'Texas Killing Fields' Review- A Lone Star Murder Plot
This movie came out in 2011.
Texas Killing Fields is a mystery thriller film directed by Ami Canaan Mann and written by Don Ferrarone. It was released by Anchor Bay Films.
Homicide detectives Mike (Sam Worthington) and Brian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are investigating some disappearances in their home town. Mike, meanwhile, keeps an eye on a pre-teen girl, Anne (Chloë Grace Moretz), who is being neglected by her white trash family. Brian’s ex-wife Pam (Jessica Chastain), a law enforcement officer in the next county gives them a tip that she found some bodies in the I-45 corridor.
Pam thinks it is the work of a single killer while Mike and Brian seem to brush it off as a good place to hide the body. As the case builds, so does the tension between Brian and Pam and between Mike and Brian as disagreements over how the investigation should proceed and what it means. Little do they know that a killer is lurking in their small town and he has set his sights on Anne.
This movie takes a look at the I-45 corridor between Houston and Galveston, Texas. It is a road I have driven many times. Law Enforcement Officials found a “killing field” where they found dozens of bodies buried in the swamps there. From that story came a book and from that book came the film.
The film does engage with a lot of historical inaccuracies to build up the drama. Local detectives found no evidence a single killer was involved in the murders. Most agree that it is a good place to hide a body since it covers so many counties and townships, creating a sort of law enforcement ven diagram.
I will say, that they telegraph who the murderer is way too early. It eliminated a lot of the suspense, but you still wanted to know how he will be caught.
That being said, it is a great thriller with some amazing twists and turns. The cast does a good job of portraying their respective characters and working with the plot. They had some good chemistry and made it worth watching.
English rock musician Dickon Hinchliffe tackled the score and it worked very well. It was not the most amazing soundtrack I have ever heard, but I thought that it worked well within the movie and punctuated the scenes very well.
As a Texan, I appreciated that this movie did not engage with stereotypes. It showed Texas citizens as regular people who are just trying to survive. I thought that was a nice thing from the filmmakers and that added to what te movie special.
Bottom line, Texas Killing Fields takes a dark look at my home state. However, it is a story that needs to be told.
FAVORITE QUOTE: You ready?
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Violence and strong language
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below and tell me if there is a movie, anime, or novel you would like me to review.