Parental Horror and Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks , while sometimes a messy convolution of plots and ideas, has a very interesting theme. Naturally, spoilers are ahead. The character Earl Brooks, portrayed by Kevin Costner, has an addiction: killing people. A destructive habit that is clearly parallel with alcoholism. In fact, Brooks attends AA meetings and confesses to being an "addict" rather than saying "Alcoholic." The habit itself is a phantasm that goes by Marshall, played with glee by William Hurt as a hallucinatory manifestation of Brooks's impulses and more or less his dialogue with himself. Brooks clearly derives a great of pleasure, perhaps even beyond sexual, from killing and Marshall only encourages him and reminds him of the rules that have prevented Brooks from being caught for years. This dynamic fascinates most during a key scene where, in a truly interesting twist, Brooks finds his daughter is suspected of murder. Brooks is visibly shaking after the police leave. Marshall asserts th...