"Cold Light of Day" follows a middle-aged man in London who begins preying on street punks and homeless men, bringing them back to his apartment where he inevitably kills them (before doing other horrible things).
Based on the crimes of Dennis Nilsen, this little-seen no-budget effort is a lot better than you might expect it to be. On one hand, it is very "student film"-ish, which is not necessarily surprising given that its writer-director was only 21 years old when it was released. That being said, this is quite an impressive debut, especially for someone of that age.
While not exactly an enjoyable viewing experience, there is something oddly compelling about the film; the narrative is pretty standard for this type of fare (killer recounts crimes in flashback, rinse and repeat), but a dour, gritty sensibility permeates every frame here, and the effect is powerful. An ominous, repetitive musical score adds to the mood (mixed with a never-ending heartbeat effect) amicably, and the performances are quite solid, despite what some of the other reviewers have written. The special effects are also respectable. The only legitimate problem I had with the the film is that it does not really have a fitting conclusion, which does leave a bit to be desired.
That said, this is a fairly potent effort that paints the life of a killer in shades of pallid grey. "Cold Light of Day", though not revolutionary, is a dour and straightforward look into a world of tormented people, some predators, and some prey. Despite its student film-ish shortcomings, it is a fairly well made crime-horror hybrid. 6/10.
