This Is the Zodiac Speaking

"Zodiac Killer" is the first serial killer that intrigued me. I was maybe 8 years old when I first saw a documentary about him. Since then, I have been returning to the topic from time to time, listening to podcasts on the subject and generally being interested in new facts in the investigation. I've watched a lot of documentaries on the subject, listened to podcasts, and even read books, so I had to see this documentary as well. Was it possible to create a complete film about this monster in human skin this time?

No. But it doesn't matter at all, because this film is very close to being a perfect summary of a long-term investigation for those who have been following the case for a long time, and at the same time to be a shortcut for those who only know about Zodiac from David Fincher's film.

So why did the film get a 7/10 from me and not a 9/10, if it is "almost perfect"? Because in my opinion it is too fictionalized. There are too many unnecessary stories, too many digressions and asking questions, and not enough accurate presentation of the facts about Zodiac.

Nevertheless, it is worth watching this film to judge for yourself whether the way it is presented suits your taste. For me, it was slightly too long for the amount of information it gives. It could easily have had two episodes instead of three, if only those genre scenes, which did not add much to the film, were abandoned.

Zodiac is one of my favorite films of all time, and this doc adds a new compelling layer to it; a companion piece, sort of. Interviews include the real Robert Graysmith and footage of Arthur Leigh Allen and the people he hurt. It confirms how much attention to detail was put into the movie, and how important it was to some people who interacted with the main suspect. There is a lot of information I wasn't aware of and unlike most unsolved serial killer documentaries where they almost leave you wondering what the point of what you watched was, this one provides some semblance of closure. It's absolutely compelling and worth a watch.

The Zodiac Killer must be one of the most compelling cases in the history of forensics.

A monstrous being, ahead of its time.

When you read the stories you can't help but feel sorry for the victims, their families and the police. No one was prepared for a being of this magnitude.

This miniseries gives us a very interesting point of view.

Arthur Leigh Allen was always the number 1 suspect, all the circumstantial evidence, the fact that he had been in the area of several murders on the same days that they occurred and even his identification by the survivors.

However, he could never be locked up and died prematurely from his kidney disease.

In the Seawater stories there is so much pain, so much darkness lived, so many traces followed that it is impossible not to follow this conjecture. ALA was the Zodiac Killer, without a doubt. Egomaniac, narcissist, abuser, with extremely useful skills and talents... all the combo to do what he surely did.

It's a shame that David has passed away and will not be able to see the end of this story. I am left frozen by the bond with his mother and how she was/could have been an accomplice to this for so many years. A destroyed family, a sister who would clearly be one of the next victims and who was saved by a miracle.

Finally, the hope that the knife he gave to Connie's son will finally reveal that truth that has been awaited for more than 50 years...

I've always been intrigued by the statements from these brothers, and it amazed me that no one had done anything about it... until now! Without a doubt, Arthur Leigh Allen was, is, and will be the number one suspect-miles ahead of anyone else, light-years, even. There's a huge amount of circumstantial evidence, way beyond the ordinary, and when you add in the experiences of these brothers, I've got no doubt he was the killer. Let's not forget that a survivor from the Lake Berryessa side and Michael Mageau identified him as their attacker, among a ton of other things. A narcissist and an egomaniac with two faces. Hopefully, his guilt can finally be confirmed, because there's no one else who even comes close to him.

This Is the Zodiac Speaking: A nasty guy alright, at times he wanted to encourage people to think he was Zodiac, even wrote letters to people suggesting that he had carried out the murders. But just before he died he denied it, wrote a letter which was discovered when he was found dead. Certainly some circumstantial evidence, the testimony of those families he interacted with and abused is interesting. Their memories stretching back 50 years might not be so reliable though as to his actions in proximity to attack sites. Maybe he was just a sad petty predator who had dreams of being an infamous serial killer. Still the series is worth watching even I think it could have been done in 2 rather than 3 episodes. Directed by Phil Lott and Ari Mark. On Netflix. 7/10.