Zodiac

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr.

The Zodiac murders were a series of unsolved crimes in 1970s America, committed by a killer who taunted the police and press with cryptic clues about his identity. This is the frightening set up upon which Zodiac is based. The story follows police and hacks trying to track down the truth surrounding the victims of the murderer. Characters include nerd Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), a newspaper cartoonist. Other main men are hack Paul (Downey Jr.), who likes to knock back a drink or two, and cop David (Ruffalo). All three men are driven to get hold of this psychotic killer and put him behind bars.

With the superb direction of David Fincher, whose works include the legendry thriller Seven, Zodiac is guaranteed excitement. He shoots each scene with perfect precision, displaying the brutal grimness of murderous reality. Certainly, the scenes are quite violent, what with the film opening with two people being shot in lover’s lane, and then later a viscous knife attack on a couple. But, I would say this is probably one of his best films yet, addressing the puzzling clues of Zodiac with great intricacy and detail.

The cast are absolutely brilliant, and the cryptic-ridden screenplay, written by James Vanderbilt, has been accurately put together by using Graymsith’s accounts of the murders and investigations. This is undoubtedly a true example of gripping, compelling and exhilarating crime cinema. If you want to be intrigued, thrilled and have your taste of gruesome murder, this is certainly the film for you.

Laura Sparshot