This New Slasher With 9% on RT From 'Se7en' Writer Is the Biggest Horror Flop of 2026 So Far

The release of another slasher film about a masked killer has long been a common occurrence. However, the title of Gavin Polone's debut movie might come as an intriguing event.

Andrew Kevin Walker, the writer behind David Fincher's cult thriller Se7en, wrote the screenplay for Psycho Killer. This time, Walker has packed a strange and truly terrifying surprise into the box.

What Is 'Psycho Killer' About?

Traffic police officer Jane is searching for the maniac who brutally murdered her husband. The incompetent authorities, including the FBI, are unable to track the criminal. He leaves no digital traces and travels freely across the US by car.

The masked psychopath doesn't just worship the devil – he's hatching a plan to open the gates of hell. To do so, he needs only to infiltrate a nuclear power plant.

The Writer of 'Se7en' Parodied Himself in 'Psycho Killer'

While Walker succeeded in creating a pessimistic world in Se7en, featuring a brutal punisher and a detective duo, here he nearly parodied himself. The main character also faces a personal confrontation with evil forces far more powerful than she is. But the plot didn't work.

The protracted production is to blame – this horror flick about a diabolical maniac was in development for nearly twenty years. It passed through the hands of singer Fred Durst and director Eli Roth before miraculously ending up with debutant Polone.

It's hard to say how the original script was intended, but the mangled, soured plot is now attributed to Polone as his personal mortal sin.

Psycho Killer is stuck in the past – the villain with long hair, a passion for heavy metal, and creepy squiggles on the walls is forty years too late.

'Psycho Killer' Is a Total Failure, With Only One Hilarious Episode

Psycho Killer's only unexpected turn takes place in the mansion of a wealthy man, played by Malcolm McDowell. McDowell is no longer the star of A Clockwork Orange, but rather a regular guest in cheap slasher films like 31.

The devil worshipers who inhabit the mansion indulge in bacchanalia, plot world conquest, and eat Chinese noodles – the scene is amusing, if not funny.

Psycho Killer might have worked if it had offered a campy horror comedy instead of the tiresome cat-and-mouse game. What better place to explore the common trope of maniacs' obsession with universal symbols of evil?

However, the filmmakers try their best to keep a straight face. It becomes increasingly difficult with each passing minute while watching the streams of CGI blood, tactless slow motion, and utterly devastating finale.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Psycho Killer'?

• Psycho Killer has 9% from critics and 36% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 4.7/10.

• On Letterboxd, Psycho Killer scored 1.9/5.0.