Mr. Brooks - Der Mörder in Dir

Kevin Costner is in top form after and his serial killer role is magnificent, albeit the phenomenal William Hurt is better. It’s too bad that the script allowed the incredibly disruptive and unnecessarily drawn-out storyline of the police officer's private life to be a part of its perfectly tuned and running mechanism. Otherwise, formally, the film is surprisingly quite a content-conscious effort from the guy who wrote Cutthroat Island. Now he’s been forgiven because the chilling murders and the perfect hallway shootout will resonate in my head for a hell of a long time. (23.12.2007)

Good acting can't save everything. What Mr. Brooks lacks is a brisker script and a bit more interesting direction. The inspiration in Dexter is evident, but even though Kevin Costner and co are playing in a lower league, it's a pretty good watch. (23.07.2007)

A charismatic serial killer is a safe bet for a movie. Kevin Costner no longer has the same status as he did in the 90s, and Mr. Brooks is one of the more promising attempts to return to the limelight. He convincingly plays his killer for pleasure, and if one villain wasn't enough, the screenwriter also uses the hallucinogenic alter ego of Mr. Brooks in a stylish performance by William Hurt. The dialogue of the main character with his uncompromising and straightforward self is ultimately the most interesting part of the whole movie. The script is somewhat overdone, but what can you do, in today's inflation of movie titles, you simply have to grab attention somehow. The biggest disadvantage for Mr. Brooks is the absence of an opponent at his level - unfortunately, Demi Moore is not that. Not so much because of her dull acting, but rather because of the script, which doesn't give her as much space and opportunity. Overall impression: 60%. (16.11.2013)

A cute movie with lots of funny lines and with a well-thought out and occasionally surprising story. Kevin Costner is back from the swamp of below-average movies and his Mr. Brooks is simply great. The only one in this movie to give a better performance is his "dark passenger" William Hurt, whispering at and egging on "man of the year" to do his dirty deeds. (18.07.2008)

The topic is indeed quite interesting, with a minimum of clichés and a large dose of unpredictability, but the film itself doesn't go anywhere. It doesn't have a solid structure, a point, a conclusion, and it doesn't know what it wants to be. Considering the original premise and the concept as a whole, I don't quite understand it. Kevin Costner's talent is relatively wasted, there is little action, and it’s not worth much (the shootout in the corridor is bad), and William Hurt as an inner voice also didn't impress me much. Additionally, the supporting characters are very poorly developed with minimal connection to the main plot, so we don't really care about what happens to them. And the rest of the film is similarly stolen from us, it lacking anything resembling drive and tension. The only thing to appreciate is the quality of the form, Costner, and the solid premise. (12.04.2008)

Kevin Costner in einer seiner besten Rollen – nicht nur in letzter Zeit, sondern allgemein. Ein redlicher und anständiger Familienvater, ein Geschäftsmann, bisschen langweilig… Und ein Mörder. Ein niederträchtiger Schuft, würde man denken. Dann dürfte aber Mr. Brooks - Der Mörder in Dir nicht das Drehbuch haben, das er hat. Die schlau geschriebene Geschichte stellt ihn vor allem als kranken Schizophrenen dar, der versucht, mit seinem schlechteren Ich (der perfekte William Hurt) zu kämpfen. Ohne Erfolg. Wenn sich also Brooks sorgfältig vorbereitet und dann "loslegt“, tut er einem fast leid. Und wenn nach ein paar Minuten eine Figur auftaucht, die noch schlimmer als er ist? Und dann noch eine? Und wenn Brooks Familienprobleme löst, die nicht ganz gewöhnlich sind? Man kann wirklich nicht sagen, dass er ein typischer Mörder ist, dem man von Anfang an nur das Schlimmste wünscht. Mr. Brooks - Der Mörder in Dir hat mich am meisten an Falling Down - Ein ganz normaler Tag erinnert, was für ihn spricht. Wegen des Finales habe ich mich entschieden, meine viereinhalb Sterne aufzurunden. (27.01.2012)

Kevin Costner is finally back, and although his return is not spectacular or thrilling, the role of a successful businessman with murderous appetites fits him like a glove. Mr Brooks is also proper craftsmanship, it has an interesting idea, an impressive atmosphere, a straightforward plot, and a pleasant direction that captures everything exactly as it needs to be. The aforementioned Costner is as reliable as ever and I was able to find my way to his character without any problems. William Hurt also really pulled it off and their scenes together have the right edge and pizzazz. But then there’s Demi Moore... Well, let's just say that as an actress, I never really liked her (except maybe in Ghost), and that hasn't changed at all here. Moreover, her marital affair didn't fit in well and only hindered the two protagonists in their well-paced play. A smart and appealing thriller that doesn't stand out among its competitors, but it would be a mistake to condemn it. (15.10.2012)

A very worthy variation on Dexter. A perfect Costner and an equally convincing Demi Moore. I really liked the intertwining of the various storylines, which brings me to the script – which, along with the top-notch performances, is the best thing Mr. Brooks has to offer, and it should be noted that this is indeed plenty. At a running time of just under two hours, it's a psychological charade that's been thought out to the last detail and boasts an impressive portrayal of characters that would be even more interesting and engrossing in a series. 90% (25.03.2011)