Well Deserved Praise

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

This was a better than average TV movie (Lifetime) about the hunt for the I-5 serial killer. Its based on a true story (and book) and centers on a detective from Salem, Oregon who connected the numerous murders and sexual assaults (44 victims) along interstate 5 which runs through California, Washington and Oregon.John Corbett plays detective Dave Kominek and does a decent enough job. I've always liked him ever since I first saw him back in Northern Exposure and then in Sex & The City.The manhunt takes over a year, and for the first half of the movie the viewer doesn't know who the killer is. You are given a couple of suspects but just see a guy in a hoodie with a bandage over his nose going about his business of raping and shooting random women. Its violent but not graphic. Towards the end we get to see his face and then follow him as he tries to evade police. He is one sick bastard.One of the first victims shown in the movie manages to survive her horrific ordeal with two gunshot wounds to her head. Her character plays a large role and the story focuses heavily on her relationship with the detective. She (Sara Canning) does a great job as 'Beth' and I appreciated how they took the time to show the physiological damage she faced afterwards. Ultimately Beth is instrumental in the capture of the killer.Randomly John's real-life lady love Bo Derek is listed in the credits and given top billing but I guess I blinked and missed her. 1/6/15

This was a made for TV movie which the director took the approach to concentrate on the relationship between the lead detective Dave Kominek played by John Corbett and one of the surviving victims Beth Williams, played by Sara Canning, of the I-5 killer. There were enough victims of the I-5 serial killer Randy Woodfield, played by Tygh Runyan and enough time had elapsed from his first victim that the producers had sufficient material to make this in to a mini-series had they wished to do so. Instead the story concentrates on detective Dave Kominek's pursuit of serial rapist and killer Randy Woodfield.The I-5 killer was a gutless sneak whose modus operand was to wear a sweat top hoody, he would place a piece of tape over the bridge of his nose to disguise his appearance, and control his victims through the rape and murder with a 32 caliber gun which he used on a number of his victims. Randy Woodfield was a troubled teenager who in his teenage years had a propensity for exposing himself in public situations. The film has one scene where he is in a restaurant with a male friend and the waitress recognizes him. His friend then mentions that Randy Woodfield had previously posed for Playgirl magazine, which is a true fact. In real life Randy Woodfield was engaged to be married and his fiancé was unaware that her soon to be husband was the I-5 killer.This is not a real gory movie but from what I have read about the real serial killer the producers opted to not glorify him, but rather portray lead detective as a sort of hero who sacrificed his own family life to do right by not only the one survivor Beth Williams who would eventually identify her rapist and his attempt to murder her, but to do right by all the victims who either suffered through a rape and subsequent trauma, and the victims who lost their lives to the I-5 killers gun. In Beth Williams's case she and her friend were cleaning an industrial building one evening when Randy Woodfield surprised them. After raping both women he shot Beth's co-worker and then turned the gun on Beth and he put to bullets in to the back of her head. Miraculously she survived the attack and when they captured Randy Woodfield she was able to identify him through a police lineup and eventually he was charged with her friend's murder, along with some earlier murders.Police stations across several states bordering the Interstate 5 highway have accumulatively purported that Randy Woodfield is the rapist or murderer of more than 40 victims. Rather than drag the surviving victims and/or the families of the victims through the courts, and spend millions of tax dollars, to convict a serial killer who will never see the light of day again the police are not pursuing any further court cases.

Beth Williams (Sara Canning) is a nighttime cleaner at an office building with her co-worker. One night an armed mask man breaks in. After he violates them, he shoots them but Beth survives the ordeal. Police detective Dave Kominek (John Corbett) is investigating the crime, and soon he figures out that it's related to a whole series of murders by the same serial killer around the I-5.I see there are many complaint about accuracy. I'm not going to dwell on any of that. After all, it's a Lifetime TV movie not an in-depth documentary. John Corbett is a compelling leading man. His character's struggle especially his home life is well done. Sara Canning makes for a good victim without overplaying it. The story moves along well. It's a good TV movie.

Drama dealing with a serial killer is a good one. The guy commits his acts near this highway and several states are victimized by his rampage.The story is a good one since it deals with one survivor, whose friend was killed, during the killing spree. She cannot live life until the fiend is caught.The detective working on the case also suffers due to his inability to catch the culprit. It also causes a strain on his marriage for his apparent over-fondness for one of the victims mentioned above.It's amazing that information wasn't given out as quickly as it should have been once the carnage began.As in many of the cases, the killer had a girlfriend and was engaged to marry her. How some women can be deceived is frightening.