IMDb 5.3 2021 HD

When the Screaming Starts

When the Screaming Starts

2021
Comedy Horror
89 min NR United Kingdom
5.1 / 10
5.3 IMDB

When Norman Graysmith is invited into the home of an aspiring serial killer, Aidan Mendle, he believes he has the subject for the documentary that will make his…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Conor Boru / Toby Kearton
Starring
Ed Hartland / Jared Rogers / Kaitlin Reynell / Octavia Gilmore / Kavé Niku / Ronja Haugholt / Vår Haugholt / Yasen Atour

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

unsettling dark psychological morbid ambitious disturbing tense captivating compelling thought-provoking chilling meta

Reviews

P
Priya Sharma
Mar 31, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

The premise of 'When the Screaming Starts' is its most compelling asset: a filmmaker seeking to document an aspiring serial killer. Ed Hartland gives a standout performance as Aidan Mendle, projecting a dangerous blend of charm and menace.…

L
Liam O'Connell
Mar 31, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

A truly arresting cinematic experience, 'When the Screaming Starts' plunges the audience into a disquieting examination of ambition and pathology. Ed Hartland’s performance as Aidan Mendle is nothing short of remarkable, a study in unsettling charisma that demands…

S
Sophia Chen
Mar 31, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

'When the Screaming Starts' presents a fascinating, albeit uneven, look at the process of creating a documentary about a potential serial killer. Ed Hartland's portrayal of Aidan Mendle is undeniably captivating, capturing the unsettling allure of a man…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Mar 31, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

This is a film that bravely tackles the uncomfortable underbelly of true crime obsession. 'When the Screaming Starts' doesn't shy away from the inherent voyeurism in documenting a disturbed individual. Ed Hartland is magnetic as the aspiring killer,…

E
Eleanor Vance
Mar 31, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Ed Hartland delivers a chilling performance as Aidan Mendle, a man consumed by the fantasy of becoming a serial killer. The film's strength lies in its exploration of the symbiotic, and ultimately disturbing, relationship between Aidan and documentarian…

FAQs

The film's meta-narrative, focusing on the creation of a documentary about a killer rather than the killer themselves, offers a fresh perspective. It invites audiences to question the ethics of true crime filmmaking and the unsettling allure of documenting darkness, providing a potentially thought-provoking and unnerving cinematic journey.