A man invites a reporter for a nice chat. He tells her that he is a serial killer and that he has killed a lot of people, and she decides to meet him at a hotel. Is this man really a serial killer, and if so, why does he want to talk to the reporter?
Murder Report is a well-acted movie, but it is also a pretty small movie in scope, where we just follow three characters. The reporter has brought her boyfriend with her, who is a cop, and he has placed himself in a room where he can listen to and watch what is going on between her and the supposed serial killer.
So the reporter and the serial killer talk a lot. This is, for the most part, a dialogue-heavy movie where the reporter is skeptical at first when she meets the man who claims he is a serial killer. I cannot tell you too much about the plot because you have to experience it yourself, which also makes Murder Report a difficult movie to review.
The movie is entertaining, but at the same time, it does not have much new to offer. And do not think this is a graphic movie, because it is not. It is all about the mind games between the serial killer and the reporter, and what keeps you engaged is finding out what he wants and whether he really is a serial killer.
That said, I found the movie to be a little too long. The runtime could have been closer to 80 minutes, because we are stuck in the hotel room with the same three characters, and the movie is not in a hurry to get to the point, which drags down the pace.
The big problem is that the reporter does not have much character depth, which is important because of how the plot unfolds. What I missed the most was having a reason to care about the reporter and her life. Since she is poorly written and underdeveloped, the emotional gut punch you are supposed to feel toward the end did not knock me to the ground.
The acting is what kept me engaged, because the story itself is not that engaging. The twist also felt a little flat and forced, and as mentioned, both the reporter and her boyfriend lack depth, so what happens toward the end ultimately feels underwhelming.