FILM REVIEW - Zodiac
By The Meticulous Marauder
Since you’ve probably forgotten about the second writer on this blog, I think it’s about time I ended my very long hiatus and churned out some content, before my lovely editor fires me.
Granted, there has been a lot I’ve been watching and reading so I had to consider, what was worthy of a comeback, and then it hit me, I should probably let you know my thoughts on one of the worst movies I’ve ever watched, so instead of convincing you to watch something, I’ll just save you wasting three hours of your life! What movie, you ask?
Zodiac!!!
Unlike the movie, which was obnoxiously long, I’ll keep this review short and sweet.
Now I love true crime, but one case that I never really invested my time into was that of the Zodiac killer, hence the reason it took me so long to watch the movie. I had assumed that this would be a masterpiece, as so many had claimed that this was some of David Fincher’s best work, and seeing as his filmography includes Seven, Fight Club, and Gone Girl, sue me if I had high expectations.
The movie follows the story of an obsessed cartoonist who tries to reveal the identity of the killer tormenting the San Francisco Bay Area. Ultimately, as the real case was unsolved at the point of the movie’s release, the movie also ends with the killer remaining unnamed.
There were some pretty big hitters with Jake Gylenhal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. I think that everyone played their parts as well as the script could’ve allowed them to. But with a plot so bland and dry, there’s only so much actors can do, I guess.
In terms of the movie’s score, it had no lasting effect on me, maybe because my ears are pretty much numb to everything apart from Hans Zimmer and Joe Hisaishi. Regardless, at no point did the music draw my attention, nor do I think it enhanced the scenes. The cinematography was dark and eerie, the standard approach to a thriller. There were hues of green and yellows which made me feel a bit nauseous personally, I preferred Denis Villeneuve’s blue/gray tones used in Prisoners (I’m biased). I literally have nothing else to say. The sound and cinematography did not elevate the project in the slightest.
This might be the harshest review on this website to date, but simply it was a subpar movie. I had to watch the film over 4 different sittings to finish it because I was too bored to sit through the entire runtime. At the end of the day, if the Zodiac Killer hasn’t been legitimately identified now, why would you try to make a movie about identifying him 18 years ago???? I understand wanting to make something to try to encapsulate the feelings of the countless lives affected by the killer; however, this movie provides no closure, so what was the point? It’s just rehashing trauma in a pretty mediocre way. Also, did it ever have to be THREE HOURS LONG?
Overall bad movie, don’t watch it.
Rating:
Story: ★
Acting: ★★½
Cinematography: ★★½
Music: ★★
Enjoyability: ★