A Thriller At Its Finest

Rating: 10/10 (16 June 2008)

The Zodiac Killer was the infamous murderer of 5 to over 37 people who held the Bay Area of California hostage in fear for almost five years. The Zodiac also inspired a famous manhunt and many obsessions. Zodiac was never captured. Obsession is what the film mainly captures.
"Zodiac" stars Oscar nominees Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. along with a supporting cast including Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, and John Carroll Lynch. "Zodiac" is possibly the greatest crime-drama ever made. Not boring at all, but not a slasher flick (thank God), but a character-driven drama. This great thriller is also directed by acclaimed filmmaker David Fincher (Fight Club, Se7en).
Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) is a cartoonist with the San Francisco Chronicle. Paul Avery (Downey Jr.) is a top crime-reporter for the same newspaper. In August of 1969 a letter is received with a code taking credit for three murders of teenagers in nearby Solano county, the only signature is a cross-hair symbol at the bottom of the letter. After that he sends another letter to give full closure that he is the killer but this time identifying himself as "the Zodiac". The Zodiac strikes again in a bizarre stabbing Napa county. Still the police are no closer to catching him.
Graysmith obviously has an obsession and Avery gains a professional interest in the young man. Soon after the killer strikes again in San Francisco, this time killing a lone cab-driver. Inspectors David Toschi and Bill Armstrong (Ruffalo and Edwards) are put on the case.
Graysmith and Avery team up in attempt in catching the killer. While the investigators representing the three Zodiac terrorized counties exclude suspect after suspect (including John Carroll Lynch as the infamous Arthur Leigh Allen). The case goes nowhere for years but that doesn't stop Graysmith, he beings writing the book, "Zodiac" and tries to solve the case and he comes to one conclusion of the killer's identity.
This movie is highly fictionalized, only about 35% accurate. It is still a great movie. I highly recommend it to any crime/mystery-thriller fans.
10/10