Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Directed by John McNaughton) 1986

If ever there was a film that went against the apparent glitz and shoulder-pad glamour of the 1980's it was John McNaughton's gritty and realistic serial killer movie. Based on the real crimes of one Henry Lee Lucas it cast relatively unknown actor Michael Rooker as the twisted, tormented nomadic killer. Stark, brutal, grim and above all a docu-style drama - 'Henry....' was a shock to the system of most as we delved deep into the mind of a killer played absolutely brilliant by Rooker who along with his disturbed buddy Otis(based on Henry Lee Lucas's friend Ottis Toole)  prowl the underbelly of Chicago in search of prostitutes and other victims to quench such a depraved thirst.

'Henry....' is one of those films which lives a nasty taste in the mouth in the same fashion as the grisly 'Last House On The Left' in that it feels as if the horror is just a few blocks away, worming and squirming its way to your neck of the woods. Like in all serial killer derangement there's that feeling as if we're scraping the psyche of Henry as we follow him - drifter style - around the country, and in spite of his liking for Otis's sister Becky, by the end of the film we come to know just what vile lengths Henry will go to in order to continue is wretched spree.

Oddly, 'Henry....' sits in the same squalid, sordid corner as Abel Ferrara's grotty 'The Driller Killer' only with less tomato ketchup and more seediness and realism. Not the sort of horror film you'd watch for fun, 'Henry....' still remains as devastating classic that has stood the test of time.