Directed by Chris Helton and written by JL Goddard, South Carolina serial killer Donald “Pee-Wee” Gaskins carried out a reign of terror marked by extreme brutality. He stabbed, shot, drowned, and poisoned victims from his own community as well as hitchhikers, often targeting the vulnerable. Starring: Taylor Stiles, Warren Levi Haney, Shena Verrett, James Roseman, Scott Flaherty and Carlie Maze.
For films following the actions of real-life serial killers there is always one continued conversation which is whether studios should stop portraying these monstrous people in film and television, as it simply glamorises their actions and unnecessarily continues their fame. Gaskins: The Hitchhiker Killer is a prime example of why films like this shouldn’t be made.
It doesn’t serve to pay tribute to his victims, it doesn’t even particularly tell the truth about Donald “Pee-Wee” Gaskins’ crimes, most of his claims were never proven, it simply exists to glamorise rape and murder for entertainment. It’s made for a very specific audience, and has a typically anti-women attitude which finds gratification in violence and exerting power over others. It’s clearly built to be told from Gaskins’ perspective to the point that it seems to be almost sympathising with his actions, despite being disgusting and deplorable.
The style is generic and cheap, the performance from Taylor Stiles isn’t convincing, the accent is too much, and he doesn’t capture a threatening presence. It does however reflect how small of a man he was and his childish viewpoint of getting rid of anyone who did something he didn’t like or got in his way. He was not a smart, calculated killer, he was simply an underdeveloped, impatient man who got away with his actions for longer than he should have because he targeted people that the police didn’t care much about.
Gaskins: The Hitchhiker Killer is cheap schlock, it glamorises Gaskins’ predatory personality, his preference for underage girls, his hatred of women and disdain for anyone who didn’t follow his rules. That’s then reflected in the style which goes for a forced grit and tends to rely on unnecessary effects to try and build the atmosphere. It’s yet another outing fetishising killers, when men like Gaskins should be forgotten, instead of giving them exactly what they wanted in continuing their infamy.
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