As close to perfection as possible.

Rating: 9/10 (11 December 2019)

This is pretty close to a perfect film. The performances, the script, the direction, photography, the score, all were a perfect storm of excellence. This movie set the tone for f.b.i., police, and murder procedurals for the next two decades, and we still see the effects today. At no point does the film get bogged down in clichés or fluff, and every moment compounds the character development, drives the plot, and mounts tension; nothing is wasted. The pace from start to finish rises and swells like waves crashing on a beach in an approaching storm, and as the climax arrives we are drenched in the power of its pinnacle, only to be softly released as the story teases its epilogue. Every actor brought their 'A' game, and created a memorable image and sound that would be imitated and admired ever since. One of the best.