Clearwater, Serial Killers Never Go Away

It would be rude to call "Clearwater" a film about a serial killer. I guess that's what it is, but a big tip of the hat has to be made to the victims. Wherever a psychopath lurks in these films, beautiful damsels tend to fall, hence the great work by Carissa Becker and Julie Wand. They weren't just victims...nope...they were tortured, humiliated, and their acting was so real. Heartbreaking and hard to watch, when the victims in these movies are, or seem, like real people, we the viewer pay more attention and to some extent, feel pain. Made over 15 years ago by Andy Koontz, "Clearwater" is horrific and likely to leave its mark on anyone who watches.

This horror short runs 35 minutes but will affect you more than any 90 minute feature.  Filmed in gritty black and white, the film opens as a beautiful woman wakes up naked and tied up in the attic of an abandoned house. Enter our killer (Koontz)...with a hammer. The abductee's screams grab our spine as this isn't just an actress we're watching, Becker's portrayal makes us forget we are watching a movie. What will be done to her will be brutal and extreme and hard to watch. See, girls are disappearing again. Is the Clearwater Killer back? He killed 40 before mysteriously going away. Whether this is the Clearwater Killer or just an evil sort with that fiend's spirit will be of little consequence to Melissa (Ward).

In the same house as abductee #1 met her demise, Melissa is deposited after becoming abductee #2. As tortuous as her predecessor's demise was, Melissa will face infinitely more torment and pain. She will also be introduced to the killer's entire spectrum of madness and sadism. Our killer isn't just after blood and control, he has another, more haunting motive. Enter Jonathan (Randy Bowden). He is Melissa's main squeeze and what he will be put through will link him to our killer, and Melissa, in a way that will play with his sanity for eternity. As our devil works on Melissa, you will avert your eyes from the screen and pray that her death is quick...it won't be. As Melissa is victimized in so many inhuman ways, Jonathan will be put through an ordeal all for the purpose of giving our killer...well...you'll see.

Rest assured the ending of this horror short won't make it easy for you to sleep at night. What is the killer's motive? What is in store for Melissa? Andy Koontz' masterful direction and the work of these two actresses make "Clearwater" a horror story that will stay with you. There won't be any comic relief, or pauses in intensity, just 35 minutes of painful and gory horror that will chill you and break your heart at times.
This film can be seen on Opprime.TV