If it weren't for all the grim violence this would be a hilarious picture. There are so many moments that are just patently absurd you simply have to laugh. Like when Remy (Rémy Belvaux) eulogizes both of his dead sound men using the same dialog and referencing the same woman and child they both left behind. Or when Ben's (Benoît Poelvoorde) film crew runs into a competitive team and kills them all because they had a higher end camera. The best had to be the dinner scene when Ben tries out his birthday gift holster and shoots one of the guests for presumably laughing and talking about him. Covered with blood spatter, the other guests sit shocked but otherwise nonplussed as Ben asks - "May I have some more bubbly?"

It's pretty much certain you've never seen a film quite like this before. The central character Benoit is a walking and talking misfit who gradually engages his film crew into participating in his crimes. As victims are chosen at random, there appears to be little in the way of story continuity per se, the technique employed is virtually cinema verite, but with drastic results. Depending on one's disposition, the picture might be seen as glorifying violence until the viewer realizes that the writers and directors (the three main principals themselves) are demonstrating the absurd by being absurd. Thrown into the mix are some ghastly images that won't sit well with those of weak constitution, so one might well decide to forego the picture if the sight of disfigured or disemboweled bodies causes consternation.

Made in 1992, I can see how this movie might have influenced later film makers like the ones who came up with 2014's "Nightcrawler". That one takes the concept of recording the news and transitions it into one where the reporter participates in the news making, while seeking out the attention, glory and remuneration it might bring. No such luck for Benoit as his career ended abruptly with a bad choice to revisit old stomping grounds. Or it may simple have been the case of a competing film maker who needed a cheap camera to work with.

Imagine a kind of BLAIR WITCH PROJECT done for the serial killer genre and the result is MAN BITES DOG, a startling, original, and deeply unsettling mock-documentary which sees a film crew following a serial killer as he goes about his daily business of murder, maiming, torture, and rape. Shot in stark black-and-white, on the street with no budget and a highly realistic feel – cast and crew members are named after themselves – this is, in places, repulsive viewing, yet it's also a very well made film at the same time. It's one of those films that manipulates the viewer, getting him on side with the protagonists before exposing him or her to murder and worse, asking where to draw the line.

The film benefits from a great leading performance from Benoit Poelvoorde, who essentially carries the film single-handedly. Due to the material, Poelvoorde goes over the top from time to time, but for the most part he gives a manic, edgy type of performance that reminded me of James Woods (whom Poelvoorde coincidentally looks like, as well). The rest of the people in the movie are believable and while the violence seems quite tame by modern standards, it hits with full impact. The worst bit of the film is a distasteful rape and murder which is gruelling in the extreme. A twist ending rounds things up nicely on what has been a good movie – not one you'll want to ever watch again, perhaps, and not one that you'll get much enjoyment out of, unless you're a psycho yourself – but one that's striking, forceful, and plumbs greater depths of horror than many a blood-churning gore flick.

A camera crew follows serial killer Ben as he kills and steals. He pontificates on life and the world. He likes to steal from old people. As the filming continues, the crew gets pulled further and further into Ben's world of crime.

The premise of a film crew following a serial killer is really edgy. The violence is brutal. The only drawback is the film crew. I don't find them realistic. The movie opens with Ben killing. The film crew should be going to cops unless they're also psychopathic killers. I need to get a sense of the camera crew from the start. Their devolution needs to be better mapped out. The whole crew needs to be as important as Ben in terms of character expositions. Although I can understand the attraction of concentrating on the serial killer. When the crew switches side, I don't feel it like it needs to be. Nevertheless, this is an interesting film that should be seen.