John Waters directs Kathleen Turner, Ricki Lake and Matthew Lillard in this dark comedy where a sweet-as-apple-pie suburban housewife slaughters those with bad manners.

The camp is turned down just one click but this is still drooling and scathing and singular. You may argue this is Water’s classy period but I actually feel other directors started tooling around in his garage at this point. Kevin Smith, Todd Haynes and even Gus Van Sant legitimatised that Baltimore vision more than movie stars joining his casts. I see Serial Mom as a return to bad boy form after Hairspray and CryBaby (both of which I think are great) were so multiplex friendly. Turner is incredible here. Her enthusiasm for mayhem makes this very rewatchable.

7

Perfect Double Bill: To Die For (1995)