22 - The Hunt for the BTK Killer

    Based closely on the truth, Dennis Rader is a nice, everyday man, who is secretly the BTK killer.  This focuses on how Rader operated, and how he was captured.
    I wasn't too excited to see this.  I had read about Rader years ago, and I found the story remarkable not for his crimes, but for the silly way he was caught.  He asked police if they would be able to trace a floppy disk to the user that used it.  After he sent them a floppy, they found it was used at a specific church, and that the user was Dennis.
    I found this considerably more creepy than Henry was.  BTK is supremely unsettling, because he doesn't act crazy.  In fact, he seems mostly likable, and very in-control of himself.  As I was watching it, there was one sequence that really threw me off.  He manages to have someone's dog euthanized.  This was much more upsetting, and it seemed a little strange.  After finishing the movie, it became apparent that this was included for a good reason; otherwise, he's far too likable.  He's kind to his wife.  He seems to like people in general.  It's strange, but it's welcome, and much more believable.
    It isn't just the character that sells this movie.  The cast is generally great.  There are two halves to the movie - there's the half that follows BTK and Wichita - then there's the procedural investigation side of the story.  The procedural cast isn't as engaging, possibly because cop shows have diluted the effectiveness of that kind of storytelling.  But the BTK material is fantastic.  The residents are… perfect.  They behave normally.  Most amazingly, the actually look right.  No one is too attractive.  Some people are a bit overweight.  This allows the movie to take place in the real world.
    I don't know if I have any particular complaints.  Perhaps the movie could do with a little more violence.  Most of the violence that happens onscreen is kept in shadow or is treated with blurring effects.
    This is chilling for the sense of authenticity the story has.  For the right audience, this works.  For traditional fans of horror, this would be pretty dull.  But I'm glad to have seen it.

     One little thing; The cover for this movie is ridiculous.  Nothing even vaguely close to that is shown.