The Zodiac
By Vikki Lusby, Blockbuster.co.uk
Do not be mislead into thinking that this is a serial killer film, such as Silence of the Lambs or Henry: Portrait of a serial killer. Whilst the movie is named after the infamous Zodiac serial killer who terrorised California in the 1960’s and 70’s, it is really an insight into the affect that the killings had on a police sergeant and his young son.
It’s 1968 and Sgt Matt Parish (
Justin Chambers) is the police officer placed in charge of the investigation of the brutal murder of two teenagers on a first date. After being told to deal with the situation, Parish soon begins to realise that this is not the robbery that everyone (including the police department) had thought it was, but a cold and calculated murder.
Things go quiet for a while and without any leads Parish settles back into family life, that is until the 4th of July 1969, when the Zodiac strikes again. This time however, there’s a survivor and Parish sets about trying to get more information about the killer… long hours and unsuccessful investigations are taking their toll on Parish and his home life.
Johnny Parish (
Rory Culkin) is becoming increasingly aware of the killings taking place around him due to his father’s continual absence. This leads him to start an investigation of his own in secret. Whilst Parish’s wife Laura (
Robin Tunney) is trying to deal with her husbands actions in her own way.
By September of 1969, Johnny Parish is told by his son that the killings are not just random, but are linked to astrological events. However, blinded by his work, Parish chooses to ignore these ideas and buries himself further into his work.
Breaking point is reached when Parish arrives home drunk one evening to find the front door locked. He confronts Laura about her actions, to which she explains that she is scared that the killer will come knocking on their door as Parish is so highly profiled as investigating the case. Again Parish buries his head in the sand and insists that nothing is going to happen to them and to leave the door unlocked. Laura, soon tries to leave, but Johnny refuses to go with her.
It is quite refreshing to have a movie about a serial killer told from a different perspective rather than the usual non-stop suspense. You do have build up’s to the actual killings and the Zodiac is portrayed, but you never see his face, which is appropriate for this movie as the story is not centred around the Zodiac himself, but the Parish family.
A good movie to get you interested in the Zodiac before the new ‘Zodiac’ movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr is released.