Not the elevated addition to the horror genre that we've been blessed with over the years, but Psycho Killer manages to satisfy the bloodlust if you lower your expectations and take the film for what it is. This one is out now on digital.
“Following the brutal murder of her husband, a Kansas highway patrol officer (Georgina Campbell) sets out on a journey to track down the perpetrator. As the hunt progresses, she comes to realize the man responsible (James Preston Rogers) is a sadistic serial killer, and the depth of his mental depravity and his sinister agenda is more twisted than anyone could have imagined.’”
Psycho Killer finally arrives on digital April 7, 2026 (available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home), and it’s one of those long-gestating projects that clearly spent way too much time in development hell before hitting screens. The script from Se7en writer Andrew Kevin Walker dates back to around 2007, with Gavin Polone attached to direct since 2010. Filming wrapped in 2023, but the movie sat on the shelf for nearly three years, until it was dumped into theaters February 20, 2026 with almost no marketing and zero critic screenings, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about studio confidence.
The critical reception has been brutal: Psycho Killer currently sits at a dismal 9% on Rotten Tomatoes, and audience scores hover around 35-37%. It’s the kind of rare debut that quickly became a punchline, but is it deserving of all the hate?
While I do think Psycho Killer is an inherently bad film, I do not think it’s a 9% bad film. What factors in to critic reviews is hard to tell. Is it just the film? Is it knowing that the writer of Se7en created this monstrosity? Or has the horror audience been so spoiled lately with genuinely intelligent films like Weapons, Sinners, and others, that has elevated the genre to winner Academy Awards, that a mindless slasher film could undo all that progress? I do think we’re spoiled. We’ve gotten some amazing films in this genre over the last decade, and while the horror genre is evolving into something more than it was in the 1970’s, let it not be said that a film like Psycho Killer is horrendous because it doesn’t have some kind of social theme at its heart.
Georgina Campbell’s committed performance as the vengeful trooper Jane Archer is one of the better things about the film, bringing raw intensity, grief, and determination to a role. Campbell sells the obsession and the pain even when the script gives her almost nothing to work with.
The film itself has erratic direction from Polone, zero real depth, and a story that feels like it was stitched together in post. But does any slasher film truly have depth? What Psycho Killer does deliver, and what you’re probably showing up for with a title like this, are some genuinely gore-filled kills that satisfy the bloodlust. There are a few creative, nasty set pieces that make you wince in the right way, and that’s exactly what you want from a movie called Psycho Killer.
I’ve sat through much worse horror films that have better ratings. Despite the hate, if you go in with rock-bottom expectations and zero hope of seeing a masterpiece, you could do a lot worse for a mindless, late-night slasher watch. It’s not good, but it’s not completely unwatchable either, especially once the Psycho Killer starts doing his thing.
Video
The digital code we were given was presented in HD only. The image is sharp and clean where it counts, with solid detail in the bloody effects, dark nighttime sequences, and rural Midwest locations. Colors lean gritty and desaturated to match the grim tone, and contrast holds up well during the more intense kill scenes.
Audio
Our code offered 5.1 surround sound, delivering an immersive mix that puts the screams, slashing sounds, and pounding score right in your surrounds. Dialogue stays clear enough even in the chaos, and the voice of the killer, that audiences couldn’t stop hating on for some reason, echoes through the surround channels almost like a demon.
Special Features
No extras with this release on digital.
Psycho Killer is a flawed, messy slasher that took forever to reach us and landed with a thud, but Georgina Campbell gives it her all and the gore hits hard enough to make it passable for genre fans on a slow night. Lower your expectations, and you might just have a decent time. Check it out on your local streaming platform if you’re craving some straightforward, bloody revenge.