[The Alphabet Killer]
Plot:A crime scene photographer and a police detective engage the help of a college professor for leads on a child killer who picks his victims according to the initials in their name.

Cast:Eliza Dushku, Cary Elwes, Michael Ironside, Bill Moseley.

My Thoughts:Pretty much sinks or swims with Dushku's performance.

Review:"The Alphabet Killer" is actress Eliza Dushku's ascent into serious film roles. After playing pretty much a series of either villainous or bad girl-esque characters, in "The Alphabet Killer" she plays a crime scene photographer who after taking pics at the scene of the notorious alphabet killer's latest crime scene...soon becomes obsessed with tracking him down and bringing him to justice. She is urged on into this mission by the ghost of his latest victim, a little girl.

"Alphabet Killer" plays out in the standard and most typical fashion that most supernatural serial-killer-horror-thrillers play out in. The ghost of the victim haunts the cop, or in this films case, crime scene photog. until they eventually have a mental breakdown and become engulfed in catching the killer. Then everyone around them becomes worried and tries to do an intervention before the person comes completely apart mentally. But the person ignores their attempts to help and eventually loses people close to them, and their sanity due to their overzealousness to solve the case.

But this film works in a way alot of others of it's caliber and kind don't because Eliza Dushku does an excellent job of carrying it with her performance in the lead female role. And being that she's female also adds to the films quality. Usually in movies like this the person is some grizzled male detective, but having it be a woman who isn't a full-fledged detective, but still works with the depratment...adds a new and refreshing element to the story. Dushku, who is not known for her very emotional roles...plays this one out pretty nicely.

It's kind of weird to see someone who played Faith a few years back in "Buffy", and then a tough hard-nosed girl in "Wrong Turn"...crying and getting highly emotional on screen in any role. But Eliza really portrays the character of Megan Paige really well. She is backed in the film with a pretty seasoned supporting cast which includes Cary Elwes who plays her boyfriend in the film, Bill Moseley, and Michael Ironside. Not only are all three actors vets when it comes to films in general, but with a film deeply ingrained within the horror-thriller hybrid genre, all three are very much familiar with the territory with Moseley's work in "Three", Elwes work in "Saw", and Ironside's work in "Children Of The Corn 7".

Dushku spends most of the movie being haunted by the spirit of the little girl who was most recently murdered, and it has a deep and powerful effect on her overall psyche, causing her to lose people she loves, attempt suicide, and even end up being commited at one point. Watching her character go through all of these different ranges of emotions, and have a brush with insanity is a very powerful viewing experience. This film is based on the teue story of the real-life alphabet killer who terrorized Rochester New York in a series of double-initial killings, and the movie for the most part gets the base story correct, and doesn't over-reach when it comes to the plot or characters.

It's always easy to get carried away with a serial killer movie when you're putting your own spin on a real life incident, but Director Rob Schmidt and writer Tom Malloy respectfully stuck close to home with what they put on screen which was a very positive choice. The film doesn't get too predictable either, and adds some nice twists and turns to events which unfold...so for those of you expecting a "Sixth Sense" sort of romp where the ghosts of victims lead the investigator to the killer, he is captured, and then the nightmare ends on a sunny day, you might wanna think again.

The most haunting thing about "The Alphabet Killer" is it's ending, which really shows the depth and range of Dushku as an actress, and even sets things up for a possible sequel should the filmmakers want to move forward with one. "The Alphabet Killer" is a film that I suggest people check out. The movie doesn't deliver on heart-stopping action or blood and gore, instead it relies on a strong story, performances by the cast, and a bit of dark finess.

Positives:Strong story that sticks close to the base of the true to life events, Eliza Dushku's performance, and a very powerful ending.

Negatives:Nothing Major.

Overall:Three and a half out of four stars.





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