'To Catch a Killer' does not have your typical protagonists, and the film is very unpredictable. The protagonists are cop Eleanor (Shialene Woodley) and FBI Special Agent Lammark (Ben Mendelsohn). Unlike most protagonists in crime thrillers, Eleanor is a very vulnerable character, and she remains vulnerable throughout.
Lammark is not your clichéd FBI agent. He is determined, yes, he is demanding, yes; but there is an interesting reveal about him. This reveal was a nice deviation from the usual characters with his authority and I thought it added a nice touch to the film.
But I'm jumping the gun here. What is 'To Catch a Killer' about? On New Years eve, a shooter randomly kills party goers at different locations in an apartment building. Soon after, the building he was shooting from is rocked by an explosion. It is up to the FBI team lead by Lammark to solve the mystery and catch the killer. Impressed by Eleanor's perceptiveness, Lammark requests her to join his team.
Given Eleanor's back story, she has a low self-esteem and she is suicidal, which makes her an unlikely protagonist. This character felt very real to me - excellently portrayed by Shialene Woodley - and I rooted for her from the beginning. She was a likeable character in an unusual kind of way, because - let's face it - depressed characters does not generally make good protagonists.
'To Catch a Killer' is one of those movies where the plot thickened every step of the way. The investigation captivated me. This is a stylish and well crafted thriller and there are a few disturbing moments here as well. As I said, this film is very unpredictable, so be prepared for unexpected events.
Lammark is not your clichéd FBI agent. He is determined, yes, he is demanding, yes; but there is an interesting reveal about him. This reveal was a nice deviation from the usual characters with his authority and I thought it added a nice touch to the film.
But I'm jumping the gun here. What is 'To Catch a Killer' about? On New Years eve, a shooter randomly kills party goers at different locations in an apartment building. Soon after, the building he was shooting from is rocked by an explosion. It is up to the FBI team lead by Lammark to solve the mystery and catch the killer. Impressed by Eleanor's perceptiveness, Lammark requests her to join his team.
Given Eleanor's back story, she has a low self-esteem and she is suicidal, which makes her an unlikely protagonist. This character felt very real to me - excellently portrayed by Shialene Woodley - and I rooted for her from the beginning. She was a likeable character in an unusual kind of way, because - let's face it - depressed characters does not generally make good protagonists.
'To Catch a Killer' is one of those movies where the plot thickened every step of the way. The investigation captivated me. This is a stylish and well crafted thriller and there are a few disturbing moments here as well. As I said, this film is very unpredictable, so be prepared for unexpected events.