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To Catch a Killer

Play trailer To Catch a Killer TV-14 1992 1h 35m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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Detective Joe Kozenczak (Michael Riley) tracks down John Wayne Gacy (Brian Dennehy), convicted in 1980 of 33 Chicago serial killings.

Critics Reviews

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Tony Scott Variety Lamely directed by Eric Till, whose actors often appear to wander about without understanding the real-life characters, To Catch a Killer rambles when it should rant. But crime will probably pay in the ratings. Jan 9, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Brenden D EASILY ONE OF THE BEST TRUE CRIME SERIAL KILLER FILMS OF ALL TIMES This Two Part Investigative Crime Thriller Has No Trouble Transitioning From The Dark Cold Realty Of Teenage Runaways And How Their Cases Are Handled To The One Case That Finally Sank Real Life Serial Killer John Wayne Gacy. Brian Dennehy Is Absolutely unsettling As John Wayne Gacy And Truly Delivers The Manipulative, Egotistical, Charismatic, Sadistic, Perverted Monster To The Screen. The Simplest Thing As A Hand Shake The Turns Into Him Carressing A Boy's Palm With His Thumb Will Give You The Shivers That Takes More Than One Shower To Cure. His Stunt At The Hospital Taunting The Cops While In Clown Gear & Whipping Out "The Handcuff Trick" Will Unnerve Your Spine For Years. But At The Same Time..... This Isn't A Difficult Film To Stomach And Sit Through For 3 Hours; It Leaves You Wanting More. Michael RIley ABSOLUTELY SLAYS As Detective Joseph Kozenczak. He Adds So Much Gravitas To The Film And Is Perfectly Believable As A Determined Cop Seeking The Truth And Justice For A Young Boy Who's Gone Missing And Was Last Seen With Gacy. The Rest Of The Cast Is Solid As Well. The Set Design, Score, Cinematography & Script Truly Bring You Into The World Of This Investigation, And That's The Most Important Part Of This Film. In A Story About A Monster Who Did The Unspeakable To Over 30 Young Boys, This Movie Focuses Solely On The Investigation, The Stress The Department Was Under, The Mistakes Other Precincts Made, The Risks That They're Taking By Going After Such A Well Connected Figure, The Sacrifices They're Making, The Tactics They Employed To Put The Pressure On Gacy, And How They Finally TOOK HIM DOWN. This Makes For A Much More Pleasant Watch As We Don't Have To See Any Violence Happening To Any Of The Victims, And This FIlm Treats Them All With Respect. Watching Gacy Deteriorate Is A Total Treat, And The Conclusion Is Satisfying. Some Names & Details Are Changed, But This Is Still A Decently Accurate Depiction That Is A Great Watch Whenever You're In The Mood For A True Crime SK Film. This Is A Two Part Film, Each Running At An Hour & A Half, And It's Very Well Paced, And Does A Solid Job Going Into Gacy's History As Well. The Stuff With The Psychic Adds Some Emotion Although I'm Not Enitrely Sure It Was Necessary Except Maybe To Pad Out The Run Time More. But It Doesn't Ruin The Story At All. I Absolutely Love This Film. A 9.3/10 A MUST WATCH FOR TRUE CRIME BUFFS AND OTHER FOLKS TO GIVE A CHANCE. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review C H A tremendously eerie film of a true psychotic killer. Dennehy's performance is the star of the show. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/02/24 Full Review Steve D The performances save a script that feels like it dropped you in halfway through the story. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member An epic show. Dennehy is so convincingly scary,. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review michael e Good performances all around. Well-crafted drama. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Brian Dennehy is superb. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
To Catch a Killer

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Movie Info

Synopsis Detective Joe Kozenczak (Michael Riley) tracks down John Wayne Gacy (Brian Dennehy), convicted in 1980 of 33 Chicago serial killings.
Director
Eric Till
Rating
TV-14 (D|L)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (TV)
May 15, 1992
Runtime
1h 35m