Zodiac (2007)

San Francisco. 1969. Serial killer. Three men become obsessed with solving the crimes. True story.

I'm not a fan of the typical thriller / horror serial killer movies. This movie is on the edge of being a thriller, but spends most of it's 2 hr 45 min screen time focusing on the three men who ultimately lose significant parts of their lives obsessing over the case, which remains open to this day (sort of).

The film does contain some very graphic violence, which I had to cover my face for. The violence was very personal and I understand why it was there, but it is not something I want to have replaying in my mind. It was necessary to show however to give some purpose to the film, otherwise it would be way too long and meaningless for these guys to continually be researching and investigating.

I left the film a little perplexed as to the reason why the three protagonists were so obsessed with finding Zodiac. It could have been pride or justice. The sacrifices made in the efforts sometimes defied common sense, but some of the connections that they made were simple common sense. The entire investigation unveiled the many ineptitudes in the US policing and legal systems and this I think left many of the players out in the cold and may have driven them to the madness they achieved.

The acting, music, cinematography, writing, and directing were superb. Truly a great adaptation to this horrific story.

Official Site | IMDB