The Minus Man

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The Minus Man ★★ 1999 (R)

Vann Siegert (Wilson) is the blandest, nicest serial killer you are ever likely to meet. A drifter, Vann has settled into a small California town where he boards with a troubled married couple, Doug (Cox) and Jane (Ruehl), who come to think of ever-smiling Vann as a surrogate son. Vann gets a job at the post office (!), befriends lonely co-worker Ferrin (Garofalo), and calmly proceeds to off the locals. Eerie thriller offers no explanations for Vann's behavior, which makes it all the creepier. Adapted from the 1990 novel by Lew McCreary, who has a cameo as a victim. 112m/C VHS, DVD . Owen Wilson, Brian Cox, Mercedes Ruehl, Janeane Garofalo, Dwight Yoakam, Dennis Haysbert, Eric Mabius, Sheryl Crow, Larry Miller; D: Hampton Fancher; W: Hampton Fancher; C: Bobby Bukowski; M: Marco Beltrami.