Overview
In the claustrophobic landscape of 1990s New York City, a paralyzed, embittered forensic criminalist—a once-celebrated detective—relies on the sharp eyes and intuition of an ambitious rookie cop. Bound together by a series of meticulously staged, gruesome murders, they navigate a devastating hunt for a sadistic killer who treats human remains as cryptic puzzles. The film distinguishes itself not through explosive action, but through a tense, intellectually driven investigation, focusing on the psychological weight of using forensic science to reconstruct horrific events, and the fraught professional dynamic between a physically-limited man reclaiming purpose and a young woman proving her resourcefulness in a distinctly male-dominated world. Beyond the procedural elements, the narrative explores the isolation of trauma and the surprising empathy that can blossom between individuals forced to confront humanity's darkest impulses.
Movie Details
- Director
- Phillip Noyce
- Release Date
- 1999-11-04
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (3927)
Cast
- Denzel Washington
- Angelina Jolie
- Queen Latifah
- Michael Rooker
- Michael McGlone
- Luis Guzmán
- Leland Orser
- John Benjamin Hickey
- Bobby Cannavale
- Ed O'Neill
