Kevin Costner delivers a subtle performance in his role as Earl Brooks, a successful businessman and philanthropist who has what he thinks of as an “addiction.” His addiction is occasionally killing people when the urge overwhelms him. William Hurt is excellent as the evil “voice,” who physically follows him around, urging Brooks to fulfill his base desires. The movie is, for the most part, humorless.
Despite conjuring up a story which leaves the viewer hanging to the end to learn Brooks’ fate, the violence is rampant in this movie, including a very graphic shooting scene, a scene in which a character is hit in the neck with a shovel with the resulting squirting blood, and a scene in which another character is struck in the neck with scissors, which results in still more graphic bloodshed. There is also front upper female nudity in addition to rear female nudity. Due to strong language and the sex scene, as well as the violence, this is one film Dove cannot come close to approving.