I think that the best movies are those that evoke a gut level emotional response, whether it is disgust or laughter, and this one is right on target. In addition to a big grin, I left with the feeling of just going on a whirlwind ride through small town Texas, a witness to the absurdity and humor of real life so well captured by the talented writers and skillfully communicated by the actors. This movie is not for the politically correct anal-lizers, but best enjoyed by the regular person, the one who looks twice at a car wreck and the one who isn't afraid to find humor in the ugliness of this world. It offers the viewer a glimpse of the underbelly of mundane suburbia, a place where oddity is alive and well. Natural Selection moves adeptly between the disturbing tale of madness and murder and the documentary scenes that provide a sort of delightfully sick comic relief to the starkness of human nature's hideousness. The juxtaposition of disgust and humor made me constantly anticipate what would flash before me next. I loved being an observer of White Hills and its cast of characters, together bringing a sweeping view of the strangeness of humanity. From Bowen's brilliant and scary Willie, to his hilariously ignorant cousins, to the insanity of Carradine's Dehoven, to the pitifully funny, monkey collecting parents of one of Willie's victims and all the other eccentrics, I bounced between the reality of these lives well portrayed by the cast and brought up from the Texas dust by the writing of B.J. Burrow and Allen Odom, an up and coming team that promise more great work. This unique movie had the theater in its grasp, and never failed to hold me in this bizarre place. I enjoyed every engaging minute and was sad to see it end. I hope that everyone gets to take the ride through White Hills. It's a great trip!
Review of Natural Selection
