Directed by E. Elias Merhige

Starring Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart, and Carrie-Anne Moss

Rated R (Violent Content, Language, Some Nudity)

Running Time:  99 Minutes      

 David Fincher should be delighted.  His 1995 movie "Seven" stands as one of the most imitated thrillers of the last decade.  Rogue serial killers, troubled detectives, and a wide range of exploitative slayings have established a firm foundation for a plethora of copycats.  "Suspect Zero" is, unfortunately, a pale reflection of the original.

The plot of "Suspect Zero" centers around an FBI investigation involving a series of highway murders by which the victims have been ritualistically mutilated.  The team, led by Thomas Mackelway (Eckhart), is after a man (Kingsley) who claims to have a psychic connection to those he kills.  As the story develops, we meet Mackelway's partner and former lover Detective Kulok (Moss) before witnessing Mackelway's inevitable descent along a downward spiral of inept plot twists and mandatory self-realizations until the intention behind the killer's actions is unveiled.

The real trouble with "Suspect Zero" is that it has no anchor.  The film drifts haphazardly among pseudo-fleshed-out relationships and poorly designed conflicts.  There is no reason to believe that Mackelway needs to solve this case for any other reason than it is a job.  His relationship with Moss is forced at best.  And Kingsley alone desperately tries to keep the whole parade afloat through a stellar performance as suspect Benjamin O'Ryan.

What makes the entire situation that much more frustrating is the movie's absolute potential for high quality film fare.  Moss and Eckhart, while stilted, are certainly doing their best to salvage lines such as, "You want me to see.  What do you want me to see?  You want me to see like you see."  The effort is felt, sometimes painfully, as the characters mix actual motivation with cinematic convenience.  Supporting characters magically appear with that extra tidbit of information needed to push the plot along.  Major characters reveal overly melodramatic secrets about their past just as the moment of audience exasperation reaches its apex.

At its core, the film suffers from that most susceptible of pitfalls:  formula.  The arc simply feels pieced together from an "On-Screen Serial Killer" take-home kit, while

leaving elements that could have proven emotionally satisfying such as the link between O'Ryan and Mackelway to rot. 

The film does excel in certain venues, however.  The cinematography and clever editing utilized to convey O'Ryan's "remote viewing" abilities is straightforward while retaining the excitement of a novel approach.  Certain scenes such as the opening sequence create a vivid tone and true film noir feel. 

"Suspect Zero" is not an abomination to its genre.  Its sin lies with the ease by which it rests among lowered expectations.  I do not expect every cop drama to burst out of the gates a masterpiece.  But I do expect said work to attempt more than a slapdash assembly job when the components at hand are of such high quality.

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