Grindstone Entertainment Group, Emmett/Furla Films, Cheetah Vision,
Nicolas Cage, John Cusack, Vanessa Hudgens, Radha Mitchell, 50 Cent, Jodi Lyn O’Keefe, Dean Norris
Jack Halcombe (Nicholas Cage) is an Alaskan Policeman who is ready to move to a desk job to get out of the cold, when he runs across a young runaway stripper Cindy Paulson (Vanessa Hudgens) who managed to get away from a man who tried to rape, torture, and kill her. But the Anchorage police are not interested to follow up the case because of who/what she is, and the fact the the subject she named, Robert Hansen (John Cusack) is a respected religious man. But Jack stumbles across an old case that is so similar, that he suspects Hansen may be responsible for the deaths and disappearances of dozens of girls in this crime thriller that is based on the real events that happened in the 1970’s and 80’s.
This movie caught me by surprise. It sounded like an interesting story, but not one that would stand out by any means. I was really surprised at the performances given by all the leads in this story. One of the strongest characters is the Alaskan wilderness which was stunning. But the intensity that Nick Cage brought to this work was really good. John Cusack was perfect as this dual person who has obvious problems. Vanessa is the weakest of the three, but she is supposed to be a confused kid with a very difficult past that has never done anything but run away from her problems, and she pulled that off pretty well too. The story is the kicker, as it’s very suspenseful, and the fact that it’s a true story is even better. In the closing credits they show the real victims and characters in this story. It’s one of those amazing stories.
If you’re a fan of a good crime novel, this is a great one. I was very impressed with the job they did with this film, and it’s hard to find anything to criticize. All aspects of the story are very well done, and it’s an edge of your seat experience watching this one. Newly released on DVD, I recommend it for those who would care for a story of a real serial killer.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
