Suspect

I have been interested in serial killers for some time now and I am familiar with the real story upon which the movie is based.

Although Cage and Cusack have starred in some sub par movies over the last few years, they are both quite talented and give excellent performances in this effort. However, the real star of the film, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, is Hudgens, who makes her character look very real and believable.

Although the plot has been heavily misused in other films in the past and is not in itself very original, this is not your typical serial- killer movie. The movie manages to be compelling without going over the top with too much gory details. The atmosphere it creates is very authentic - it really takes you back 30 years ago in Alaska, when these gruesome events unfolded.

Not an easy movie to watch. Scott Walker has made a very gruesome, realistic, deeply disturbing (at times) work that shows the rotten depths of a psychopath's mind (John Cusack, a real gem of the film), and his main antagonist, a National Guard officer (Nicolas Cage, by the way, a very decent play here). Then, there is a young lady involved in wild world of pimps, drugs and alcohol, and she plays a key role here, too. The plot is very straight and often blood-chilling, and the twists of plot can really mesmerize. In fact, the movie was a bit slow sometimes, but nobody in the audience left the theater, 'cause it was real thrilling. The spellbinding Alaskan nature is a real must see here, it simply leaves speechless with its sheer vastness and beauty. Great job of cameramen, though. The story is clear from the trailers and here the whole plot untwists slowly for almost 2 hours, but this is quite good, as the movie never drags. Constant Alaskan snow adds up to the growing suspense. The film is not the masterpiece but worth watching and very strong as a message. Great ending, by all means

Not so much for Nicolas Cage (or John Cusack for that matter), but for the one and only Vanessa Hudgens. While she also did Spring Breakers (another movie she tried to get rid of the Teenager/romantic image everyone is associating her with), she wasn't done there. This is another role to prove she can be more.

Of course if you go in pre-occupied, she won't convince you. And while she's not the best actress out there, she really puts herself out there. The story itself is pretty standard and a thriller that pushes all the right buttons. Cage does his thing (though not over the top, if you're expecting something like that) and Cusack goes an extra mile. It's not great, but a nice little movie

This film hasn't received a lot of press or a wide distribution. Sadly, that's probably due to Nic Cage, which is a shame. First, he's very subdued and focused (there's no wild-man Nicholas Cage in this movie). In fact, he plays a deeply decent, dedicated Alaska State Trooper who becomes convinced that a serial killer (also very well played by a creepy John Cusack) is stalking women in Anchorage. The film downplays the gore, while showing the seedy and soul-crushing underworld where Cusack finds his victims. A very nice bonus is that almost all of the police officers shown in the film are hard-working people who want to catch this killer, but know they have to work within the law to ensure he doesn't escape them in the courts. Vanessa Hudgins turns in a very nice performance as one victim who escaped and was instrumental in identifying the killer. The director does a fine job of capturing the ghostly silences of the frozen north, where so many of the man's victims were buried. All in all, a fine, atmospheric film that is both thrilling and sad. Well worth your time.

An authentic thrilling atmosphere, a solid cast and script, a true story based movie. I need no more for entertainment. This is not a documentary and is not intended to be. The movie doesn't investigate the serial killer relationships, the background, nor try to explain the exceptional investigating work of the police. Most of the negative reviews I have read point on these shortcomings, but this is simply a thriller and it does what it has to do: it thrills you, from the beginning to the end. Considering what is being proposed usually as thriller, this is worth to be watched and it is entertaining. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it a good movie? Yes.