‘Psycho Killer’ Review: Georgina Campbell and Malcolm McDowell in Gavin Polone’s Inane Slasher Pic

Hollywood Reporter

by Frank Scheck

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

Gavin Polone’s *Psycho Killer* is a highly stylized slasher film that mixes eerie suspense with campy absurdity. The movie, written by Andrew Kevin Walker (known for *Se7en*), follows highway patrol officer Georgina Campbell as she hunts down a satanic serial killer nicknamed the "Satanic Slasher." The film opens with a gripping scene in Kansas, where the slasher brutally murders a fellow officer in front of his wife. After this harrowing incident, Campbell takes justice into her own hands, tracking the killer through a series of gory crimes marked by satanic symbols. Despite its over-the-top premise, the movie struggles to maintain coherence, often veering into absurdity, especially during a cult orgy scene and a ridiculous Chinese food-fueled bacchanal. The film’s standout performances help elevate it despite its flaws. Campbell delivers a strong turn as the determined officer, while James Preston Rogers plays the hulking, radiation-masked slasher with menacing intensity. Malcolm McDowell adds to the camp factor as Mr. Pendleton, a debonair cult leader who hosts a bizarre orgy in his palatial estate. The dialogue and plot twists are often laughably over-the-top, making *Psycho Killer* feel more like a midnight movie than a serious thriller. While the film lacks the sharp wit and style of Walker’s earlier work on *Se7en*, it compensates with gonzo humor and

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Originally published on Hollywood Reporter on 2/20/2026