Suspect Zero is a somewhat entertaining thriller that is light on scares, but keeps your attention thanks to a solid performance by Ben Kingsley as a mysterious killer with an uncontrollable psychic ability used to hunt serial killers.
The movie has all the trademarks that have filled these types of crime movies since Silence of the Lambs and Seven rewrote the genre, but it never really amounts to much. It is dark, grimy, eerie, bloody, but it seems like they just added those elements because they were using the “How to Make a Serial Killer Movie for Dummies” handbook. That doesn’t mean Suspect Zero is a bad movie, but it doesn’t add anything to the genre. Instead, it just seems to tread over the same old devices as other recent serial killer movie disasters – like 2004’s Taking Lives.
The story, which gets confusing at times, follows FBI agents Tom Mackelway, played by Aaron Eckhart, and Fran Kulok, played by Carrie-Anne Moss, as they track a serial killer called Suspect Zero. Mackelway, who suffers from bad headaches and dreams, soon finds himself caught in a game of cat and mouse when Kingsley starts sending him drawings of victims and missing children posters.
For the rest of the film, Mackelway and Kulok, a poor man’s version Mulder and Scully, struggle to make sense of the clues they find and try to discover the truth to who Kingsley is and if he is the Suspect Zero that they are hunting. We know the truth about Kingsley and his secret power thanks to several scenes where he sits in a dark room listening to the sounds of crickets on tape and drawing the real killer’s murders.Kingsley’s character, along with his connection to Mackelway, is a mystery that is slowly unwrapped as the film continues. We are allowed glimpses to his psychic power through odd colors and angles that let us know that he isn’t just coloring to pass the hours of the day. We learn how he developed his power and eventually what his power actually is. All this information is too little too late. Also, all those odd angles and colors tend to get annoying instead of adding a sense of dread and danger.
The same annoyance also happens as endless film is spent show Suspect Zero’s black 18-wheeler of death slowly driving through playgrounds and neighborhoods looking for his next victim. It is also a bit of a let down once we finally see Suspect Zero and he isn’t the devil himself or even a freak in a hockey mask. Silence of the Lambs and Seven both convinced us that evil doesn’t need a mask to scare you, but after sitting through all of Suspect Zero you can’t help but feel disappointed.
Eckhart and Moss deliver solid performances, but they tend to get sloppy as the movie starts to head to the final minutes. Eckhart’s performance of an agent obsessed with catching a killer comes across as more humorous than serious. Moss seems to just be playing the same Trinity role that brought her fame in the Matrix series - without all the leather outfits and sunshades.Overall, the movie is a let down, but not so much that you totally hate the film. It isn’t anything new and it doesn’t improve on the serial killer suspense genre. At the same time, it doesn’t do anything to hurt the genre or make you want to quit watching it before the credits role. Kingsley does a good job in the opening minutes of peaking your interest and manages to set a rather creepy tone to the movie. This tone dies after more than thirty minutes as the story begins to slow, and Eckhart and Moss get more screen time.
The movie comes with some pretty decent special features including an alternate ending, a four-part feature on making the film and remote viewing, commentary by director E. Elias Merhige, and a remote viewing demonstration with Merhige.
Suspect Zero Special Feature Menu
The alternate ending starts a year after the theatrical ending and doesn’t really add much or save the film. I can’t go into more description of the alternate ending because it would spoil how the movie does end.
I wasn’t impressed with the remote viewing feature or the demonstration, but I do see how someone interested in the topic could enjoy it.
With all that said, I would recommend the movie if you like the serial killer genre, but not to the extent that you can quote every line from Silence of the Lambs. It is worth watching for a night of light scares and popcorn entertainment.
Suspect Zero is now available in the U.S. and can be purchased at Amazon . It will be out on May 2 in the U.K. can be purchased at Amazon UK .
You can read more about the DVD in our database .
Your Talkback on this Story