smoke0 Okay, the ending really annoyed me, since, as stated, the ring could have been taken off, so how did Sandra come to her conclusion other than suddenly becoming psychic? Aside from that, this is not a horrible movie, and it would have been much more interesting with a couple of script revisions; a bit less emphasis on Sandra's character and a lot more on the boys, who did manage, even with the female love interest, to exhibit the requisite closeted leanings in this type of story that were more than hinted at in Compulsion and Rope, and even Strangers on a Train.I gave the movie a 6 rating simply because of Sandra's sudden ability to read Michael's mind at the end, but, overall it's not as horrible as other reviewers seem to think.

JohnHowardReid I was amazed to find that this particular picture had induced no fewer than 300 user reviews when I looked it up on IMDb. I find that really astonishing, particularly as the theme has been used before and – despite its top-scale budget – this movie was obviously designed for a TV rather than a theatrical presentation. The director loves close-ups. Even minor characters get the close-up treatment. Mind you, production values are more than TV can afford, although a vital special effects scene at the climax is so shoddily done, it must have seriously undermined the audience's reaction when projected on a cinema's huge screen. Nevertheless, although it could stand a little trimming, the movie does come across effectively thanks to very convincing acting from everyone in the cast from the leads to the minor players and even to the extras. Available on an excellent Warner DVD.

Joenovak32 I didn't hate this movie, it is predictable with some twists.The problems are with some of my movie pet peeves. First of all, exposition dialog. The investigation of the one guys crime scene had a lazy way of saying why the main character is the way she is, a guy just walks up and says because of her past she is messed up. I hate that in movies, I'M NOT FIVE!!! The second problem is the by the numbers formula. In the first 10 minuets I thought I've seen this before. Do not come into this movie expecting an original formula. The big problem is the time, it could have stopped so much sooner. This movie had a perfect way to end it and it didn't take it. This gets a 6/10, it's above average. Like I said I didn't hate this movie, it has some really good elements. My favorite part was the interrogation scene. So if there is nothing to watch then watch this.

bkoganbing Murder By Numbers has detectives Sandra Bullock and Ben Chaplin assigned to the murder of a young woman who was blitz attacked by an intruder in her home. Bullock gets the right scent on things, but the 'facts' keep getting in her way.This updating of the Leopold/Loeb story that has seen such films as Rope and Compulsion inspired by that famous true thrill kill story has as its protagonists Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt. I think that the author gives us a big hint to the characters of these two right in the beginning when we see Pitt reading a paper he's written for a class about Nietschean superman philosophy and Gosling just pretending to be asleep in class.The homoerotic tension crackles off the scene with Gosling and Pitt. They are truly into each other until Agnes Bruckner enters their lives. After that it's every bisexual for himself.These two go far beyond Loeb and Leopold. Not only do they randomly pick some poor women for their kill experiment, but Pitt is a science wiz and he manufactures the forensic evidence that throws suspicion on Chris Penn the school janitor. Unfortunately Gosling really rubs her the wrong way when he's questioned. He's the kind of rich kid you love to take down.But speaking of rubbing the wrong way, Bullock is rubbing her own superiors just that way. Part of it is male chauvinism, part of it is they don't want to ruffle the feathers of Gosling's father who's the richest guy in town. Bullock and Gosling dominate the film. Her with her dogged determination to take down the rich kid and him with a terrifying charisma that just about everyone is taken with. Loeb and Leopold never had problems like these.