
In the end of the 70's, the dysfunctional Kenneth Bianchi lives with his mother and is obsessed with joining the police force. When his application is refused, his mother sends him to Los Angeles to live with his sadistic cousin Angelo Buono. Kenneth unsuccessfully tries to join LAPD, and Angelo convinces him to start a prostitution business with him. They force two girls from Tucson to work for them, but their competitors destroy their business and steals their money. The fr... (Full plot summary below)
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In the end of the 70's, the dysfunctional Kenneth Bianchi lives with his mother and is obsessed with joining the police force. When his application is refused, his mother sends him to Los Angeles to live with his sadistic cousin Angelo Buono. Kenneth unsuccessfully tries to join LAPD, and Angelo convinces him to start a prostitution business with him. They force two girls from Tucson to work for them, but their competitors destroy their business and steals their money. The frustrated Kenneth and Angelo decide on revenge against a prostitute, and Kenneth strangles her, feeling a great pleasure with her death. The two cousins become addicted to death, initially killing prostitutes and then attacking single women, dumping their bodies on the hill.
Leave your thoughts about The Hillside Strangler.
| TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghCharacter actress Lin Shaye, usually relegated to grotesque supporting roles in mainstream comedies, is a revelation as Buono's embittered, cancer-ridden mother. |
| VarietyDerek ElleyPlays as a blackly comic slice of mock '70s-style exploitation that flirts with the viewer before applying its chokehold. |
| The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe filmmakers are clearly most interested in re-creating the murders in a gruesome and repugnant fashion. It's a shame the film is so exploitative, because Howell and especially Turturro deliver chilling, all too convincing performances. |
| Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustA garishly slick piece of exploitation with surprisingly high production values but nary a moment of suspense. |
| Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittSordid and sleazy, although the lead performances are hard to fault. |
| New York PostMegan LehmannAnother repulsive, fetishistic trawl through the life and crimes of a serial killer. |
| L.A. WeeklyRon StringerA good horse kick, or a fistful of Valium, may help you get through this relentlessly sadistic exercise with your soul more or less intact. |