Today’s quick review: The Bone Collector. Four years after the accident that left him a quadriplegic, forensic investigator Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington) has succumbed to despair. But his old skills are put to the test when the NYPD asks him to investigate a homicide with a perplexing set of clues. Together with Amelia Donaghy (Angelina Jolie), a young officer with good instincts, Rhyme races to catch the killer before he can kill again.
The Bone Collector is a crime thriller with a dark tone and a decent set of leads. The movie pits a suicidal, bedridden detective and a rookie investigator against a serial killer who mutilates his victims and leaves subtle clues about his next kills. The Bone Collector features a robust mystery, persistent tension, and two fine dramatic leads in Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. However, it lack the personality to truly stand out.
The Bone Collector does a good job of establishing and maintaining tension. From the first body to the last, the movie keeps a tight grip on what the audience feels and expects, using Amelia’s discomfort, flashes of gore, and the usual tricks of music and presentation to establish the mood. The investigation itself is rather linear—each victim provides a clue for the next one—but has enough exotic clues and red herrings to be engaging.
For all that it gets the basics right, The Bone Collector is not a distinctive movie. Its one unique trait is that Lincoln is bedridden, but with Amelia out in the field and the investigation being run from Lincoln’s bedroom, it doesn’t matter much to the plot. The lead characters are developed enough to be multidimensional, but not enough to make it through complete character arcs. The story gets what it needs from them but doesn’t take them much further.
Watch The Bone Collector when you’re in the mood for a mystery with some bite to it. Its plot, writing, and characters aren’t enough to rank it among the best movies in the crime genre, but solid execution and a tense investigation make it a worthwhile watch. Those looking for a lighter crime drama may want to steer clear; the film doesn’t go overboard with its gore, but it’s a shade more grisly than the average entry into the genre.
For another clue-based hunt for a serial killer, check out Zodiac. For a missing child investigation with riveting twists and turns, try Gone Baby Gone. For a dark mystery laced with uncertainty, check out Mystic River. For an investigation in a similar vein, try Insomnia. For a Denzel Washington thriller with a science fiction premise, check out Deja Vu.
6.7 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a decent mystery and well-managed tension.