A near burnt out cop (Henry Cavill) find a suspect for series of murders and abductions of young women, but how did the seemingly simple minded man plan and execute the crimes so well, remaining undetected for many years?
On the face of it, this should be a film I should like. I’m a sucker for police procedurals and serial killer movies, I even defended the widely lambasted The Snowman a couple of years ago! Also, though I’m not a fan of Cavill, the supporting cast is impressive on paper as it features Ben Kingsley, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Fillion.
Unfortunately, this is a bit of a mess. The storyline, especially in the first half feels very fragmented, and not once does it become at all believable. The big twist reveal is very corny and also makes little sense. Cavill is his usual wooden self and is badly miscast and, Tucci gives probably his worst ever performance as Cavill’s boss. Kingsley’s character is absurd – an ex-judge who now catches and castrates sexual predators, a crime that the police seem to have no interest in! Kingsley phones in his performance, as he tends to these days. Fillion is wasted in a nothing role.
There are some positives. Brendan Fletcher goes amusingly over the top as the suspect, and Alexandra Daddario rises above the material, especially in one interrogation scene that is by the best in the film.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10