Film Review

To Catch a Killer (2023)

A troubled young police officer is recruited by the FBI’s chief investigator to help profile and track down a disturbed individual terrorising Baltimore.

To Catch a Killer has a thrilling opening. At a Baltimore New Year’s Eve party in a penthouse, an unseen sniper shoots and kills 29 partygoers before exploding fireworks as a cover. Young police officer Eleanor Falco (Shailene Woodley) is the only person who manages to determine where the bullets are coming from, but by the time she can direct the police to a nearby highrise, the killer is gone. And her suspicions are confirmed once the building explodes, eliminating any evidence. It’s a claustrophobic, sometimes graphic opening sequence that’s sadly never surpassed.

Eleanor’s bravery and deductions impress FBI Chief Investigator Geoffrey Lammark (Ben Mendelsohn), who recruits her to help with the nationwide manhunt. Whilst his team think a terrorist organisation are involved, Eleanor is the only person who believes it must be a lone wolf. Lammark takes a chance on Falco, assuming she’s either a genius or just as…