Probable Cause

I was pleasantly surprised by the intrigue of this film that I, of course, began at this web site user review section. And it hasn't steered me wrong yet. Excellent acting not complicated get good twists the second of which I didn't see coming. You won't regret time spent on it.

"Probable Cause" is a 1994 TV-movie starring Michael Ironside and Kate Vernon, and featuring Craig T. Nelson.

Someone is killing police officers, but Gary Yanuck (Ironside) has his own problems. He is accused of sexually harassing another officer (Brooke Adams, in a minuscule role) and has refused to apologize, claiming he did not lay a hand on her. He's under a cloud. He's assigned a new partner, Lynn Reilly (Vernon) who is an odd duck. She occasionally passes out and other times seems out of it. Worried, Yanuck approaches her psychiatrist and, after handing him a phony warrant, learns that Lynn was married before but doesn't remember her marriage. Later we learn that something terrible happened to her that she can't remember. In the meantime, she appears to sleepwalk.

When she discovers an important pattern to the murders, Yanuck realizes that she's in danger and may be, in fact, the next victim.

This is a slow film and because Kate Vernon plays a psychologically repressed woman and has to walk around pretty zombie-like most of the time, her performance doesn't add much spark to the movie. Michael Ironside as a cop was very good, but I didn't find him particularly likable. So I wasn't very invested in either character.

The end was not surprising on one hand and on the other, had a slight twist. Not sure it was worth it.

Kate Vernon was around a lot in the '80s, and she's still very active, but I never watched Battlestar Galactica or other shows in which she appeared. She is a better actress than you would believe in this film.

Wasn't impressed.

i found this Canadian production to be a very good murder mystery.it stars Kate Vernon and Michael Ironside.the identity of the murderer is pretty much shown early on in the film so instead of being a who done it kind of mystery,it's more of a why they did it,and to a lesser extent how they did it.(the how is revealed much sooner than the why)this is an interesting twist.the dark tone of the movie is very consistent throughout and doesn't change until the movie fades to black.all in all,it's a very compelling and engrossing murder mystery from the opening frame to the closing credits.for me,Probable Cause is an 8/10

This is not too bad of an obscure Made in Canada TV movie starring Michael Ironside as a cop who tries to investigate a series of police murders, where the real mystery and intrigue lies in the motives behind the killings.

The entire atmosphere of the movie gives you a mysterious, somewhat depressing and serious feeling and the acting was pretty on par. There is also a little bit of several movie elements, from suspense to drama, and from action to romance. The subplot of the lead detectives female partner and her sleepwalking issue adds onto the unpredictable intrigue of the movie.

Though I've seen better made for TV movies, this one is not a bad to watch on slow Saturday night.

Grade B-

Police detective Gary Yanuck (Michael Ironside) is facing sexual harassment accusation from his previous partner (Brooke Adams). He's told to treat his new partner Lynn Reilly (Kate Vernon) with extra care while searching for a cop killer. She is struggling with sleepwalking and other personal issues.

This is a police crime mystery drama. There are way too many long slow quiet scenes. They are trying to build atmosphere, but it comes off as filling empty space. Initially, I couldn't buy that he's not suspended although it is a different time. It's nice to see Ironside leading. It's a TV mystery movie filmed in Canada. There are surprisingly some veteran recognizable actors in support. Mostly, it's the pacing that is the problem. The director needs to push harder on the pacing and give some more thrills.