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The '90s was rich with the resurrection of cutting edge horror and neo-noir films, and Kalifornia took the best out of every genre, even allowing Brad Pitt to shed the title of America's blue-eyed sweetheart, in a dark and disturbing thriller. The movie also features Juliette Lewis in an equally riveting role, and together they wreak havoc upon a sophisticated, city-living couple played by David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes. One of the '90s greatest thrillers, it mixes horror and violence to make statements about how American culture consumes serial killings and death like entertainment.
It's an unshakable watch thanks to Pitt's horrific take on a southern serial killer and Lewis's devastating performance as his helpless girlfriend. Kalifornia deserves to be revered in the same ranks as other acclaimed thrillers from the decade, like Se7en or The Silence of the Lambs. Directed by Dominic Sena, the low-budget independent film was ahead of its time, and features some of Pitt's best work that he ever put on screen.
What Is 'Kalifornia' About?
Image via Viacom
Kalifornia stars David Duchovny as true-crime novelist, Brian Kessler, who is planning on writing a novel about some of the most infamous murder sites in America, in which serial killers committed their most notorious acts. Considered wacky by most of his friends and co-workers, Brian was clearly ahead of the curve and would fit in perfectly with today's true-crime podcast-obsessed culture. Michelle Forbes stars as his feminist girlfriend and professional photographer, Carrie Laughlin. The couple put an ad out for a ride-share, so they can save money while traveling across the country to all the different murder sites. Lucky, or unluckily, for them, an actual serial killer and his girlfriend answer the ad.
Pitt plays a southern, abusive boyfriend, Early, and Lewis plays his young and naive girlfriend, Adele. When the couple is picked up to begin their trip, Early has already murdered his landlord in cold blood. Carrie is much more observant than Brian, and begins to realize something is very wrong with Early. As they continue on their journey to their final destination, California, Early starts a vicious killing spree along the way. Kalifornia delivers a slow burn that has explosions of violence at a moment's notice as Pitt transforms into one of the film's scariest killers as the film progresses.
Brad Pitt Portrays a Southern, Psychopathic Serial Killer
Image via Viacom Pictures
Every trace of charm that Pitt elicits in any of his classic films is gone in Kalifornia. Just newly minted as one of Hollywood's most promising young stars, he was coming off playing a hunky cowboy in Thelma and Louise, which skyrocketed him to fame. It was a bold move to play such a disgusting, violent man so soon in his career after being deemed a heartthrob, but it was proof that Pitt was more than just a pretty face. There are too many menacing moments to count for Pitt as he sinks his teeth into the role of Early. One of his wildest, scariest moments comes at a gas station where he's been tasked by Carrie and Brian to pay, because it's his turn. With no money, he decides to murder a man in the public bathroom and rob him. It's a grueling, violent murder scene, due to Pitt's sudden outburst that goes against the Early he shows to the public. It's one of the most harrowing scenes in the film, and disturbing. Pitt's commitment to his role of a psychopath is what makes the film so horrifying, and one of the most underrated thrillers of the '90s. Without his dedication to not romanticizing Early, Kalifornia would not have the impact it has as the credits roll.
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'Kalifornia' Is an Outlier in Brad Pitt's Filmography
Image via Paramount Pictures
Brad Pitt's turn as the relentless serial killer remains an interesting deviation in his extensive filmography. The actor has since gone on to take more traditional leading man roles gaining prominence for the Ocean's Eleven franchise, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Interview with the Vampire, Moneyball, and World War Z. Roles like The Big Short, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Moneyball, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for which he won his Academy Award, showcased his nuance and range as an actor, while his characters in Inglourious Basterds and Fight Club, both of which walk the fine grey line of morality, show that he's unafraid to still take on characters with darker depths. However, Kalifornia remains a standout in his career as it is the only role from the actor that fully embraces the unforgiving horror people can be capable of. Pitt completely loses himself to the role that, even now, it remains one of his best and most underrated performances. What's even more interesting is that he delivered this so early in his career, effortlessly crafting a menacing screen presence that feels completely lived in and believable.
Though Kalifornia arrived early in Pitt's career, he was already getting pigeonholed into a certain kind of American sweetheart. Thanks to his iconic steamy scene opposite Geena Davis in Thelma & Louise, Pitt was quickly becoming a sex symbol. Kalifornia delivered a completely different side of the actor, turning his signature good looks into a chilling, sinister presence. Pitt replaced handsome stares with a grimy, disturbing physicality full of nervous ticks and squinting eyes, and used his muscles in wife beaters as a threat of dominating violence. Looking back on the role, Pitt spoke with Entertainment Weekly, explaining why he believed it was important to take something that was so against type at the time.
"Kalifornia — that was one where I got to mess it up and get dirty. The writer was actually really pissed off at me. He wrote more of a Badlands kind of character. I remember another movie star speaking with me about a particular project, and he said, ”My audience would never allow me to do that.” It’s like cymbals went off: I don’t ever want to be shackled by that."
Michelle Forbes Is a Fantastic Lead Heroine Opposite Brad Pitt in 'Kalifornia'
Image via Viacom Pictures
While Pitt delivers a powerhouse performance, the greatest modern noir quality that Kalifornia has, is in its female heroine. Femme Fatales never stray far in noirs, as mysterious, conniving creatures. Men often fill the role of the tortured detective hunting down the bad men and gaining all the glory. But, in a feminist twist, Michelle Forbes got to take on that role. She gives a commanding and striking performance as the hero, Carrie, the only one who can spot the evil living inside of Pitt's Early. Both Forbes and Pitt share an uncomfortable, but intriguing chemistry with stolen glances of suspicion.
Beyond her tense dynamic with Pitt, Forbes and Lewis are a crucial juxtaposition in Kalifornia. Lewis is vulnerable as Early’s girlfriend — ultimately, a victim of his manipulation and cruelty, trapped in a toxic dynamic that underscores her fragility. While Forbes is pure strength and courage as Carrie, she and Lewis share one of the movie's most scenes together at a motel stop. Carrie offers to fix Adele's hair after Early chops it off so she could look more like Carrie. It's a subtle rejection of the toxic masculinity and abuse Adele has been forced to live in, and unapologetic in its rejection of Early's violence. It's here that Carrie starts to become the predator herself, and stalks Early with her camera as he goes on a murder spree. Forbes becomes electric, pulsing with anger and vengeance, as she becomes the woman that every girl like Adele, or the previous victims of Early, needed. It's a terrifying slow burn, with Pitt and Forbes delivering unrelenting performances that make Kalifornia what it is.
Roger Ebert Gave 'Kalifornia' an Impressive Four Stars
While Kalifornia was nowhere near a box office success, or even mildly successful, it has enjoyed a growing population of fans in recent years. But one of its greatest defenders and biggest enthusiasts right off the bat was none other than the Chicago Sun-Times film critic, Roger Ebert. A tough critic who refused to follow any rulebook, despite whatever his fellow critics were saying, Ebert gave the film a glowing review, particularly focusing on the performances Pitt and Lewis gave as a dysfunctional, lower-class couple. Ebert went so far as to write that they were two of the most haunting performances he'd ever seen. Adding,
"A lesser film would simply be a thriller in which the protagonists would desperately scheme to escape from the killers in their car. "Kalifornia" is much more subtle than that. It's about the strange fascination that some people feel for those who seem tougher and more "authentic." Usually those who romanticize in that way have never had to deal with anyone who hurts others just for the entertainment value."
'Kalifornia' Is One of the '90s Darkest Thrillers
After the optimism and big blockbuster hits of the '80s, Hollywood reverted to small, independent films in the '90s, with heaps of low-budget horror and thriller films. Kalifornia was one of the first neo-noir films of the decade, with Duchovny providing a bleak voice-over as he details the ill-fated trip as the two couples progress on their journey. Kalifornia also shares similar qualities to the David Fincher neo-noir film, Se7en, which also stars Brad Pitt, but in that case, he plays the detective hunting down a serial killer, alongside Morgan Freeman. Both films share a cynical view of the true nature of humanity, and are two of the darkest films of the decade.
The film wound up proving not only monumental for Pitt as he broke the mold of type casting, but it was also an important point for Duchovny in his career. Acting against the craziness of both Pitt and Lewis, Duchovny is the film's anchor, and his voice-over grounds the film in his cynical nature, and the noir moodiness. Right after Kalifornia, Duchovny would be cemented as one of the 90s most important pop culture figures in The X-Files, and his rising star is undeniable here. Each of the four principal actors strikes hard in biting examinations of good versus evil, and gives harsh reminders of the price of violence without the sensationalism of the media.
Even watching Kalifornia today, it carries a glaring relevancy and has aged like a fine wine. In the past decade, a growing interest in serial killers and stories of real-life murder mysteries has grown in the public eye. Countless films and television shows have romanticized these killers. Recently, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and the Zac Efron-led Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil, in particular, have come under fire. Kalifornia is well aware of the danger of giving a sympathetic lens to serial killers, and the sensationalism of their stories thanks to pop culture's fascination with them. At the end of the day, it should be the victims' stories, not the killers.
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A journalist and his photographer girlfriend embark on a cross-country road trip to research serial killers, accompanied by a couple who are more connected to their subject matter than they initially realize.
Release Date September 3, 1993
Director Dominic Sena
Runtime 117 Minutes
Main Genre Crime
Writers Stephen Levy , Tim Metcalfe
Studio
Kalifornia is currently available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
English (US) ·