – it’s sickening. He doesn’t seem to feel bad about the family at all, but he does get furious when Otis starts to abuse one of the bodies afterward. Later, Otis attacks his own sister, and Henry luckily comes home just in time to intervene. They end up fighting, and Otis nearly kills Henry, but Becky steps in and tragically stabs her brother to save him.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Sparked a Controversy Over the MPAA’s X Rating

McNaughton started out making documentaries. When a film about wrestling was canceled, the producers let him use the money to make a horror movie. They probably anticipated a typical, gory slasher film, but McNaughton surprised them. Instead of over-the-top blood and special effects, his film, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, feels disturbingly realistic. The actors’ believable performances during the violent scenes are more frightening than any made-up horror could be.

To recreate the scenes of Henry’s crimes, director McNaughton used actual photos from crime scenes, making the unseen deaths just as unsettling. Ironically, the film’s realism became a problem. The MPAA gave it an ‘X’ rating, stating that no amount of editing could earn it an ‘R’ rating. This severely limited its distribution, preventing television advertising and causing some theaters to refuse to show it. Despite the controversy, renowned film critic Gene Siskel championed Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer on his television show. In fact, Siskel and Roger Ebert dedicated most of their segment to criticizing the MPAA’s decision.

As a horror fan, it always struck me as odd how Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer got such a tough rating. The film referenced iconic R-rated villains like Freddy and Jason, but seemed to be penalized for actually being scary and disturbing. The MPAA got a lot of heat for it, and honestly, that controversy played a big part in the creation of the NC-17 rating. Roger Ebert pointed out that Henry fell into a weird space – it was more intense than many R-rated flicks where the rules are often bent, but nowhere near pornography, which is what the X rating was for. But the whole thing wasn’t a total loss. Because of the uproar, when the film finally got a limited release, the director, McNaughton, didn’t have to cut or change anything to get it approved – he could present his vision exactly as intended.

How Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Reflected Real Life and the Emerging Genre

Many serial killer movies draw inspiration from real-life crimes, and Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is no exception. The film’s main character is based on Henry Lee Lucas, and two supporting characters, Otis and Becky, are inspired by Otis Toole and his niece. Lucas initially confessed to hundreds of murders, but investigators later found that most of his confessions were likely false, except for the murder of his mother. While the film is rooted in tragic true events, it prioritizes realistic depictions of violence and the possibility of such characters existing over strict factual accuracy. The film also subtly questions the effectiveness of criminal profiling, a technique popularized in shows like Criminal Minds, despite its prevalence in crime dramas.

Henry instructs Otis on how to commit serial murder while also avoiding detection by profilers. He emphasizes two key rules: never target anyone you know, and always vary your methods. Henry doesn’t portray murder as enjoyable; instead, it’s a cold, mechanical act. Following their first killings, Otis unexpectedly destroys his television in a rage, while Henry remains indifferent. This hints at the killers’ tendency to see their victims, especially women, as mere outlets for their frustration. These deliberate choices allow Henry to remain elusive.

Both in fictional and real-life crime media, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer continues to be a particularly striking example of the genre. It also offers a critique of society’s strange interest in murderers. Even the sequel, made with an entirely new cast and crew, fails to capture what made the original so powerful, instead relying on tired horror clichés. Henry isn’t an enjoyable film, but it remains a significant one.

You can buy or rent Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital platforms. It’s also available to watch for free on streaming services like Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Plex, and Fandango-at-Home.

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2025-10-21 05:37