Genre: Crime / Drama
Rating: R
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr.
Released: 2007

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About a month back, a friend and I were sitting at a restaurant discussing what would be the perfect serial killer movie. He thought that it needs to be based in some sewers in New York City. While we argued about potential clich?s and potential ?been there, done that?s?, we ultimately understood that while a serial killer thriller may not need great character development or plot, it does need something.

For those of you who are not familiar with the Zodiac killer during the 1960?s, I recommend you read up a little on Wikipedia here, I?ll still be here when you get back?

Back? Good, ok so now you see the story has remained unsolved, but there could be a couple of interesting points in this story to base a thriller on. While that may seem to be a logical conclusion, Fincher decided to direct a film based off ?true? events. The problem with this strategy is that after a while, it is hard to push along a film where everyone knows that the killer is never found and stops killing shortly after the movie starts.

In order to have some sense of character development in this film, we follow Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, as he tries to write a book detailing the story of the Zodiac killer. The problem with this film is that we know after a while that Graysmith does not find the answers in the end or dies, so it creates suspense out of nothing. For example we are given a scene where Graysmith is trying to find information on a potential lead which leads to a scene in a basement. To help set the mood, eerie music is played suggesting Graysmith?s life is in danger, but miraculously he survives the dangers of running up the stairs and waiting to have the front door unlocked for him.

I cannot say that I recommend this to anyone but who is ultimately passionate about true crime films. At over two and a half hours, this movie is certain to bore you to tears. I think Robert?s wife Melanie has one of the greatest lines in the film, ?Just finish it already.?