Fridge / Mr. Brooks

Fridge Horror:

• After his initial killing, Mr. Brooks is presented as almost sympathetic. He's clearly struggling with his murderous urges, and he's trapped by Mr. Smith into killing someone else. Then, as he's killing Mr. Smith, Brooks says, "Before I was the Thumbprint Killer, Mr. Smith, I killed a lot of people, in a lot of different ways." The audience is left wondering, "How many people did he kill? And just how did he do it?" It's not a pleasant question to consider.
  • Consider that Mr. Brooks owns the cemetery, and was very specific in his description of the process of hiding the body beneath another legitimate burial. How many plots in Mr. Brook'es cemetery are "double-booked?"
• The scene of the two driving around looking for a victim. They are passing random people, doing random things, and it sinks in that anyone they are watching is a potential murder waiting to happen. This just really cements how random serial killers are, and that you aren't safe even in a well-lit and public area.
  • Especially considering the point Brooks is making to Smith. Smith had initially selected someone he personally disliked to kill, and Brooks shot that idea down. "Never kill someone you know." Most murderers are caught through the simply logic of looking for someone who had a reason to want to kill the victim. Serial killers are difficult to catch precisely because they have no personal connection to their victims, no sensible motive for wanting Person X dead instead of Person Y. A serial killer comes for you just because you happen to be a good target and fit their "type."
• The ease in which Mr. Brooks defeats locks, even dead-bolts sends chills down the spine. You aren't even safe at home from this guy.