by Jake Bourgeois, Contributing Writer
As someone who’s eaten almost anything up released out of the Hannibal Lecter-verse, from the Anthony Hopkins films, to the NBC television reimagining, and even the Clarice Starling post-The Silence of the Lambs procedural on CBS, To Catch a Killer immediately got my antenna up — and the marketing team knew exactly how to take advantage of people like me.
I mean, the synopsis calls our heroine a “modern day Clarice Starling,” though the marketing has appeared to abandon that angle recently. In that role is Shailene Woodley, starring in her first theatrical release in quite a while. She plays a police investigator, Eleanor, with a traumatic past who is recruited by the FBI to help profile and track a mass shooter in Baltimore — the same city that Lecter himself called home.
I in no way was expecting something of the level of Lambs; however, I entered this experience knowing the film was playing in a sandbox that I have a soft spot for — if something that dark can be considered a soft spot. The top of list of my favorite films is littered with films in a similar vein. So, I just had to hope that this could follow suit.
Thankfully, it does.
Right from jump, I was engaged. The action not only kicks off immediately, but there was already character work being done that got me excited for what was to follow over the next two hours.
First, we get a sense right away about how quick Eleanor is, and what differentiates Ben Mendelsohn’s Lammark, the FBI agent in charge of the case who recruits her as a liaison to assist him, from those around him. Their mentor/protégée dynamic is at the heart of this story, and I found it immensely engrossing. You can see why they’re a good pair. She’s bright, but due to her past, was never really given the opportunity she probably deserved. He’s smart and calculating, one of the few seemingly concerned with actually doing what’s required to get his culprit and not concerned with playing political games — outside of trying to stay one step ahead of the political executioner’s blade. He’s got the occasional dickish moment as the superior officer, but he always explains himself eventually. As a pair, they’re both intelligent, which is largely shown, not told, and are one of just a few characters you can actually get behind.
In addition to our main duo, there’s a lot more to like about the way this screenplay is written.
The dialogue cuts hard. Whether it’s how people talk within the law enforcement buildings, the governor’s office, or talking heads on political programming, everything seems to track. I can see how some might see those conversations as overly cynical, but if exaggerated, I’m not sure it’s by much.
Pacing-wise, it’s largely a slow burn interrupted by methodical bursts of violence, a dichotomy that I found enhanced the story. The tense tone holds, whether it’s showing an action set piece or we’re watching our characters search for the key to unlocking the case, while trying to dodge political landmines.
Movies like this are my jam, and I could definitely see its influences, though it never really hits you over the head with them. As the initial synopsis would indicate, there’s definitely a The Silence of the Lambs feel, but it’s more than just the setting, or that we’re following a female agent working with the agency on a temporary basis. The way Eleanor is looked at and treated by most of her male compatriots is similar to the film that came more than 30 years previously. They even set you up a bit with that influence with how they initially present Lammark and Eleanor’s working relationship, before (thankfully) pivoting. I definitely also felt the cerebral tone that permeates some of David Fincher’s projects, like Se7en or Mindhunter, as they focus on cutting through the noise and really examining their suspect on a deep psychological level.
On a technical level, I found Carter Burwell’s score really works with the tone, but what really struck me was the shot-making on display. Every frame looks incredible, as shot by Javier Julia (Argentina, 1985). There are shots that do the mundane well, shots playing with color palette or perspective, or doing something creative with the camera. Even the violence, and its aftermath, is shot methodically in a way that fits the tone. All of it works for me. With Damián Szifron working as both the director and co-writer (alongside Jonathan Wakeham), he’s certainly put himself on my radar moving forward.
As much as I enjoyed this movie, it’s not perfect. There are times where I felt things may be edging toward being a bit too on-the-nose, and there’s a third trusted member in Lammark’s circle, MacKenzie (Jovan Adepo), who gets a bit shorter shrift at the expense of focusing on our main partnership. However, it was one of those experiences where I could see the flaw, acknowledge it, and then allow it to bounce right off, because of how wrapped up I was in the experience.
Nominally, this film did get a theatrical release, but not one anywhere near me. That’s a shame, because I really think it’s something that fans of dark psychological thrillers are going to be engrossed by. Certainly, there are aspects — the darkness, methodical pace, and violence — that are not shied away from, will be turnoffs for some, and possibly triggering for others. So, you won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t share my positive experience or skip this one entirely.
How exactly to recommend this one gets tricky. When a film pushes your buttons as perfectly as To Catch a Killer pushes mine, it makes this exercise even more subjective than it usually is to begin with. I do think it deserves to find its audience, but it’s equally a film where its audience needs to be fully aware of what is being offered.
If an exploration into the mind of a killer, what made them, and how society views them is a deep dive you find worthwhile, I’ll happily accept more eyeballs on this film. Just be careful not to lose yourself in the darkness along the way.
Score: 9/10
To Catch a Killer is currently available on premium VOD for rent or purchase
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