Hangman

OK, so not the greatest move of all time, but definitely one of the best TVmovies I've seen. I've always enjoyed it when we get to watch the cops figure out what the audience already knows. If the truth can be told, I didn't figure out the whole thing before time, I had suspicions, but was filled with reasonable doubt (you see what I did there?) Then again, this unusual brain lapse can be attributed to the fact that it was 2am. And I do like the ending, even if it was inconclusive, simply because it seemed a bit more real than some (insert Arnie voice here) "taking out da trash" ending.

The characters were well drawn enough for the purposes of the movie and it was an especially strong performance from Lou-Diamond Phillips, even if a few of the other performances weren't quite up to scratch. But hey, its a TVmovie, whaddya expect? Perhaps the best thing I can say about it, is that I was gonna give it a little while then go to bed, but it held my attention until the end. And thats a good sign!

It's another one of those '2 cops on the trail of a serial killer leaving clues for the police'-genre movies (there are most then you would think in this genre), but this one does have an interesting premise and good pacing, but the acting is rather flat and the ending was a bit of a let-down.

Obviously nowhere near as good as 'Seven' but better than a lot of films of that type, I'm giving 'Hangman' **1/2 out of *****. Watch it if its on TV or if there is nothing better to rent.

"Hangman" is yet another by-the-numbers TV serial killer mystery with that sun-never-shines Canadian dreariness all over it. Featuring two under-rated B-movie stars, Phillips as a homicide cop and Amick as a rich and retired shrink, "Hangman" spins a yarn about murder using the child's word game of the title name played via computer with real people getting hung. The film does little to distinguish itself and many will find the ending unsatisfying. However, it also does little wrong, making it a worthwhile small screen watch, albeit marginally so. Just drama with no stunts, shootouts, sex (almost), or sensationalism. (C)

What really had the premise for being a great "who-done-it" mystery, falls flat with a script that waned toward the end. The predictability factor came in heavy around the middle, and the plot of using a dupe to do ones bidding is pretty formulaic. Lou Diamond Phillips, who is a super and intelligent actor, can't carry the picture on his presence alone. Madchen Amick also performs greatly, yet can't save the script, either.

While certainly not a turkey, HANGMAN never realizes its full potential, and the supreme lack of urgency or suspense didn't help. What the viewer is left with is a story that probably sounded good on paper, but fell far short on actual, physical execution. No pun intended. Recommended, but just barely over the mediocre hump.

Lou Diamond Phillips and Madchen Amick are the only Americans in a Canadian made for television film Hangman. It's a complex psychological homicide thriller about a bunch of murders by hanging that center around some psychologists.

Phillips is the lead detective assigned to a group of killings known as the Hangman murders. That's the way these victims depart this mortal coil and all of them seem to center around former psychologist Madchen Amick.

The film has more twists then those pretzels you see at your local bar. During the course of Hangman, Phillips and his team come up with several theories of the crimes.

There's not a shot fired and the physical violence is kept to a minimum, in the manner of Alfred Hitchcock. Yet things are kept pretty tense in true Hitchcock manner.

Lou does a fine job underplaying his role as a detective who just can't get a handle on the case. His foe is an incredibly cunning one which you won't appreciate until the end.

I wouldn't miss it, especially if you're a fan of Lou Diamond Phillips.