This chilling serial killer thriller has proven to be an underrated and somewhat lost gem in William Friedkin’s filmography, with Rampage still yet to be released on DVD or streaming in a substantial capacity. Unfortunately, this is true to form, for while the film was due for release in 1987, legal and financial troubles saw it released in a limited capacity in 1992.
It is a shame that Rampage never got its due praise. A mix of blood curling thriller, courtroom drama, and commentary on big topic themes such as the death penalty, Friedkin made a film that takes a delve into the darkness of humanity, and then counteracts it with a story about the living victims of a traumatic crime and the moral quagmire of those who represent the law in a case gruesome and unforgiving.
Michael Biehn is aces as a liberal defence attorney who finds himself at odds with personal beliefs, yet it is Alex McArthur who steals the show as the charming yet evil serial killer Charlie Reece. That Rampage is based on a true crime adds more creepiness to its already grizzly story.
