Written by Robert Scucci | Published
In 1991 Killer Nerd it is exactly what it sounds like. If you need me to spell it out in more detail, it’s about a villain… who kills people. That’s really everything. That’s right Revenge of the Nerdunity. But what are you taking revenge for? That’s the problem with movies like this Killer Nerd: this boy’s life is not pleasant because he goes out to make it not pleasant. And when he sees that things are not going well for him, he gets very angry and makes everyone pay.
Sometimes you get lucky and stumble upon a movie that works as a way to make your dreams come true. Revenge, or stories about someone taking matters into their own hands, are inherently satisfying because you can live freely using these characters. Killer Nerd it’s not that kind of movie because you go into the movie hating the guy, and you continue to like him a little more as you get to know him better.
It’s Always Quiet
Killer Nerd tells the story of Harold Kunkle (Toby Radloff), a social misfit with no friends, no hope for love, and a ministerial mother whose character archetype will be familiar to anyone familiar with serial killer history.
At work, Harold is ignored by his crush Sally (Heidi Lohr) and mocked by co-worker Jeff (Richard Zaynor). On his way to and from work, he is harassed by drug dealers TJ (Niko DePofi) and Leelee (Tony Zanoni).
One night, while wandering around, Harold sees an informant of Slick Dicks’ School of Cool, who, for the low, low price of $79.95, promises to make him a kid magnet, or something to that effect. The biggest takeaway from the tapes is that Harold should get a cool (read: bad) haircut and dress like a washed-up singer.
As you would expect, Harold’s sudden change, and his attempts to be more cool at school, are not well received, which only leads to more tension. Harold then discovers that Sally and Jeff are hooking up, and even the two women he meets at the nightclub while sporting his new look, Jenny (Lori Scarlett) and Lilac (Elizabeth Quinn), equally hate him.
Refusing to be “that guy”, Harold breaks free and, as the title suggests, becomes the Killer Nerd he’s been waiting for.
That’s What It’s Really About
If you want a slow build-up of anger leading to an obvious and inevitable conclusion, Killer Nerd it might be a satisfying watch. Personally, I couldn’t fully invest because I had nothing to hold on to. Harold starts out as a bitter, lonely man, and the film ends with him as a bitter, lonely man who is now a murderer. It never makes it into full-on slasher territory, but his attacks come with a huge body count.
Some of the carnage, which looks grim for the film’s $12,000 budget, is interesting because Toby Radloff is fully committed to the carnage. The problem is that there is never a moment where Harold is remotely likeable. A few pithy one-liners would have lifted it, but what we get is a bumbling Harold who can’t hold it together.
His “fix” reminds me of a time there South Park when Cartman tries to be nice, but instead ends up wearing a cute sweater. When he is told that dressing well and doing well are two different things, he just shrugs his shoulders and admits that he doesn’t know the difference. You get that kind of unconscious energy Killer Nerdbut since Cartman is a lovable sociopath and Harold is just… Harold, the humor doesn’t hold up as much as I would have liked.
At the end of the day, Killer Nerd it’s very bad. Considering its production budget and the chaotic energy everyone brings to the table, there’s an undeniable appeal in that it plays like a group of friends with no filmmaking experience trying to make a feature-length film. It reminded me of the times when my friends and I used to play skits to pass the time, and how nostalgia was cool. But I’d be lying if I said the quality, and the youthful sense of humor we’re celebrating, was nothing like what you see. Killer Nerd.
As of this writing, Killer Nerd is streaming for free on Tubi.
