Il gioco dell'impiccato

This movie smells like something that has been sitting on the shelf for a long, long time and is finally being brought down. HANGMAN is one of the worst suspense thrillers that I have ever seen. It isn't even thrilling. Or interesting. Nothing about this tripe is good. None of it. The "twists" at the end were stupid too. There wasn't even a good final blowout. Instead it just ends with Lou Diamond Philips walking off into the distance. There is very little originality. It is just the same as many of those other cop movies that we see. Killer kills people and two cops must team up with the hott witness who can help them find the killer. Same old, same old. The best parts of the entire movie were probably the sex scenes. Don't see this. The back of the box makes it sound like some good scary suspense movie. What it is, is a steaming pile of dog s*** disguised as a movie.....1/5.

I really thought the first hour of this movie was really exceptional. However, the last 30+ minutes of the movie literally ruin it. The plot simply becomes too unbelievable to suspend your disbelief. And the ending is just a big disaster as far as movie endings go.

"Hangman" is yet another by-the-numbers TV serial killer mystery with that sun-never-shines Canadian dreariness all over it. Featuring two under-rated B-movie stars, Phillips as a homicide cop and Amick as a rich and retired shrink, "Hangman" spins a yarn about murder using the child's word game of the title name played via computer with real people getting hung. The film does little to distinguish itself and many will find the ending unsatisfying. However, it also does little wrong, making it a worthwhile small screen watch, albeit marginally so. Just drama with no stunts, shootouts, sex (almost), or sensationalism. (C)

It's another one of those '2 cops on the trail of a serial killer leaving clues for the police'-genre movies (there are most then you would think in this genre), but this one does have an interesting premise and good pacing, but the acting is rather flat and the ending was a bit of a let-down.

Obviously nowhere near as good as 'Seven' but better than a lot of films of that type, I'm giving 'Hangman' **1/2 out of *****. Watch it if its on TV or if there is nothing better to rent.

This isn't a masterpiece, still it's a smart and interesting thriller. Although the genre is a bit over-exploited, this movie has a capturing and really original story. The brutal techniques of the Hangman are something I've never seen on screen before. The acting is OK, not very overwhelming, however convincing. The ending might seem as a let-down, yet it's not stereotype compared with other films.