Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- paranoid
- harrowing
- true crime viewing
- dark thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film a flat, underdeveloped, and ineffective treatment of the Zodiac Killer case.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot emphasizes the murders' effects on victims, families, and the wider San Francisco Bay Area community.
Inspector Matt Parish and his son become consumed by the Zodiac murders, endangering their family.
The film is based on the real Zodiac Killer case while foregrounding the emotional consequences for a detective and his family.
The Zodiac Killer was never captured, and the film's case-focused premise supports an unresolved conclusion.
Films like The Zodiac, and why
Zodiac
true-crime serial killer investigation with an obsessive, procedural thriller structure
The Boston Strangler
period crime drama centered on a notorious unsolved killer and the social impact of violence
The Town That Dreaded Sundown
gritty docudrama about an unidentified serial murderer and investigative obsession
Movie Details
- Director
- Alexander Bulkley
- Release Date
- 2005-07-31
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (137)
Cast
- Justin Chambers
- Robin Tunney
- Rory Culkin
- William Mapother
- Philip Baker Hall
- Kathryn Howell
- Brad William Henke
- Rex Linn
- Marty Lindsey
- Kris Palm
Common questions
- What is The Zodiac about?
- A police detective and his son let an unsolved serial-killer case consume their family in this grim true-crime thriller.
- What is The Zodiac like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Zodiac as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Zodiac violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Zodiac as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Zodiac?
- Critics broadly found the film a flat, underdeveloped, and ineffective treatment of the Zodiac Killer case.
- Which films are like The Zodiac?
- Films with a similar feel include Zodiac, The Boston Strangler, and The Town That Dreaded Sundown.
- How long is The Zodiac?
- The Zodiac runs 92 minutes.
