Category Archives: Serial Killer

2017, Abduction, Based on true facts, Cold Cases, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, FBI, Forensics, Lesbian Theme, Netflix Streaming, NOT violent, Race Relations, Racism, Serial Killer

Mindhunter (2017)

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From IMDB:

Set in the late 1970s, two FBI agents are tasked with interviewing serial killers to solve open cases.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this drama which centers around criminal profiling and its use in catching serial killers. Season 1 has 10 episodes and season 2 has 9 episodes. Episode length varies from 45 minutes to a bit over an hour.  Material in the series is based on real life events.

In the 1970s the idea of criminal profiling was new. In fact at first the FBI was sceptical about its usefulness. Why spend money sending FBI agents to interview murderers with the goal of solving future crimes?  During this period the agents involved invented the phrase “serial killer”.

Season 1 depicts the development of these ideas as they bump up against the bureaucracy. Certainly interviews with known serial killers, for example Charlie Manson,  are interesting.

Season 2 is mostly devoted to a true case of serial killing in Atlanta. In the time frame of season 2 the FBI work in this area has become accepted enough that the local police in Atlanta reluctantly allowed the FBI to help solve the case.

Along side the crime plot runs the personal problems of some of the agents on the team:

  • Bill Tench (played by Holt McCallany – Robert McCoy in Blue Bloods ) has a young son who was involved in the murder of a young child. Tench is always away in some other city for his work. As a result his marriage is in trouble.
  • Dr. Wendy Carr (played by Anna Torv – Olivia Dunham in Fringe) is a Lesbian looking for love and not having much success.

If you enjoy detailed police procedurals (and are a fairly patient viewer) then you might well be caught up in the plot.

2015, Abduction, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Cannibalism, Cooking and food, Could Be Hard To Watch, Creepy, Dark, Detective, Eccentric cast of characters, FBI, Fist Fight, Forensic pathologist, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Gory, Grim, Grisly, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Panic Attacks, Psychiatrists, Psychological Thriller, Psychopath, Serial Killer, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Unusual, Violent, Wrongful Arrest

Hannibal (2015)

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From IMDB:

Explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.

From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons of this creepy TV series. Each season contains 13 episodes. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

If you are searching for an example of GRIM entertainment, if that is what you can call entertainment, then you have found the very definition of GRIM. We all know  Hannibal Lector as the infamous serial killer who eats the more interesting parts of his victims. What is eerie to watch is seeing Hannibal portrayed as a smooth, calm, stylish psychiatrist who is a fastidious gourmet cook taking great pains to prepare exquisite “organic” (get it? heh, heh) meals for his unsuspecting guests, including the very detectives searching for the serial killer.

Add to the mix  poor hapless Will Graham who regularly, after seeing the current butchered victim ( le corps du jour) ,  goes into a trance and visualizes some part of the murderous attack.  Will has been driven into a damaged mental state by the ambitious chief detective Jack Crawford. As a result Will spends the major part of Season 2 as a prisoner-patient at a Baltimore asylum for the criminally insane. Dr. Lector, a former sugeon, has his own psychiatrist Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. Did you get that? Dr. DuMaurier treats Dr. Lector who treats Will Graham. Talk about convoluted!

There is an awful lot of psycho-babble that seems to occupy more than its fair share of the script. However, the sinister plot, including Lector’s clever methods for diverting suspicion from himself, is clever and suspenseful enough to warrant watching.

Some of the actors are well-known:

  • Hannibal Lector is played by Mads Mikkelsen who is now one of Denmark’s biggest movie actors.
  • Jack Crawford is played by Laurence Fishburne.
  • Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier is played by Gillian Anderson of The X Files fame. When she played in “The X Files” she was only 30 years old. In “Hannibal” she is a stunningly beautiful woman of 47 years.

Just one example of the many gory murders might convince you to avoid watching: Hannibal freezes a woman’s body and then uses a band saw to slice the body in 5 vertical cross sections, each section being then laminated in a plastic coating.

If by now you have not been dissuaded, then go ahead and watch the gore festival.

 

2016, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Adopted child, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Cold Cases, Crime thriller, Dark, Disturbing Image, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Finnish, Forensics, Grim, KGB, Mixed Martial Arts, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasional gore, Police Investigation, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Violent

Bordertown (2016)

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From IMDB:

Quirky police detective, in Finland, delves into his mind palace to solve despicable crimes all the while trying to keep his family together. If Sherlock was based in Finland this would be it.

From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons of this Finnish crime series. Season 1 consists of 11 episodes while seasons 2 and 3 consist of 10 episodes. Each episode lasts about an hour. Most often one complete story requires 2 or 3 episodes.

You can always get English subtitles. In seasons 1 an 2 you can get an English sound track which to my ears always sounded somewhat unnatural as if the dubbing was too formal. Oddly enough there is no English sound track for season 3, only Finnish, Spanish, and Italian.

Kari Sorjonen is quite possibly the most eccentric detective I have seen.  His odd mannerisms of touching his face and head with outstretched fingers might just get on your nerves. Supposedly when he does this he has ingenious flashes of insight.

Never mind the idiosyncrasies, the stories are as grim as they are good.  His supporting detectives and family members fill out the cast well.  Indeed a constant theme is his somewhat clueless neglect of his family because, as is the case in so many detective series, that phone is always ringing.

Worth a watch.

 

2019, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amazon Prime, Binge worthy, British Mystery Series, Cold Cases, Courtroom scenes, DO NOT MISS, Forensics, Murder Trial, Police Culture, Police Politics, Prostitutes, Serial Killer, Trial Scenes, True Story, Unhappy Marriage

A Confession (2019)

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From IMDB:

Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher intends on catching a killer of a missing woman, even if that may cost him his career and reputation.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 6 episodes of this true  one season British TV crime story. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Using carefully researched material, this series documents a true, riveting, and frustratingly sad case in which DS Steve Fulcher of the Wiltshire police district successfully finds a serial killer only to have his career destroyed because he made a brave and clever decision that did not completely follow guidelines.

Do not be put off by the word “documentary” because this series is a very well done enactment that is anything but a presentation of dry facts.  All the characters come to life in moments of grief, anger, loneliness and love.   Wiltshire police department concern with public relations is maddening and, thanks to this series, fully exposed.

Once again there are many familiar British actors:

  • For me the biggest surprise was the appearance of the actor Joe Absolom who plays the serial killer Christopher Halliwell.  You may recognize him as the young man Al Large who was the son of the very LARGE Bert Large in Doc Martin.  He seems so much older in “Confession” and plays the part of a clever, intelligent but stricken serial killer very well.
  • Siobhan Finneran (who plays Elaine Pickford) played Clare Cartwright in the wonderfully unhappy series Happy Valley. Her acting resumé is enormous.
  • Imelda Staunton (who plays Karen Edwards) is another seasoned British actor with a huge resumé.  Her role as the abortionist Vera Drake was remarkable.

Sorry for the “Do Not Miss” inflation, but DO NOT MISS!

2011, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Accidental Death, Action sequences, Adopted child, Arson, Attempted Suicide, Cancer theme, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Corrupt lawyers, Detective, DIY Ending, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Gritty, Illegitimate Child, Irish, Irish Gaelic, Journalist, Lawyers, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Pedophilia, Police Corruption, Rape, Serial Killer, Suspense, TV Reporter, Unmarried mother, Upsetting ending, Violent

Corp + Anam (2011)

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From MHz Choice:

Gritty Irish-language drama chronicling the difficult professional and intense personal life of Cathal Mac Iarnáin, a tenacious TV crime reporter who is obsessed with pursuing the story behind the story. But as single-minded as he is about uncovering the truth, he is often too busy chasing stories to notice that the world of crime hits closer to home every day.

From MHz Choice you can stream two seasons of this intense Irish drama. Each season consists of 4 episodes. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.  Irish Gaelic with English subtitles.

“Gut-punching” is the most apt adjective I can apply to these eight episodes.  “Corp & Anam” is Gaelic for “Body and Soul”.

One critic labeled the reporter Cathal as unscrupulous.  Each of the 8 stories centers around some serious injustice.  No matter who gets hurt Cathal is determined to get the scoop first.  On certain occasions he is not above breaking the law to get the story.  In every case he goes out on a sometimes self-destructive limb to broadcast the story on Irish television.  Most often it is his own family which gets hurt because, as with many police detectives, his cell phone often interrupts his family life.

For this series I have created a new category “DIY Ending” which I could have used earlier for many other series.  “Do It Yourself Ending” applies to an ending in which most of the groundwork has been laid to reach a satisfying conclusion in which justice reigns and the bad guys get their punishment but in which you do not get the satisfaction of seeing those final details played out. This category especially applies to the last story of season 2 which uses two episodes 3 and 4 to tell the whole story.  This particular story leaves Cathal in danger of losing his career.

DO NOT MISS!

2019, Abuse of Women, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Catholic culture, Creepy, Dark, Detective, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Illegitimate Child, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Occasionaly violent, Panic Attacks, Police Investigation, Problematic Ending, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Psychological Thriller, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Wrestling

Reckoning (2019)

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From IMDB:

Explores the darkest corners of the male psyche through the eyes of two fathers, one of whom is a serial-killer.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this serial-killer soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Far from being a predictable serial-killer police procedural, this series is a study in psychology that involves a large cast of well presented characters.

From almost the earliest episodes, your hunch as to which character is the RRK serial killer will be vindicated.  But having the police catch the killer is not the only important focus.  Additionally we watch the interaction of that killer with all the others involved.

Sean Barker, the Australian actor that plays Edgar Harris, steals the show.   Aden Young, the Canadian actor that plays detective Mike Serrato,  plays as tortured a personality as does Sean Barker.

There is a conclusion, but it will not be what you might expect. Be prepared possibly for a final moment in which you ask “Is that really the end of the story?”

BINGE WORTHY!

2014, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Creepy, Detective, Disturbing Image, Happy Family Gatherings, Murder, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Stephen King, Stephen King, Strange Ending

A Good Marriage (2014)

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From IMDB:

After 25 years of a good marriage, what will Darcy do once she discovers her husband’s sinister secret?

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

Based on a short story by Stephen King, this suspense thriller is about a wife who accidentally discovers that her husband of 25 years is a serial killer of women whom he first tortures before killing them. You learn this at the very beginning of the story and is not here a spoiler.  Really the question is: Having made this discovery what does she do next?

Darcy Anderson, the wife is played by Joan Allen who played Colonel Margaret Rayne in the TV series The Killing,  Bob Anderson, the husband, is played by Anthony LaPaglia whose resumé is enormous.

LaPaglia’s portrayal of a man darkly stalking his next victim is what you would expect.  What is more surprising is his loving behavior toward his wife even after she makes the discovery. Hard to believe, but it actually works!

Absence of any violence  or torture (although there are photographs of the victims)  obviates the need to cringe.

What would you do if you discovered that your spouse is a serial killer?

1999, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Chase film, Detective, Explicit sex, Frame someone for a crime, Intellectual property theft, Lawyers, Mediocre, Murder, Murder Trial, Must suspend disbelief, Nudity, Plagiarism, Revenge, Serial Killer, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Surprise Ending, Suspense, Trial Scenes, Unjust crime conviction, Violent

A Murder Of Crows (1999)

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From Amazon Prime:

A man plagiarizes a novel that becomes a best seller, and he becomes the FBI’s number one suspect when it is revealed that the book is a factual account of a series of murders.

From IMDB:

After a lawyer gets disbarred, he goes off to write a book about his experience. He meets a man who lets him read his manuscript. The man dies and the lawyer passes the book off as his. Just when the book becomes a big success. He gets arrested for the true life murders of the five lawyers in his book. He then finds himself, trying to prove that he is innocent of the murders.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

Although this 21 year old film has many flaws, the story was clever enough to keep me interested. Lawyer Lawson Russel (played by Cuba Gooding Jr. ) is framed in a spectacular and cleverly calculated manner.  He will be helped by his friend Elizabeth Pope (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste who also played Vivian Johnson in Without a Trace).  He will be pursued by Detective Clifford Dubose (played by Tom Berenger).

What are the flaws in this somewhat mediocre film?  First, the good news is that you need not let the suspense get to you because, secondly the  plot turns that help Lawson get out of jams are numerous and too good to be true.  After he is trapped in a web of impeccably constructed clues for the police, if you are streaming, just look at the remaining time in the film.  How on earth, you might ask yourself,  in just a half hour can this mess ever be resolved? Stay tuned for an unexpected ending.

Who cares?  Just enjoy the super resourceful Lawson Russel and the fun of the chase.

2014, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Belgian detective, Bloody scenes, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Disturbing Image, Dutch, Gory, Grim, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Not Recommended, Police cover-up, Psychopath, Rape, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, Violent

The Killer of Flanders Fields (2014)

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From IMDB:

Witse returns to his hometown to find his niece’s murderer. It doesn’t take long before Witse gets in trouble with local police authorities. While conducting his investigation, old family issues are starting to surface.

From MHz Choice you can stream this 1.5 hour police procedural from Belgium. In Dutch with English subtitles.

For 9 seasons Belgium TV offered the program Witse featuring the detective Witse. That series ran from 2004 till 2012.

Before starting this film, be aware that it is the story of Witse trying to catch the sadistic psychotic serial killer that kidnaps young women and tortures them to death.  During the film you will see the killer’s very horrifying film clips of his tortures.  You might want to avoid this well-done but sadly stomach-churning film.  Had I known, I would not have started, but once hooked I had to see the conclusion.

2001, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Forensics, Happy Family Gatherings, Hunting, Mormon theme, Murder, Murder Investigation, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Small Town Atmosphere, Suspense, Thought provoking, Unusual

Brigham City (2001)

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From Amazon Prime:

Sheriff Wes Clayton is also a Mormon bishop in a picturesque little burg called Brigham City whose residents are stalked by an unknown serial killer. This mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking final twist.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 2 hour complete film.

When Wes discovers the first dead and mutilated body in Brigham City, his immediate reaction is to call the FBI and suppress any news of the murder in his perfect, quiet, respectful, Mormon village. Folks in Brigham City do not even lock their doors at night and Wes aims to keep it that way. Gradually the idyllic village atmosphere changes to one of mutual suspicion as the bodies pile up.

Is this film a piece of Mormon evangelizing?  Certainly the clean-cut lives of the families is appealing. More than one Mormon religious service is acted out.  But there is a genuine point to the story: for Wes this wrenching experience is a test of faith and indeed Wes is sorely tested.  Perhaps we non-Mormons are represented by the woman FBI agent who sees something appealing in the Mormon way of life and who seems to be searching for meaning.

Investigation details are well done.  Never mind the slick TV detective stories. Imagine staying awake for 48 hours dusting over 400 beer bottles for fingerprints that might lead to the killer.

Along the way there are scenes in which you are lead to think “Aha, so that’s who the killer is.” But you would be wrong. Possibly you can guess the real killer before the surprising final solution.

Don’t expect a Hollywood production.  Perhaps a few scenes may seem maudlin. But for some reason I found the slow pace, personal details, and village life appealing. Personally I enjoyed the film.