Zodiac

In San Francisco during the 1970s there were a series of grisly murders being committed. The killer would send letters to the newspapers demanding they be published. In these letters the killer would taunt the police telling them where he planned to strike next and that they could never find him. The letters also included cryptic messages revealing the killer’s identity when decoded. For years the Zodiac killer terrorized the people of Northern California. Zodiac is about this killer and the people who tried to find him. Crime reporter Paul Avery, played by Robert Downey Jr., police inspector David Toschi, played by Mark Ruffalo, and cartoonist Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal. These men desperately tried to uncover the mystery of the Zodiac killer and ended up unraveling their own lives in the process.          

All three leading actors do a great job of showing how their character is an essential piece in solving the puzzle. Downey Jr. convincingly captures the cockiness of Paul Avery showing Avery’s shattered ego and his subsequent spiral into addiction. Ruffalo is excellent as the caring and concerned inspector Toschi. He truthfully depicts Toschi’s disillusionment. Gyllenhaal is superb as the tenacious Robert Graysmith. He perfectly portrays both his fear and fixation as he delves deeper down the rabbit hole, showing what happens when curiosity becomes obsession. 

Zodiac is a thrilling mystery movie. Director David Fincher chillingly recreates the murder scenes in vivid detail. Like Graysmith, the film will have you constantly second guessing yourself wondering who the killer is. It will keep your mind racing making you nervous, anxious, confused, paranoid and excited. Who was the Zodiac killer? Did they ever find him? You’ll just have to watch the movie to find out.  

5 out of 5 stars

2007 R, 2h 37min