TO CATCH A KILLER is a gritty thriller that features Shailene Woodley in the lead role. She is the strength of this film, which is let down by a pedestrian script.
Eleanor (Shailene) is facing a litany of self-destructive demons from her past. She finds herself swooped up into the chase of solving a mass killing spree. When the action is moving, the film delivers in spades. But oh, there are talkie/talkie moments that bog it all down even though it is necessary information. Geoffrey (Ben Mendelsohn) is deeply involved in figuring out this abhorrent case, but their dialogues do tend to get into the philosophical opinions of society. Deciding the “why” does not bring back the enormous number of dead.
TO CATCH A KILLER was not bad escapism, but just okay. It is a shame to have seen the creative talent from the leads before in other endeavors. It just could have been so much better. It is available to stream on Hulu.
