Movie Review The Craigslist Killer (2011)

 

The Craigslist Killer | 2011 | 1h 27m
Genre: True Crime/Biography/Crime/Drama/Mystery | Country: US
Director: Stephen Kay | Writers: Donald Martin, Stephen Tolkin
Cast: Jake McDorman, Agnes Bruckner, Joshua Close
IMDB: 5.0
My Rate: 5/10

Philip Markoff, a medical student with a bright future and plans for a happy life with his fiancée, Megan, secretly commits robberies and murders, with hidden motives buried with his death.

Warnings:

Contains violence, sensual scenes, suicide, and strong language.

 

Synopsis:

Philip Markoff (Jake McDorman) is a brilliant medical student, top of his class and admired by his peers. He meets Megan (Agnes Bruckner) while volunteering at Albany Medical Center. Megan is trying to continue her studies.  A romance blossoms, leading to an engagement.

Philip's seemingly perfect and promising persona leads Megan's parents to approve their engagement. Wedding preparations begin, and Megan even forgoes her preferred college due to the distance, unwilling to be separated from Philip.

Philip has a hidden dark side. He frequents Craigslist, becoming addicted to the prostitution services offered, including massage and dance. He also has a gambling addiction.

Megan is unaware of this dark side, believing Philip is simply busy with his studies.  However, his secrets gradually come to light.

Will Megan continue to believe in Philip?

 

Review:

The Craigslist Killer is adapted from the book A Date with Death: The Secret Life of the Accused "Craigslist Killer," by Michele McPhee. The book is based on the true story of Philip Markoff's crimes: robberies and murders of victims he met through Craigslist.

Unfortunately, the film might differ from expectations. It lacks the thrilling aspects of other serial killer cases involving psychopaths.  The film gives the impression that this was primarily a series of robberies where one victim was accidentally killed during a struggle.

The story focuses heavily on the romance and relationship between Megan and Philip, with minimal tension surrounding his crimes. This makes the narrative somewhat boring.

The story idea is interesting, aiming to show how we often don't truly know the people closest to us.  Philip, seemingly brilliant and perfect, harbors a dark side. While the reasons behind his robberies remain unclear (as he died before trial), this central theme isn't effectively conveyed.  The film lacks depth and clarity of focus.  The story feels disjointed despite a systematic presentation.

The development of the characters and the story is lacking. We don't truly get to know Philip beyond his brilliance as a medical student.  There are hints of a strained relationship with his family, but this is superficial and unexplained, potentially a contributing factor to Philip's behavior.

The soundtrack, primarily slow, sad songs, makes it difficult to categorize the film as a thriller or crime film. It feels more like a romantic drama with a tragic ending, leading to confusion about its genre.

The conflict isn't well-developed due to the lack of clarity regarding the underlying issues. The criminal acts lack dramatic flair. Even though it's based on a true story, adjustments should have been made to engage the audience.

The resolution is rushed and focuses heavily on Megan. It would have been better to keep the focus on Philip and his internal struggles.  A more in-depth portrayal of these struggles could have improved the film.

There are differences between the actual events and the film's depiction.  The film shows Philip attempting suicide only twice, while in reality, he attempted it around three times, requiring psychiatric intervention.  Including this in the film could have added depth.

The acting is decent, but nothing exceptional. While Jake McDorman bears a resemblance to the real Philip Markoff, the aura of brilliance isn't conveyed.  The impression of a genius student is lacking.

There's potential for misleading information regarding how Markoff was found.  The film suggests that his IP address led to his personal information, when in reality, an IP address only reveals the device's location.  However, this isn't entirely the film's fault, as the police involved also provided this inaccurate information.

Overall, the film is watchable, though it may not meet expectations.

 

Memorable Scene:

Megan returns to her parents' house after Philip's arrest. She tries to convince them that Philip couldn't have committed the crimes.  Her parents doubt this, urging Megan to reconsider.

This scene highlights the difficulty of changing our perception of someone, especially when that person has been kind to us. However, we shouldn't let this blind us to the truth when facts are presented. 

 

Memorable Dialogue:

"He fooled everybody, he seemed like the perfect guys."

 
Ending:

Sad Ending

 

Recommendation:

Okay to Watch

 

(Aluna)