A crime thriller about a few detectives hunting down a suspect who suddenly kills en masse, To Catch A Killer starts out strong, but loses its way.
I am always a fan of a good thriller. I watch a lot of true crime and, just like so many of us, I can’t help but try to figure out who did it long before they offer the information. It can be captivating, and it’s fun to have your Spidey-senses tingling, even as you feel awful for those who have lost a loved one.
To Catch A Killer is about beat-cop Eleanor, who is on the scene just after a mass shooting has taken place. Thinking quickly, Eleanor notices details around her and instructs other cops to record everyone running past them. Later, noticed by the lead, FBI Agent Lammark, Eleanor is recruited to help him work on solving the case.
The movie starts out really well. There is chaos in the streets, everyone in the entire city is a suspect, and there is palpable tension. You are curious and engaged.
Somewhere in the second act, though, the storyline begins to lose its way, as it delves into the detectives’ personal lives. And by the third act, everything feels drawn out and semi-ridiculous.
The mystery itself is a good one: Why, out of nowhere, would a person decide to begin killing large numbers of people at random? How is it possible to accomplish, and where are they? Can they reach the person before they kill again? If they had stuck to those questions and narrowed the narrative, I think it could have worked.
Instead, there are heavily political side elements affecting the investigation, a never-fully-explored destructive history involving Eleanor, and a medical something involving Agent Lammark. There is also an odd section of what feels like animal rights propaganda that comes out of nowhere. Some of these things connect with the hunt, but they mostly feel wholly unnecessary and time-wasting.
Ben Mendelsohn is excellent as the FBI Agent, and is hands down the highlight of the film. Jovan Adepo is also extremely likeable as Officer Mackenzie. Shailene Woodley pulls her weight as Eleanor, but no matter how hard I tried to dial into her history and current circumstances, I never felt a connection with her or any of the other characters.
Overall, To Catch A Killer is a decent mystery that becomes increasingly more convoluted and almost laughable. I wanted to like it, and if they had shaved 1/2 hour off the film and really honed in on the central plot, I think that could have happened. As it stands, though, this is kind of eh.
Runtime: 119 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes, but only if you really enjoy mysteries and can look past the other stuff
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 2.25/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
I am always a fan of a good thriller. I watch a lot of true crime and, just like so many of us, I can’t help but try to figure out who did it long before they offer the information. It can be captivating, and it’s fun to have your Spidey-senses tingling, even as you feel awful for those who have lost a loved one.
