Misántropo

El tema es interesante, al igual que el dúo central de antihéroes: la excelente Shailene Woodley como una policía perturbada pero talentosa y empática, y el excelente Ben Mendelsohn como un investigador original y controvertido, en la persecución de un asesino en serie loco, del cual están convencidos de que solo ellos dos pueden atraparlo. Un thriller criminal atípico que no aburre. (12.07.2024)

I have to say that the pace of the film and the way the whole first half literally moved forward had me hooked from the start. It simply seemed to have that energy of similar crime thrillers that I've been missing for the last few years, and it engulfed me right from the start. Well, add to that the excellent Ben Mendelsohn and Shailene Woodley, both of whom are spot on, but on top of that a lot of previously unseen and acting that was a breath of fresh air to cinema, I'm actually satisfied. The whole investigation, the chemistry between the detectives, the opening gunfight where a dude mows down 30 people with a sniper rifle during a midnight New Year's Eve and the direction of the investigation was just fun and had its own charm. The only thing that bothers me a bit to give it four stars is the last 25 minutes, when I was getting a little bit crazy in my seat with the length and I could have imagined it to be more brisk or shorter, but all in all this is a very good (and for me unknown why) and very novel film that should make fans of the genre happy. (21.05.2023)

So many social commentary themes are touched upon that none are explored in depth, but it remains a solid crime drama with good timing for both light relief and a factual jab at the power-hungry higher-ups who know full well that the mayor from Jaws stayed in office even in the sequel. It’s a shame that it didn’t avoid some classic genre clichés (detectives going alone to a dangerous place with only their vanity and the screenwriter’s will to back them up), but let’s be grateful for any attempt at a higher level that athletes like Fincher and Villeneuve have managed. P.S.: Ben Mendelsohn's sharp investigator dispensing professional and life wisdom deserves a series of his own, though it probably won’t happen. (29.05.2023)

An honest, bleak, chilling and awesome crime drama/thriller with a touch of the 80s from the director of Wild Tales. Awesome acting! Shailene Woodley plays a likeable, determined and intelligent policewoman recruited by FBI Commander Ben Mendelsohn, who literally shines! He steals all the scenes for himself with his acting and great dialogue and is a joy to watch and listen to. From the opening minutes, the film won me over to its side. It takes place during New Year's Eve in Baltimore, where the main villain starts killing random people with a sniper rifle and starts a decent chaos in the streets, followed by a pretty intense and atmospherically dense FBI manhunt, that made me feel that this is what honest police work is supposed to look like. We follow the two protagonists as they try to catch the main scumbag, practically never leaving the screen, and I liked that. No unnecessary side characters, no extra filler and plot lines, just honest investigative work by smart cops who step by step build a profile of the main enemy. The killer also has an interesting background from his childhood (anyone who has peeked at serial killers knows that most are driven by some sort of childhood trauma), and he has army skills, so this is no Dahmer, but more like a deranged Breivik chasing a body-count! The film also has a decent pace, it holds the audience's attention well, it's atmospherically dense and has some action (a shootout in a mall!), people scream a lot and I have very positive feelings about it. I haven't seen a better crime film in a while. 8/10. (17.05.2023)

More of a statement about the state of contemporary society than a pure crime story. The main quality of To Catch a Killer lies in its very skillful portrayal of contemporary America. It's about the two perspectives presented and getting out of the reality of two jobs, a shitty rental and debts into the world of swingers, signatures and pats on the back. The investigative line is bleak and plainspoken with a great Ben Mendelsohn and a make-up free Shailene Woodley, whose ordinariness as a smart girl who had bad luck in her childhood and less than ideal living conditions fits beautifully into the setting. The hunt for the killer is thrilling and the strange ending makes you think, something you don't see often these days. Szifrón's direction is precise and with a slightly better script this would have been an excellent film. Great cinematography, good music. A very pleasant surprise. (22.05.2023)