There’s more than one way to lose your life to a killer.|Mar. 02, 2007|USA|157 Min.|R
Genre: Adventure;Crime;Drama;Mystery;Thriller
Description: The 2007 film *Zodiac* tells the gripping story of the infamous Zodiac killer, who terrorized California in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The narrative begins on July 4, 1969, when an unidentified man attacks Darlene Ferrin and Mike Mageau at a lovers’ lane in Vallejo, California. While Mageau survives, Ferrin tragically does not. A month later, the *San Francisco Chronicle* receives encrypted letters from the killer, who calls himself “Zodiac.” He threatens to kill a dozen people unless his coded message, supposedly revealing his identity, is published. Political cartoonist Robert Graysmith becomes intrigued by the case, correctly deducing that the message does not contain the killer’s identity. However, his initial efforts to contribute to the investigation are dismissed by crime reporter Paul Avery and the newspaper editors.
As the case unfolds, the Zodiac killer continues to taunt authorities and the public. He shoots and kills San Francisco taxicab driver Paul Stine, later sending pieces of Stine’s bloodstained shirt to the *Chronicle* along with a mocking letter. Detectives Dave Toschi and Bill Armstrong, along with Vallejo’s Jack Mulanax and Ken Narlow, take on the investigation. The killer’s cryptic communications and bold actions keep the city on edge, leading to a series of intense interrogations and leads.
One suspect, Arthur Leigh Allen, draws the detectives’ attention when they notice he wears a Zodiac wristwatch, bearing the same symbol used by the killer. Despite suspicions, the case remains shrouded in mystery, with Graysmith’s insights and theories playing a crucial role in piecing together the puzzle. The film delves into the chilling cat-and-mouse game between the elusive Zodiac killer and the investigators determined to unmask him.
Cast director: David Fincher
Cast actor: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Richmond Arquette, Bob Stephenson, John Lacy, Chloë Sevigny
Original name: Zodiac