Shocking

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2019)

This movie is guilty of several of the seven deadly sins that the main antagonist seems to revere so greatly. Detectives Somerset and Mills are the classic idealistic rookie and grizzled veteran pairing and work together to try and catch a serial killer loose on the city. The killer, never identified, and so-called John Doe, kills those he feels represent the spirit of each of the deadly sins, starting with gluttony, and working his way down the list. The murders are brutal and grotesque, and the detectives scramble to catch up to Doe before he claims another life. The dark gritty style and content are well conveyed with the deep shadows, isolated colors, and deeply angled face shots. The dialogue was nothing special or emotionally potent, but what portions were full of emotion worked well within the ambiance of the grim, gritty, horror-filled nature of reality. I felt that the religious themes, while not revolutionary, helped establish the zealotry of John Doe.