[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/how_to_be_a_serial_killer_xlg.png]]

A young man named Bart (Creator/MatthewGrayGubler) working at a video store finds a new purpose in life when he meets a charismatic serial killer who offers to take him under his wing. The serial killer, named Mike (Creator/DameonClarke) teaches everything he knows about killing to his new pupil, giving him lessons and helping him find his "inner voice".

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!!This movie has examples of:

* AssholeVictim: Most of the victims are this.
* BewareTheNiceOnes: Mike is shown as a perfect boyfriend who loves animals. He would seem like a genuine good guy if the movie didn't include him killing people every couple of scenes.
* BlackComedyRape: Odd, considering how Mike thinks rapists are the scum of the earth.
--> '''Dr Goldberg:''' What happened to your eye?\\
[[spoiler:'''Mike:''']] Ah, some guys tried to rape me again.
* DarkComedy: This movie is extremely disturbing if you look at it from a serious point of view, but when you treat it as a comedy it's pretty funny.
* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Bart and Mike's entire friendship/student-mentor relationship and the way Mike's girlfriend acts seems almost like an affair at times.
* EvilCounterpart: Inverted, near the end we see two cops with an obvious student/mentor relationship who are trying to kill Mike.
* EvilIsHammy: Mike, when he's doing the whole seminar thing.
* EvilMentor: Mike.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: Mike will not harm animals, kill children or rape women.
* HostageSituation: Mike uses Bart as one, though it turns out it's subverted as he's doing it to convince the police that he's just a hapless victim rather than an accomplice.
* ImprovisedWeapon: Mike kills somebody using a cinder block he finds in their home in one scene.
* IRejectYourReality: Mike's method of coping: 'Perception is reality. If we think we can get out of this, we're gonna get out of this.'
* LargeHam: Mike, when he's presenting the "How to be a Serial Killer" seminar.
* KarmaHoudini: Mike seems like this [[spoiler: but he is caught and put to death in the end.]]
* MoodWhiplash: The movie shows Mike killing people in sometimes horrific ways and then shows him hanging out with Bart or his girlfriend, going from a very dark mood to a light or romantic mood.
* MurderIsTheBestSolution: Mike suggests "slash his throat" to his colleague as what to do to an annoying/asshole workmate, but mutters it so when asked what he just said he replies "slash his ''tires''".
* PutDownYourGunAndStepAway: The young cop utters this to Mike, even after he's killed all the other cops. Seems a little [[TooDumbToLive stupid]], [[SubvertedTrope really]].
* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: Mike says that rapists are the scum of the earth.
* SerialKiller: Well duh.
* SlasherSmile: Mike, while killing and/or talking about it.
* SlidingScaleOfComedyAndHorror
* SoundtrackDissonance: Most of the movie, including very dark scenes, has music similar to what you'd find in a porno playing in the background.
* TookALevelInBadass: Bart, very literally.
* TricksterMentor: Mike enjoys messing with Bart's head, but usually has a purpose behind it.
* VillainProtagonist: Mike is a serial killer who murders people in sometimes horrific ways but goes by very strict morals like never kill children, never harm animals and take care of the less fortunate.
* WouldntHurtAChild: Mike has never killed a child and thinks it is wrong to do so.
** [[spoiler:WouldHurtAChild: The ending implies Bart might disagree.]]
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