Suspect Zero

As I followed this film from beginning to end, I enjoyed the revelations of the various twists and I felt that the film even seemed to have a natural and proper progression to it, but at the same time, I felt that there was something very large missing. I think that the director ended up inserting the punchlines with too much subtlety, and the acting was too routine, while the action was too constant to be shocking or surprising... Whatever it may be, the film was lacking something large. The combination of all of the above seems to kill the feeling and plot of the film.

I couldn't help but feel utterly indifferent in some parts of the film which are supposed to be exciting and thrilling, and this caused the film to let me down. I am not sure who is to blame, but in the end, this interesting plot with a lot of potential turned into 'just another movie.'

Good movie but underrated at 5.8. Should be rated well into the 6's and, for my tastes, a 7. While there are some cliches, there are some very good twists and excellent spins on the genre. Well worth watching. There is so much great content available these days that I rarely waste my time on anything less than a 6.5 (Yes, IMDB is my go-to source for ratings) but this one came on a recommendation and I was highly pleased by the results. Sure, it's not a classic worth viewing twice, but certainly a very good movie to watch at least once.

Aaron Eckhart is terrible as agent Thomas Mackelway on the hunt for a serial killer and Carrie-Anne Moss as another agent is wasted in this uneven film. The premise of the film is interesting but I can't reveal it because it would be considered a spoiler. Poor Ben Kingsley is relegated to acting with his "intense eyes" look for most of the film. Something is really lacking in this film because the idea is good but the execution is not. The direction is okay but there's not much suspense. The ending is very weak. Most of the film is confusing and there are large holes in the plot. Even the locale of New Mexico is wasted. I lived there an a lot more could have been done with it. Weakest of all are the characters who are distant and quite impersonal. I didn't hate the film but was disappointed that it wasn't done better. Blame the writer mostly for weak characterizations.

There's a few interesting twists and turns in this film but not nearly enough to save it. Ben Kingsley gives a wonderful performance as a man that has spent too many years looking through the eyes of monsters. Aaron Eckhart is intense as the agent on the hunt. However, Carrie-Anne Moss seems to have text messaged her performance in. The camera work looked good, but was so formula it could have been straight out of a cinematography textbook. It uses virtually every camera trick ever seen in every movie Hitchcock ever made. "Suspect Zero" has the potential to be a thoroughly spellbinding film, but manages to come up short. Out of five stars, I'd rate it 2.5.

After a series of grisly murders FBI Agent Mackelway suspects that they are linked. And that the killer may actually be after another serial killer who may or may not really exist. Naturally, his colleagues think that he is nuts, but that doesn't stop him from investigating.

This movie is a perfect example of flawed masterpiece. The plot is very interesting. The plot twists are surprising. The performances are good. The film's originality good enough to enjoy and the suspense is great. However, despite this there is still something missing. Something so critical that even though the film shines in many respects by the end you feel like you could have gotten so much more. That missing element would have to be part pace and part presentation. The film starts very slowly, but picks up once more clues are revealed by Mackelway. Though this is at least halfway through the movie. Then the presentation is a bit weird. It makes the film standout from others, but it also makes it confusing in parts, namely the beginning. Then by the time it is finished you feel more like you have just watched a good X-Files episode.

Overall it is a good mystery for patient audiences. --- 7/10

Rated R for grim violence