From the opening scene it’s evident that The Orphan Killer is our kind of film. An axe wielding masked villain chasing down a blood drenched scantily clad vixen. The story’s set, let the slaughter begin.





After the brutal killing of their parents Marcus and Audrey are sent to an orphanage where Marcus’ anger takes centre stage as his emotions rule the roost, leaving the nuns to harshly discipline him. Obviously Marcus doesn’t take too kindly and his behaviour only worsens and as punishment, he is made to wear a mask found in the orphanage and when all of the other children fear his emotionless actions. One by one the children get taken away and when Audrey gets adopted, it’s a reunion due to happen.





Fast forward several years and Marcus (David Backus) escapes from an institute thanks to an ingenious us of a spork, with one thing on his mind. Reunion! Audrey (Diane Foster) is now a teacher at the orphanage, looking after the children and living with her boyfriend, police officer Mike (Matt Farnsworth). And not long after the credits have rolled, the Orphan Killer has gauged someone’s brains out and barb wired the orphanage into lock down.





From now on its blood, gore and plenty of disturbing scenes with beheadings, carvings, dismemberment and more and he doesn’t stop at using his machete. TOK is one of the freshest feeling films we’ve seen in a while and in a genre that spawns a new film every week, we’d like to say that TOK is the new Jason Vorhees and he’s got a score to settle.





On a scale of shock and gore, the scenes of mutilation mixed with Marcus’ dry remarks are up there with the best but what TOK has that many films lack is an appreciation for the art of SFX, everything looks authentic and will make you wince at the sight of barb-wire deeply embedded in a schoolgirl’s neck.





Without giving too much away it will be very hard to see Marcus roaming the block again anytime soon but worse things have happened and if there was ever a character we want to return, Marcus would be the man. As a slasher, what brains are left after the mutilation leave a satisfying story but as far as slashers go, the story takes backseat for death and mutilation, and one thing is for sure there is plenty of it!