Viewed – 19 March 2008 DVD

Where to begin? This against type role for once Hollywood a-lister Kevin Costner, has him as a successful businessman and loving family man, who also happens to be a serial killer – constantly coaxed into murder by an imaginary friend (William Hurt). Committing a murder after a two year hiatus, he grabs the attention of a female detective (Demi Moore – also out of the wilderness), who has more than a few problems of her own, juggling a career and a pending divorce settlement along with the menace of a recently escaped killer vowing to track her down.

This over-complicated plot though soon takes an interesting twist when a witness tries to blackmail Costner, and proving to be rather unhinged himself. Overall I enjoyed this take on a tired genre, and William Hurt steels the show as Costner’s alter-ego, even though Costner himself is rather good as the calculated killer despite lacking the menace of similar nice guy actors who have played psychotic roles (step forward Robin Williams in One Hour Photo). Yet the major fault here is the casting of a way past her sell-by date Demi Moore, who although feisty, comes off as inferior to the rest of the cast. Also the Director at times didn’t seem to know if he was making a serial killer movie or a John Woo action flick, with jarring action set pieces that feel totally out of place. So a good idea initially, let down by a crowded script with too many ideas for its own good.

Verdict: 3 /5