H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer poster & wallpaper
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Tony Jay, Audrey Welling, Beka, Cary Callison, Ed Bertagnoli ... see more see more... , H.H. Holmes , Harold Schechter , Rachelle Villarreal , Willy Laszlo

True crime buffs who thought they knew it all will be proven chillingly wrong with this unforgettable account of murder and madness from filmmaker John Borowski. H.H. Holmes was a master manipulator w... read more read more...hose handsome exterior and disarming charm masked a psychotic soul bent on torture and dismemberment. The clean-cut killer's deceptively inviting outward appearance made it easy for him to lure women back to his mammoth castle in Chicago's burgeoning Englewood neighborhood -- a trip from which many would never return. In addition to his career as a serial killer, Holmes was also a skilled con artist. When the owner of Chicago-based drug store at which he was employed mysteriously disappeared in 1887, Holmes took over the shop and purchased a large lot directly across the street for the supposed purpose of building a hotel that would house guests attending the massive 1893 Chicago World's Fair. A complex maze of blind hallways, treacherous chutes, and air-tight rooms in which Holmes would gas his intended victims, the foreboding structure also housed a sub-level torture chamber complete with stretching rack, quicklime pits, and an incinerator that was perfect for disposing of human bodies. Though the structure, commonly known by locals as Holmes' "Murder Castle," was eventually burned to the ground, to this day no one truly knows the number of victims who suffered within the confines of its dark walls. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

52% liked it

941 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

8 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: John Borowski

Release Date: October 26, 2004

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DVD Release Date: October 19, 2004

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Flixster Reviews (50)

  • flixsterman
    March 29, 2012
    flixsterman
    A solid documentary about the life and death of Herman Mudgett, aka H.H. Holmes, America's first documented serial killer. Informative and educational.
  • fb25827189
    March 11, 2011
    fb25827189
    Very intriguing and disturbing look at the life of H.H. Holmes. I was dumbfounded and shocked that I had never heard of this man until I viewed the film.
  • frogfairie
    December 1, 2011
    frogfairie
    While I did find it interesting & liked the way it was put together visually, it seemed lacking as far as the content. There's so much more information that could have been included. That is really my only gripe with this film.
  • jesthestar
    March 16, 2011
    jesthestar
    Really interesting information on Mr. Muddgett. Kind of cheesy in parts, but you have to expect that. Worth the watch.
  • iamthethinman
    January 19, 2009
    iamthethinman
    Really could have done without the reenactments and didn't say much more than a wiki entry, but give a nice timeline to it all and a sense of forboding/ominous foreshadowing. would have been nice to talk more about the travels and motivation for moving around after building his ... read moredream torture chamber and maybe how his interest by press affected future fiction, as so much is based on him.
  • greendeva3
    July 31, 2007
    greendeva3
    Liked it for it's historical contributions and I'll see if it made a good supplement when I go see Devil In The White City.

View All H.H. Holmes - America's First Serial Killer Reviews

Critic Reviews

Gabe Leibowitz
December 18, 2004
Gabe Leibowitz, Film and Felt

Alternately fascinating and dopey. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
December 9, 2004
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Should be especially pleasing to crime buffs and those movie fans crazy about the serial-killer genre. Full Review

Christopher Null
November 24, 2004
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com

more of a curiosity for the interested than a lasting commentary on the criminal mind Full Review

Pablo Villaca
November 18, 2004
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena

[Director] John Borowski lends an eerie atmosphere to the proceedings.

James O'Ehley
November 5, 2004
James O'Ehley, Movie Gurus

A rather neat, independently-produced documentary about H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer (don't ya just love descriptive movie titles?) Full Review

Scott Weinberg
October 11, 2004
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

There's a current that runs through this movie, one that reeks of a storyteller who's truly fascinated by his research and loves to share it. Full Review

October 19, 2004
Chicago Reader

Click to read the article Full Review

December 6, 2005
Film Threat

Click to read the article Full Review

October 19, 2004
Film Threat

Click to read the article Full Review

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