Matthew McConaughey can’t undo the damage of his last few films – Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Fool’s Gold, Surfer, Dude…the list goes on – but he can try to make us forget them. His plan? Ditching the RomCom circuit and diving into darker fare as the lead in Voltage Pictures’ new black comedy, Killer Joe.
Based off of Tracy Letts’ 1994 stage play, the story follows a full-time cop and part-time hired killer, as he carries out a plot hatched by a few greedy Texans to kill off the family matriarch for insurance money. Surprise, surprise – McConaughey will get to show off that famous slow, southern drawl.
Emile Hirsch, who’s bitten off a few hearty roles including supporting Sean Penn’s Harvey Milk and taking the lead in Into the Wild, will play the young greedy Texan to McConaughey’s Killer Joe. It’s really no surprise that he’d play the serious evildoer to McConaughey’s hired killer, since Hirsch has made a name for himself with a slew of serious parts, even opting for the somber side as the lead in Speed Racer. It looks like this role won’t take him too far away from that comfort zone.
Director William Friedkin brings his signature style of intrigue to the plate, hopefully redeeming him from a few recent stints as a guest director for two episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
The big question lies with Killer Joe himself. Though McConaughey has graced the silver screen since he was scamming on high school girls in Dazed and Confused, he’s relied on his tan, abs, and two-time “Sexiest-Man-Alive” status to carry him for the last few years. Here’s hoping he brings the crazy – you know, that wide-eyed, maniacal gaze partnered with his jittery, overly-ecstatic delivery – and this Killer Joe may just be, well … killer.
Source: Deadline
