What is To Catch a Killer on Netflix all about? Everything you need to know before you watch

To Catch a Killer was released on May 27, 2023, in the UK on Sky Cinema and hit cinemas in Australia on June 8, 2023. The movie stars Shailene Woodley as Eleanor Falco, a Baltimore beat cop who finds herself thrown into a complex and high-stakes manhunt.

With a plot that keeps you guessing and characters that blur the lines between good and bad, To Catch a Killer is the latest addition to Netflix's thrilling roster of crime dramas.

The narrative opens with a sniper wreaking havoc on New Year's Eve in Baltimore. Eleanor Falco, together with FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Lammark, is thrown into a citywide manhunt to apprehend the elusive killer as anarchy breaks out.

As the team discovers shocking turns about the killer's past and motivations, a basic inquiry turns into a deadly chase. Eleanor deals with her own troubled past as well as a killer unconcerned about life loss.

To Catch a Killer seems to be unique as it emphasizes psychological profiling and the complexity of law enforcement work, so transforming it from a thriller into a thorough exploration of the dark sides of a killer's mind.

To Catch a Killer turns a citywide manhunt into a deadly game of cat and mouse

To Catch a Killer begins with a scary scene on New Year's Eve in Baltimore, where a sniper starts killing people who are just hanging out. One of the first people to arrive is beat cop Eleanor Falco. It is found that the shooter is in a nearby apartment, which goes off just as the police arrive.

After the building was cleared out, the police found that the apartment wasn't occupied. No one has died there yet, but we now know where the sniper is.

The search for the killer starts, with FBI Special Agent Geoffrey Lammark leading the way. Eleanor quickly gets Lammark's attention with her sharp observations, and the two of them end up working together, which doesn't seem likely at first.

He wants Eleanor and Agent Jack McKenzie to work closely with him as a link between the FBI and the Baltimore police. Eleanor agrees to join the team, even though she hasn't had any formal training.

The team quickly learns that a grenade and a gas leak caused the apartment explosion and the sniper's gun, a 40-year-old US Army rifle. The investigation goes on.

Eleanor and Lammark learn about the killer's past. When there is another shooting at a mall, the situation becomes more dangerous, and the team starts to look for clues that help them figure out who the killer is. They find out that the killer, Dean Possey, is not just another criminal. His father used to teach shooting to US Rangers soldiers, which makes things even worse.

The next part is a dangerous game of cat and mouse. The team is getting closer to Dean, but the more they learn about his past, the crazier and more dangerous he seems. In the last confrontation, when Eleanor has to face the killer directly, the tension is at its highest. The ending is both shocking and heartbreaking.

Is To Catch a Killer worth your time or just another crime thriller?

To Catch a Killer is a good crime thriller, but there are some things you should know before you watch it. Eleanor Falco is played well by Shailene Woodley, who shows how complicated her character's troubled past is and how she is trying to make things right.

As the tough FBI Special Agent Lammark, played by Ben Mendelsohn, the story has more weight, even though his character sometimes falls into the typical "maverick detective" trap.

For the most part, the movie does a good job of building tension. But there are times when the plot feels too familiar, like it could be from any number of other crime thrillers. There are times when the investigation itself is more important than the character development.

To Catch a Killer explores the psychological aspects of solving crimes, even though it has some problems. The investigation is well-organized, and the story of how the team tries to figure out what the killer was thinking is interesting.

So, this movie can be a sure-shot choice to watch all the way through if you like dark, intense thrillers with complicated characters and big stakes.

5 movies to watch if you're into To Catch a Killer

1) The Wolf House, 2018

For those who liked To Catch a Killer, this movie won't disappoint them. A stop-motion film directed by Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña depicts the true horrors of Chile's Colonia Dignidad, a cult turned torture camp under General Augusto Pinochet. Maria, a girl who escapes the colony and lives with two pigs, is the protagonist of The Wolf House.

A horrifying allegory for fascism, colonialism, and white supremacy follows. The film uses an art form to depict psychological and societal horrors. The leads in the movie are Amalia Kassai and Rainer Krause.

2) STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie, 2023

In STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie, Michael J. Fox talks about his journey with Parkinson's disease. He tells a very personal and honest story about his life and work. Davis Guggenheim directed the documentary, which follows Fox's rise to fame from his famous role in Back to the Future to his fight with a disease that will eventually kill him.

The lively narration by Fox is matched by a mix of reenactments and old footage by director Davis Guggenheim. The documentary also has his wife, Tracy Pollan, and Fox's Back to the Future co-star Christopher Lloyd.

3) The Inspection, 2022

After being a Black, gay Marine during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era, Elegance Bratton directed The Inspection, a powerful drama. The film follows Ellis French (Jeremy Pope), a troubled young man who joins the Marines for purpose and belonging.

He undergoes brutal training and struggles with his s*xuality and race. Ellis's relationship with his mother, Gabrielle Union, whose tough love and disappointment drive his internal conflict, is an important aspect of the film. Apart from Pope, the film stars Bokeem Woodbine, Raúl Castillo, and McCaul Lombardi, among others.

4) The Scent of Green Papaya, 1993

Starring Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Hoa Hoi Vuong, and Thi Loc Truong, the 1993 film is a poetic, almost wordless look at a young girl's life as a servant in a wealthy family in 1950s Saigon.

Mui (Tran Nu Yên-Khê), a poor Vietnamese girl, goes to live with the family and observes life's quiet moments. The sensory film, directed by Tran Anh Hung, explores nature's beauty and Mui's delicate emotional changes as she matures.

5) Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation, 2023

Youssef Chebbi's Ashkal (2023) weaves crime and supernatural elements to depict post-revolutionary Tunisia. Fatma and Batal investigate a series of mysterious deaths involving burned bodies in abandoned construction sites without signs of struggle.

The deaths are linked to the country's turbulent political history and the Arab Spring's legacy as the investigation continues. The noir political allegory explores the murky waters of a nation reconciling with its past. The film stars Fatma Oussaifi and Mohamed Grayaa.

To Catch a Killer is available to stream on Netflix.

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