True crime is so popular that it was inevitable a film would come out lampooning our culture’s lust for grisly murders. Cue Faking a Murderer, a strangely endearing hybrid of horror and mockumentary that’s also part Catfish with a dash of Deliverance and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. Even for the less than diehard true crime fan (like me), there’s much to enjoy here.

Brothers-in-law Stuart Stone and Adam Rodness play themselves, with Stone serving as director and Rodness as co-writer. They’re on a quest to secure funding and support for their next film, which they’re sure will be a hit. After discovering a strange video of an elusive creep, they put on their investigative hats, determined to find the man, unravel the mystery, and film it all.

Before they can track down the creepy video creator, however, they need to secure funding. As a producer, Rodness works the phones, pitching the absurd idea to whoever will listen. The brothers-in-law also meet with studio execs, hoping to get the project green-lit. Everyone, including family, expresses skepticism, but ultimately, their project moves forward.

The merging of genres works quite well, perhaps because Stone and Rodness have done documentary filmmaking before, specifically  Jack of All Trades (2018). They also have two full-length horror films to their credit, Scarecrows (2017) and The Haunted House on Kirby Road (2016). Even when the film really shifts tones and leans into the horror in the last 30 minutes, it all works. There’s plenty of surprising and bloody moments once the team tracks down their suspect, but it builds carefully to that point.

The film’s real draw, though, is its heart and humor. The scenes in which Stone and Rodness introduce their whacky idea to family first and then studio execs are laugh-out-loud funny. The two creators have such chemistry and wonderful banter that it’s difficult to tell what’s scripted and what flows organically. They hit plenty of natural comedic beats and know each other’s odd quirks to up the laughs.

There are a few scenes that drag, specifically when Rodness and Stone drive around, talking to various detectives, hoping to solve the case, but that’s a minor gripe. Overall, the film chugs along at an even pace, playing up the humor and mockumentary style until the filmmakers eventually encounter the man who they deem a murderer. What transpires from there is unexpected and at times, bonkers.

You don’t need to be a major true crime fan to enjoy Faking a Murderer. I’m not, and I couldn’t stop laughing at certain points. It’s a clever project that pokes fun at our culture’s obsession with serial killers, while containing enough genre elements to keep the horror fan hooked. Faking a Murderer is a good time, part mockumentary, part horror, and a love letter to indie filmmaking. It’s unlikely you’ll see the twists coming, and that’s part of what makes this film so entertaining. Also, if this movie teaches us anything, it’s that we should leave the crime scenes to the professionals.

8 Out of 10 Crime Scene Photos