Killer: A Journal of Murder (1996): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1996, Killer: A Journal of Murder is a drama film directed by Tim Metcalfe, running about 91 minutes. “Liar. Thief. Murderer. He hated all of humanity, himself most of all.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Carl Panzram is sent to Leavenworth Prison for burglary. While there, he is brutally beaten by a guard. Neophyte guard Henry Lesser feels sympathy for Panzram, befriends him, and gets him to write his life story. Lesser learns that Panzram's past is much more violent than he thought, but also that he's capable of being a much better person than the rest of the prison staff believes - or so Lesser thinks.

Who’s in it. Killer: A Journal of Murder stars James Woods as Carl Panzram, Robert Sean Leonard as Henry Lesser, Cara Buono as Esther Lesser and Ellen Greene as Elizabeth Wyatt, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.9/10, Killer: A Journal of Murder has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Killer: A Journal of Murder page.

If you liked it. Fans of Killer: A Journal of Murder tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.