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The Zodiac

Play trailer Poster for The Zodiac R 2005 1h 32m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
24% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 39% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In this film based on actual events, the quiet community of Vallejo, Calif., is rocked by the random shooting deaths of two teenagers. Inspector Matt Parish (Justin Chambers) is assigned to the case. But, since there's little evidence to go on, his investigation hits a dead end, and his growing frustration takes a toll on his wife (Robin Tunney) and son (Rory Culkin). But when the killer, now known as as the Zodiac, strikes again, Matt becomes obsessed with catching him.
The Zodiac

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Zodiac turns one of modern history's most enduringly fascinating true crime stories into a forgettable procedural with lackluster production values.

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Critics Reviews

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Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly The Zodiac has been made with the dunderheaded flatness of bad '70s TV. Rated: D- Mar 22, 2006 Full Review Peter Hartlaub San Francisco Chronicle It has the look of a straight-to-video movie, or at best a Project Greenlight production. Rated: 1/4 Mar 17, 2006 Full Review Kevin Crust Los Angeles Times The would-be psychological thriller devolves into a plodding domestic drama. Rated: 1/5 Mar 17, 2006 Full Review Robin Clifford Reeling Reviews I hate to waste my time seeing what I know is an incomplete work. Good filmmaking and story telling, though. Rated: B+ Mar 8, 2007 Full Review Kim Voynar Cinematical Whether you're a true-crime buff or just an average cinephile who enjoys a well-crafted film, you'll find something to like about Zodiac. Rated: 4/5 Mar 2, 2007 Full Review Maitland McDonagh TV Guide The Zodiac case receded into limbo, and Bulkley's film ends on an inconclusive and profoundly unsatisfying note. Rated: 2/4 Feb 12, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 32 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $44,800.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/25 Full Review Marc C It's almost impossible to perceive how a story this interesting could be turned into a movie this bad. Every minute you watch it seems like an eternity. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/13/25 Full Review Dinos K There is another Zodiac (from David Fincher) and it's perfect. This is not Rated 1 out of 5 stars 04/03/24 Full Review Bruno V Embora o filme tenha sido bem produzido, ele é bem enrolado e confuso às vezes e não sei se é fiel aos fatos. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A decent watch on one of the most famous serial killer in American history. Here's the thing- this film got completely overshadowed by the David Fincher movie which is vastly superior, but this isn't a bad film at all, more like just adequate. I remember seeing this and pondering why everyone- at least the critics- hated it. You can give this one a shot, it isn't as bad as the ratings imply. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member While it starts off well and the murders are covered well the movie suffers from a bored focus on the case that fails to capture the excitement of the police investigation. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Zodiac

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Cast & Crew

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Alexander Bulkley

Director

Justin Chambers

Sgt. Matt Parish

Robin Tunney

Laura Parish

Rory Culkin

Johnny Parish

William Mapother

Dale Coverling

Brad William Henke

Bill Gregory

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The Zodiac

A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." A scene from the film "The Zodiac." The Zodiac (2005) The Zodiac (2005) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In this film based on actual events, the quiet community of Vallejo, Calif., is rocked by the random shooting deaths of two teenagers. Inspector Matt Parish (Justin Chambers) is assigned to the case. But, since there's little evidence to go on, his investigation hits a dead end, and his growing frustration takes a toll on his wife (Robin Tunney) and son (Rory Culkin). But when the killer, now known as as the Zodiac, strikes again, Matt becomes obsessed with catching him.
Director
Alexander Bulkley
Producer
Corey Campodonico
Screenwriter
Alexander Bulkley, Kelley Bulkeley
Production Co
Shadow Machine Films
Rating
R (Language|Strong Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Mar 17, 2006
Release Date (DVD)
Feb 5, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.8K
Runtime
1h 32m