Wonderland (2003)

A little known thriller seen by hardly anyone on its release, Wonderland nevertheless is certainly worth a watch if you can track it down. Co-written and directed by James Cox, it tracks the true story of the Wonderland murders back in 1981. Val Kilmer reminds you of how good he could be as John Holmes, one of the most successful porn stars of all time whose rise to fame is certainly not addressed here. Rather, his decrepit and rapid decline, resulting in an evening in 1981 when four people were murdered on Wonderland Avenue in Los Angeles. Cox tells the story from several different points of view; Holmes, estranged from his wife (an excellent turn from Lisa Kudrow) and currently chasing his next fix with his teenage girlfriend (a terrific Kate Bosworth), drug dealer David Lind, whose motives are questionable at best; and drug king pin Eddie Nash. You may or may not know the story, and by the end you'll still have to make your own mind up with the stories and characters on offer here, but Cox has pulled off an effective, scuzzy B-movie with some top drawer performances, especially from Kilmer. There's plenty of films out there that deal with true stories like this in a more effective fashion, but Cox's decision to show you this story from the bottom of the barrel- you can almost inhale the drugs as you watch the screen- is a good one. This is a world you want nothing to do with, but thanks to Cox and his actors, it's one you can simply breathe in, breathe out, and then not have to worry about ever again. 7.2/10