Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006)

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) is a mockumentary about aspiring serial killer Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel). A student video crew is following the Freddy-and-Jason-worshipping slasher as he makes strides toward realizing his dream of causing nightmares from coast to coast; he has a mentor—retired liquidator Scott Wilson—and an encyclopedic mind for all things slasher. Nate details the prerequisites and styles of killing, and the cameras look on as he plans his spree in the hopes of becoming a big name in the kill game. When his slayings begin, the co-ed documentarians have to decide whether it's worth it to keep filming (and become big names in the doc game), or if they should try to put a stop to his deadly deeds. In the tradition of Man Bites Dog (1992), Behind the Mask satirizes our mass-media fixation with grime and gore, but this film adds slasher-flick references and deconstructs the genre too. It's a "cheeky, low-budget goof on slice-and-dice horror films," said The Boston Globe, and it's "a lot cleverer than Scream."