“It goes beyond sensationalizing to explore something more sinister within the neon-lit world of ’80s Los Angeles. […]the film transforms into a probing account of a gay community devastated by bigotry, AIDS and one gruesome murder that haunted people for decades.”
— Jordan Mintzer,
“Riveting… Williams’ powers of perception lead the film to its extraordinary conclusion, smoking out a killer who was hiding in plain sight at every step of the way. […It also goes] deeper than its premise might suggest; alongside the story of Barry’s persecution on obscenity charges by Ronald Reagan’s FBI, the doc also offered a chilling reminder of the lethal effects of the 1980s AIDS crisis.”
— Damon Wise,
“My Brother’s Killer succeeds on the core level of providing an absorbing real-life mystery whose long-in-coming resolution adds new layers of strangeness and sorrow.”
— Dennis Harvey,
“For thirty-three years, the cold case gathered dust in an era where anti-gay crimes—and those targeting sex workers in particular—were often met with indifference.”
— Chris Bull,
“The unsolved murder, dubbed the ‘gay Black Dahlia,’ was cracked wide open by filmmaker Rachel Mason.”
— Ariel Messman-Rucker,
“One reveal after another comes quick and fast in the final act, and I honestly sat with my mouth agape in response to what unfolded… My Brother’s Killer serves as a reckoning for all of us.”
— Glenn Gaylord,
“Mason helped convene a team of amateur sleuths to doggedly investigate the case, and in a stunning twist perfect for the true-crime documentary she was filming all along the way, helped lead Los Angeles police detectives to a new suspect.”
— Kevin Rector,
ABOUT THE FILM
LOGLINE
Recalling an early 90s Los Angeles dominated by the aesthetics of Bret Easton Ellis, Dennis Cooper, street prostitution, and seedy porn shops, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER expands upon the world of documentarian Rachel Mason’s Circus of Books to tell the gay true crime story of Billy London, a gay adult film performer brutally killed in West Hollywood that became an urban legend for 33 years. A documentary intended to honor his life took an unexpected turn when members of the community joined forces to uncover overlooked clues, and seek a resolution to the mystery of who killed him.
LONG SYNOPSIS
Recalling an early 90s Los Angeles dominated by the aesthetics of Bret Easton Ellis, Dennis Cooper, street prostitution, and seedy porn shops, MY BROTHER’S KEEPER expands upon the world of documentarian Rachel Mason’s Circus of Books to tell the gay true crime story of Billy London, a gay adult film performer brutally killed in West Hollywood that became an urban legend for 33 years. A documentary intended to honor his life took an unexpected turn when members of the community joined forces to uncover overlooked clues, and seek a resolution to the mystery of who killed him.
Director Rachel Mason
Writers Rachel Mason, Dion Labriola, James Cude
Producers Rachel Mason, Dion Labriola
Executive Producers Penelope Spheeris, Josh Braun, Ben Braun
Associate Producer Julee Metz
Editor Dion Labriola
Cinematographer Michael Pessah
Sound Patrick Sexton
Music Bruno Coviello
Cast Wendi Berndt, Kevin Clarke, Krystal DeLight, Sabin Gray, John Lamberti, Chi Chi LaRue, Eric Shaw Quinn, Christopher Rice, Phil St. John, Clark Williams, Rachel Mason, Karen Mason, Mickey Skee, Marc Rabins, Michele Oliver
FESTIVALS
2026: SXSW (World Premiere)
AVAILABLE TERRITORIES
The World
EXHIBITION FORMATS
DCP, Digital Download
PRESS KIT
Download Press Kit
AVAILABLE PRESS IMAGES (click to preview)
