To Catch a Killer (1992)

For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!

As Good As It Gets

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Excellent suspense for about 3 hours starting from minute 1. Seldom have I seen a movie that hooked me so much as this one, even after watching it over and over again. Brian Dennehy has shown the best performance in his lifetime. You just sense the evil inside and his performance as an actor should have had a lot more attention, because it's one of the best acting performances I've ever seen.I mean, I love Tom Hanks and Spencer Tracy and I think they're one of the best actors the world has seen, but sometimes a second ranked actor shows a performance that equals top actors like Spencer and Tom; Brian Dennehy is one of them in this movie.All the actors play very convincing and the movie has dozens of moments that I will never forget. 3 hours of suspense without a drop of blood and compelling from start to end; I find that a major achievement. Not one single moment the movie is slow or boring. What I also really like about the movie is its pace; it's going faster and faster towards the end and this has partly to with the actual story and it makes you so eager to look forward to how it ends. The movie doesn't have any famous actors, director, story writers and never got any major attention, but it sure is a classic in my opinion.There are only 3-5 movies (and I'm an older person who's addicted to movies since the day he was born) that really stand out in the history of film-making and this is one of them and the only one in my top 50 list without the famous cast, director or all the major publicity.A must see!

With no malice against our neighbors to the north, I must say that one reason this telefilm fails is the overwhelming "Made in Canada" quality. That is to say, it's well-made and mostly well-acted, but it's obvious throughout (even without Margot Kidder popping up) that there has been little attempt to have the Canadian locations and actors (who say things like "Juhn's nut here - he's still oot at work") simulate any kind of a Chicago feeling.Dennehy is too handsome and slick for the uber-nerd murderer John Wayne Gacy, though his acting of what he's been given to do is impeccable. Gacy wore the mask of the jolly "can-do" guy, whereas Dennehy in his leather jacket is someone you'd think twice about accepting a lift from.

In a fine made-for-TV effort, "To Catch A Killer" profiles notorious murderer John Wayne Gacy (played chillingly by Brian Dennehy), his mask of a respected public citizen, the awful secret he kept, and the relentless attempt to expose him. Dennehy's work with the supporting characters is darkly magical and the story reminds you that it's real with every chance. Highly recommended for fans of Dennehy and of good psychological thrillers.

This film was a very mediocre telling of the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The acting wasn't all that hot (except for Dennehy) and it had that distinctive made-for-tv look and feel to it. My one major complaint is that Dennehy was too aggressive in his role of John Gacy. The thing that made Gacy so evil and diabolical was that he was friendly. He was popular. He was successful. He seemed like a nice guy. Dennehy shows Gacy to be a real a**hole, which at times he was, but he doesn't show that friendly side. Besides that the film is alright. It is a fairly honest rendition of the whole event, but of course since it is a made-for-tv movie, lacks the grizzly details. I recommend it to people familiar with the Gacy case or people looking to learn more, but if you I would recommend reading a book (such as "Killer Clown") as well, just so you get the WHOLE story.