“Catch the Killer” is currently playing on Amazon Prime: a cop thriller that has been completely wrongly under the radar, says MeinMMO author Schuhmann. The film may lack big stars, but it delivers two hours of thrilling entertainment on two levels.
This is how Catch the Killer begins: On New Year’s Eve in Baltimore, a sniper kills 29 people who are happily celebrating the turn of the year. It hits flawlessly from a long distance and leaves no trace. There is no motive, no clues, no clues.
An experienced FBI agent, a real doer, self-confident and wide-legged, is tasked with solving the case. He quickly notices a young policewoman who collapsed gasping while taking evidence and later says over coffee: The perpetrator has the victims killed as if he wanted to kill mosquitoes.
The policewoman wants to take advantage of her chance and throws herself into the case. But the experienced FBI man knows that the murder has begun a countdown. You can immediately feel the pressure from the public: the city is in panic. Politicians fear for their jobs, the media is heating up the mood. Everyone knows better, everyone has a theory: they have to find the perpetrator, ideally immediately.
But how are you supposed to find a perpetrator who murdered perfectly?
German trailer for Catch the Killer with Shailene Woodley
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Pressure from the public gives the thriller more tension
That’s what’s special about the film: The thriller has a really clever primary plot: a dedicated team searches for a perpetrator, uses all forensic tricks, follows every lead.
You quickly come up with logical-sounding theories:
The dynamics of the characters are similar to those from “The Bone Collector” or “Silence of the Lambs”: an experienced investigator sees potential in a sharp-sighted but unstable young woman.
The role models, classic cop thrillers, focus on the investigation.
The special thing about “Catch the Killer” is that there is a second level to the film. Because the brilliant investigator is more concerned with defending himself against other departments and top dogs who want to explain to him how his job works:
This conflict gives the film an unusual signature, gives it unusual twists and makes it more realistic.
With Angelina Jolie, more people would know the film – but would it be better?
Is “Catch the Killer” worth it? Yes, this is a very exciting film with really clever twists and a gripping finale. The film proceeds consistently and mercilessly.
All characters act at the optimum of their abilities. It’s exciting to follow every step of the investigation. The new aspect of political and public pressure that “Catch the Killer” adds to the cop thriller formula adds significant stature to the film.
Ultimately, you get the feeling that if the film had perhaps had Angelina Jolie and George Clooney in the lead instead of the excellent Shailene Woodley and Ben Medelsohn, a lot more people would know “Catch the Killer”. But who knows if he would have been as good then.
Where can you watch “Catch the Killer?” The film is currently playing on Amazon Prime. It lasts about 2 hours, is available in German dub and is recommended for ages 16 and up.
Amazon Prime, the streaming flat rate, is a surprise package. You have to make sure you see enough films to make the investment worth it. We also discussed another thriller on MeinMMO that launched on Amazon a few days ago: God is a bullet: In the new thriller for ages 18 and up, a star from Game of Thrones hunts evil Satanists