Film review: Zodiac

Zodiac @ IMDB

Now, when you think of David Fincher and serial killers you think of heads in boxes, grusome punishments and a big fat dead guy.

So the synopsis of this film, the story of the Zodiac Serial Killer who terrorised San Franscico in the late 60s/early 70s, you'd be excused for thinking that you're going to get blood and guts and heads in boxes.

But not so. This is a procedural take of the serial killer film from the viewpoint of those investigating the killer both official and unofficaly. You basically have the amatuer who can't leave the story alone (Gyllenhaal), the Detective who was hunting the killer (Ruffalo) and Robert Downey Jr as Robert Downey Jr.

Alright, that last was one was a bit harsh but the point still stands.

You don't see anything from the perspective of the killer (much like Se7en if we're being honest) except for a couple of the murders. But even in this instance, such is Fincher's devotion to accuracy in this film that the victims who survived the attacks were actually consultants on the film. It is very much a restrained Fincher film. There are none of the epic CG shots like you had in Panic Room, nothing like the outlandish deaths of Se7en, when they do come they are short and brutal.

So what do you get for your money? You get a 2 and half hour running time. You get no carthartic shoot-the-bad-guy ending as the killer was never caught. You get a really well made, taught film about peoples obessions and the realities of detective work.

This film gets a spear. With a tassle on the end.