The Big Picture
- The opening scene of
To Catch a Killer
shocks with sudden and precise violence, setting up the killer’s threat level without gore. - The film weaves modern issues like media consumption into a classic cat-and-mouse mystery between FBI agent Eleanor and the killer.
- Despite fitting the FBI rookie archetype, Shailene Woodley’s performance adds depth with her internal struggles and emotional connection to the killer.
To Catch a Killer borrows a lot of ideas from serial killer movies that have come before it; Se7en, The Silence of the Lambs, and Zodiac. However, it brings its story to the present day with themes of rolling news, media consumption, and moral panic. The rookie FBI agent at its center, Eleanor (Shailene Woodley), is a likable but flawed protagonist with a compelling relationship with fellow special agent Lanark (Ben Mendelsohn). The movie’s greatest asset is its composition of the killer without showing them to the audience until the climax. Although the big serial killer movie of 2024, Longlegs, has been praised for its atmosphere and sense of dread, if it left you wanting a proper mystery solved, To Catch A Killer will satiate that desire.
To Catch a Killer
- Release Date
- April 6, 2023
- Director
- Damián Szifron
- Runtime
- 119 minutes
- Main Genre
- Drama
The Opening of ‘To Catch A Killer’ Is Shocking
The first few minutes of To Catch a Killer showcase heart-pounding action that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The film immediately opens on a busy New Year’s Eve in Baltimore, showing the various joyous celebrations. Instantly, a sniper begins shooting people with pinpoint precision. There is no introduction and no setup, the massacre is jolting in its directness and unexpectedness. The violence isn’t dragged out or graphic, but it is the suddenness and scale of the attack that makes it so striking.
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The opening scene is important in setting up the titular killer of the movie. It shows their threat level, as none of the shots miss and all the victims are killed by a single headshot. Where most serial killer movies open by showcasing the brutality of the killer through their grotesque methods of killing, the attacks in this movie aren’t singular and gory, they are unavoidable to the public and therefore an even greater threat. It adds a new dimension to the story, where the focus isn’t only on the individual detectives. There is a wider exploration of the impact of panic these widespread attacks have, and that is present right from the film’s beginning.
‘To Catch A Killer’ Is a Satisfying Modern Serial Killer Mystery
The background of 24-hour news channels and the constant expectation of the public for answers to the mass violence does not divert To Catch A Killer from the subgenre it belongs to. At its core, the story is still a cat and mouse between Eleanor and the killer. There is still the feeling that the FBI is one step behind the killer, even when in every scene they step closer to finding them. The movie achieves this by drip-feeding information to the audience as it is uncovered and not spoon-feeding the viewer. For example, it is revealed the killer is a vegan, and later a man is seen on mall CCTV removing meat from leftover meals in the food court. It subtly indicates to the audience that this is the killer without the need for a huge flashing arrow. The detail also allows the movie to later explore the theme of animal cruelty and add the conversation around that to indicate the killer is not just interested in meaningless violence. It encourages the audience to keep an open and active mind about their expectations of who the killer could be as well as satiating the desire for a piece-by-piece mystery.
The mall sequence is not only important for giving nuanced details about the killer, but it is a huge example of what To Catch A Killer stands out for; its ability to weave modern-day issues into its story. The sequence sees the killer take someone else’s clothes, give himself a wash in one of the basins in a bathroom, and then, as mentioned, take meat from the salad in the food court. When the police ask him what is in his bag, he pulls out a gun and starts shooting. The peak of the serial killer subgenre was the ’90s, with the likes of Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs. Even Longlegs takes place in the ’90s. It means these movies bypass the issues of technology and the media, but these aspects take center stage in To Catch A Killer. The killer is not attempting to outsmart the police and hide, he is not a mysterious unknown figure — he is out in public and his violence is sporadic and less calculated. That is what makes it so scary. This movie isn’t slow and brooding like its predecessors, it is immediate and transparent.
Shailene Woodley Fits a Stereotype and That’s Okay
FBI rookies have become a character archetype in themselves. Although there are differences between performances, there is a theme of an underestimated yet immensely talented female officer who is either belittled by her co-workers or ignored because of her position. She is often a little quieter but behind the scenes, the audience sees her capabilities. Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) from The Silence of the Lambs is probably the most obvious example of this but Lee Harker (Maika Monroe) in Longlegs definitely fits the mold. Shailene Woodley’s performance in To Catch a Killer is nothing new when looking through the FBI rookie angle, she is a placeholder that enables the audience to have an entrance point to the case through a character who is easy to support and root for.
However, the deeper demons of Woodley’s performance are still interesting to watch. Although all these women are fighting their own internal battles, Woodley’s ability to show a woman who is trying to not let her personal struggles interrupt her professional career is tense and poignant. She subdues these mental health conflicts in her mind and doesn’t let herself open up. However, what is most intriguing about her stance is her ability to get inside the mind of the killer. The killer’s actions are portrayed as more than a desire for blood and destruction and seem rooted in deeper personal struggles. Eleanor is able to decipher how the killer is thinking and it creates a parallel between the pair. The final confrontation and this emotional connection indicate a shared empathy. It means the killer doesn’t feel inherently cruel or evil, just damaged and led down a dangerous path through alienation and isolation. There’s no doubting the horror of his actions but it adds a bittersweet tone to the closing moments. To Catch a Killer manages to pay homage to the ’90s serial killer subgenre in a generation of 24-hour news, surveillance, and gun violence. It may not be as slick and crafted as its predecessors, but its themes are just as important.
To Catch a Killer is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.
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