I didn't know much about this film prior to its release but after reading its main characters were played by Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, and Jared Leto, I knew I had to watch it. The film begins with a man chasing a girl in the middle of the night on a lonely highway. We never see the man's face but it is clear he is completely decided on killing this girl.
The identity of this man is unknown and the entire film is about discovering who this man really is. Detectives try to hunt him down but the guy is very smart and finding proof of the crimes will be an extremely hard job, maybe even an impossible one.
Denzel Washington plays a deputy sheriff, he was a detective in the past but a traumatic experience would change his career. Rami Malek, on the other hand, plays the lead detective in the crimes they are currently trying to solve. And finally, Jared Leto plays the bohemian-like weird guy who is believed to be the serial killer.
.png)
Of the 3, my favorite performance was from Jared Leto. This guy appears to reinvent himself every time he plays a new character. In this case, he is a strange man that could perfectly be a killer but might also be just an innocent creepy guy. He displays a sort of inner peace as if he is always in tune with everything that happens around him.
Denzel Washington was good as always. He is pretty much the same guy in every movie but since he does a good job with his roles, everything is cool. He doesn't reinvent himself like Jared Leto does but maybe he doesn't need it.
Rami Malek had the weakest performance of the 3 in my opinion. I felt as if he was still confused after finishing up with his Mr. Robot role some time ago. He tried to portray emotional states such as frustration or deep stress but it looks spontaneous. In one scene where he shuts a door, his movement even seemed a bit robotic.
.png)
The film doesn't provide final answers regarding its main mystery. It will leave things up to the interpretation of the viewer, which might not be appreciated by people who just want to know who the killer is. I mention this to encourage you to pay close attention in case you decide to watch the film.
Taking everything into consideration, I believe this is a good film to watch. It is not as good as Se7en or Zodiac but it is still worth it. If you like the genre, I would definitely watch it, and the same goes for fans of Denzel Washington or Jared Leto.
.png)
The best
- Great performances from Denzel Washington and Jared Leto.
- It was an entertaining movie.
The worst
- Rami Malek's seemed like a weird detective. His performance wasn't really convincing in some scenes.
- Several decisions from supposedly rational detectives made no sense.
- I felt like the film had more potential than what it showed on the screen.
More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10016180/ Review: AAA In numbers: 7/10
