McMurphy
Apostate Against the Eloi
Suspect Zero is a not quite successful combination of a X-Files episode and the film Seven.
The premise will most likely be the only thing that viewers will lend admiration. A FBI agent, Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart), who has recently come off of a six month suspension for suspect abuse is brought on a case to catch an uniquely evasive and potent serial killer. He soon finds that he is working the case with his ex-partner and significant other (Carrie-Anne Moss), who first puts up her best cold routine. Together they find out the case isn't as straight forward as they originally thought. The serial killer (Ben Kingsley), who they come to know as Suspect Zero for the notes and marks he leaves with the dead bodies, is actually an ex-FBI agent part of a top secret project called Icarus. Icarus was the United States attempt to harness powers of the sixth sense to capture or tag criminals. It soon becomes apparent that Thomas also has a sixth sense that he has never truly developed or understood. The problem with Suspect Zero is that, even years after Icarus was canceled, he has never been able to figure out how to "turn off" the sense, and he has been driven quite mad from all the images of real murder flashing in his mind. Suspect Zero now travels across the country killing kidnappers and sending the "Missing Child" fliers to Thomas's office. Suspect Zero wants to be caught. He wants to be rid of the pain, and he believes that Thomas is the only person with the understanding enough to help him.
It is the execution that fails in this film. The history between Thomas and his ex-lover is never fully developed. Neither is the rekindling. Furthermore, the personal pain of Thomas not understanding his own powers in relation to what he finds out about Suspect Zero's abilities are never properly explored. Too much time is instead following Thomas around while he tries to piece together clues in the case in the same fashion of Mulder in the X-Files. At least in the X-Files we didn't already know the truth. The viewers are given far too much information far too early in the film to not discover the truth before the main characters. There are no real twists, and the script really needed some. Without giving away the ending (which there is surprisingly little to give away), I must forewarn you that the final scene is more than familiar with the ending of Seven.....but without the impact.
Don't buy the ticket. Wait and rent this film out.
The premise will most likely be the only thing that viewers will lend admiration. A FBI agent, Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart), who has recently come off of a six month suspension for suspect abuse is brought on a case to catch an uniquely evasive and potent serial killer. He soon finds that he is working the case with his ex-partner and significant other (Carrie-Anne Moss), who first puts up her best cold routine. Together they find out the case isn't as straight forward as they originally thought. The serial killer (Ben Kingsley), who they come to know as Suspect Zero for the notes and marks he leaves with the dead bodies, is actually an ex-FBI agent part of a top secret project called Icarus. Icarus was the United States attempt to harness powers of the sixth sense to capture or tag criminals. It soon becomes apparent that Thomas also has a sixth sense that he has never truly developed or understood. The problem with Suspect Zero is that, even years after Icarus was canceled, he has never been able to figure out how to "turn off" the sense, and he has been driven quite mad from all the images of real murder flashing in his mind. Suspect Zero now travels across the country killing kidnappers and sending the "Missing Child" fliers to Thomas's office. Suspect Zero wants to be caught. He wants to be rid of the pain, and he believes that Thomas is the only person with the understanding enough to help him.
It is the execution that fails in this film. The history between Thomas and his ex-lover is never fully developed. Neither is the rekindling. Furthermore, the personal pain of Thomas not understanding his own powers in relation to what he finds out about Suspect Zero's abilities are never properly explored. Too much time is instead following Thomas around while he tries to piece together clues in the case in the same fashion of Mulder in the X-Files. At least in the X-Files we didn't already know the truth. The viewers are given far too much information far too early in the film to not discover the truth before the main characters. There are no real twists, and the script really needed some. Without giving away the ending (which there is surprisingly little to give away), I must forewarn you that the final scene is more than familiar with the ending of Seven.....but without the impact.
Don't buy the ticket. Wait and rent this film out.
