Movie Reviews

‘The Man in the White Van’: Creepy true crime with horror edge

The same, but different.

October 14, 2023

The Man in the White Van covers different territory. Based on true events, the film is about a young girl named Annie (Madison Wolfe) who is seemingly being stalked by an ominous white van. Unfortunately, no one believes her leading to a terrifying Halloween nightmare.

The premise is a familiar one, but things play out differently. True crime resides on the fringes of horror, the releases being more shocking than actually scary. With its screeching score and bloody title cards, The Man in the White Van leans much more into horror tropes than similar films. It is an interesting approach that places an emphasis on characters that is not often seen in the sub-genre.

Surprisingly, there is little focus on the stalker (based on the real life serial killer Billy Mansfield Jr.) with most of the attention placed on the acts he is committing and the titular vehicle. This adds a mysterious quality to the character that makes him more frightening. This also makes the tension normally found in these types of films even more pronounced.

'The Man in the White Van': Creepy true crime with horror edge

The Man in the White Van uses a framing device that may throw some off. The film constantly skips between years, starting in 1980 and moving backwards from there. It seems like the narrative is working in reverse which is a unique way of exploring a serial killer and his years long torment of one of his victims. It never works as well as planned, however. While the events of the past effectively show off the cold blooded nature of the killer, the scenes with Margaret are always in 1980. Due to some sloppy transitions, it takes a while to realize this is going on and it often looks like the film is suffering from continuity errors.

In the end, it resides in a gray area that does not quite feel like true crime due to its horror tendencies, but never goes full blown slasher since it is beholden to reality. The Man in the White Van excels at creating a mood that is creepy and will appeal to fans of both.