Kevin Costner appears in this psychological thriller as Earl Brooks, a warped serial killer and pillar of the community whose dark side is embodied by an on-screen William Hurt Mr. Brooks is an unsavory story, and it turns out to be a lot less kicky than it sounds.
Mr. Brooks is a Portland, Oregon tycoon and philanthropist whose addiction to murder is suddenly re-surfacing with plenty of help from his sneering alter ego, Marshall (William Hurt), who generally sits in the back of the car, goading Mr. Brooks on. The other characters can’t see Marshall, of course.
The unbelievably convoluted plot has Mr. Brooks confronted by a blackmailer (comedian Dane Cook) who has a surprising twist on things, and trailed by a cop (Demi Moore) who comes equipped with her own set of professional and marital woes. As if that weren’t enough, when Brooks’s daughter Jane (Danielle Panabaker) comes home, it becomes clear that some traits run in the family.
He has been attending AA meetings and has kept his addiction to killing under control for two years now but his alter ego, has re-appeared and is pushing him to kill again. When he does kill a couple while they are making love, he is seen and photographed by someone who also has his own death and murder fetish.
In a parallel story, the police detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore) investigating the murder is having problems of her own. She is going through a messy divorce and a violent criminal who had vowed revenge some years before has escaped from prison and is after her.
This one will keep you on your toes, on the edge of your seat and guessing until the end. I haven’t personally seen a film executed this well in many years, by far the best Costner has done in a decade, and I wish he would do more films of this caliber more often. A great script, cast and great performances played deliciously by both Costner and Hurt. This one is not to be missed, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Director: Bruce A. Evans
Year of Release: 2007
Character to watch:
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the movie.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?