The problem with crime movies based on true events is that there's rarely any coherent story arc to be found in the real world. There's always a beginning, certainly, sometimes even a sensible progression from one elemental plot point to another, and if we're lucky, there's even an ending. The thing that bothers Zodiac and so many other films is the fact that the opposite also holds true. Quite often crimes go unpunished. Sometimes we are left hanging in empty air, with no paths left to search and investigate. And that hanging is extremely frustrating and, in my opinion, doesn't make for a good story. A story is all about fiction. It's about forming a whole story, one that has something to tell to its viewers/listeners/observers. A story without a satisfying ending is rarely worth telling.

And yet I wouldn't call Zodiac a bad movie, even though its ending leaves something to be desired. David Fincher is a talented director and I see in this film many of the same elements that made Se7en such a great film. The same gritty film noir style, the same hopeless determination that drives the protagonists forward, the same brutality in showing the murder victims. Unfortunately this movie lacks the extraordinary qualities of Se7en. The Zodiac killer is a shocking figure to be sure, but the movie portrays him as a stumbling character with luck on his side. There's no tension, drama or fear-filled awe to be found in him.

It's a shame really. This movie had the potential to be great. The actors work, the directing work, the filming and editing work. All these individual aspects of a movie work. It's just the real-life story and its limitations that keep the movie back. Now it's just slow and at times rather boring film that leaves its viewers unsatisfied and disappointed. If you can deal with its limitations, this movie is a great piece of crime drama. If you can't... need I say any more.