To Catch a Killer is an interesting, thoughtful, moody procedural that maybe emulates being bogged down in a case a little too well. It’s a good movie, but could have been better served with a more propulsive middle act.

The film stars Shailene Woodley as a beat cop with good instincts who is recruited by Ben Mendelsohn’s FBI agent to help catch a mass shooter.

I guess you could say this is a detective noir mystery where everything and everyone is broken in some way. Misanthropes will love it. It’s a cold, calculated, and very clinical film that doesn’t have time for niceties like humor, warmth, or compassion. It is pretty smart though and I liked its focus on the investigation, including both its successes and its failures. The overall look of the film is solid, moody, and shot brilliantly. It looks as stark as it feels.

But the movie does seem to run out of steam about half way through. The opening is crackerjack and the end is more somber and contemplative so it sticks the landing. But they should have done some judicious editing on the flabby middle or scripted some more motivations or moments to keep things moving.

I was impressed by Woodley pulling off a smart smart detective and Mendelson is always good. I liked the reveal of the killer in terms of who he is and what he hates… plus it was nice to see the character actor get a meaty – if small – role.

Overall, pretty good film. Smart, clinical, and a little cold… but it’s not the perfectly paced detective thriller I’d hoped for… but, then again, it wasn’t the true crime documentary I’d feared. So three cheers and a boo for the generic title.

Score: 77