plainntall The idea of a schizophrenic detective was very intriguing. That intrigue got me through most of the movie, but it all fell apart into a confusing jumble at the end. I am still not sure what was real at the end and what was a hallucination.I was very dissatisfied with who the killer apparently turned out to be. It seemed so artificial. The movie had a very interesting true story to draw from and one of the current suspects would have made an excellent character in the movie. If I had to redo this movie I would have Megan Paige (Dushku) using her hallucinations to allow her to use her brilliance to catch or come close to catching the real killer. As it was the hallucinations were merely a visual way of communicating to the audience that she was mentally ill.Promising movie, but fails to deliver in the end.

Michael O'Keefe A thrilling crime drama full of intrigue and anxiety. Megan Paige(Eliza Dushku)is a Rochester, NY detective with a devotion for her work that borders obsession. She gets deeply involved with the case of a ten year old girl that is brutally raped and murdered. Megan works herself into a frenzy and when she begins seeing visions and talking to herself she is taken off the case. She suffers a total nervous breakdown and is institutionalized for two years. She returns to work as a records clerk. Her ex-boyfriend(Cary Elwes)has been promoted to head of the department and wants to keep a safe distance from her. When another young girl is abducted, raped and murdered Megan finds a connection that no one else immediately sees. This new case is off limits to desk jockey Paige and she slowly begins suffering a relapse and the only one that seems to understand her situation is a friend from her time at the psychiatric hospital(Timothy Hutton). Paranoid schizophrenia gets in the way of Megan's new work as an adviser in what has become a hunt for a serial killer. Director Rob Schmidt is able to present the grim story in a convincing fashion. The atmosphere is dark and cold and frazzles the viewers nerves...and that is a good thing. Dushku is fantastic in the role. Others in the cast: Michael Ironside, Tom Noonan, Carl Lumbly and Tom Malloy.

Rathko A schizophrenic police officer refuses her medication and tries to deal with her increasingly vivid hallucinations while investigating the rape/murder of several young children. Rob Schmidt, responsible for the fun Hickspoiltation flick 'Wrong Turn', directs a dark police procedural that for all its claim to be 'based on a true story' really bares nothing but the most superficial resemblance to the real crimes of 1973. The original twist of featuring a protagonist who suffers from a debilitating mental illness is sorely wasted. Everything about the movie - from the script to the performances to the production design - is serviceable (nothing screams outright incompetence), but complete averageness on all fronts delivers a completely forgettable experience. Pass.

Robert J. Maxwell Spoilers.Eliza Dushku is Megan, a police officer in Rochester, New York, who is investigating a case of child rape and murder. The girl's name was something like Carlina Cacciatore and her body was dumped in Churchtown. Dushku fastens on to the CCC connection while everyone else pooh poohs it.The second victim turns up, something like Wilma Weinstein from Weber. Then there's a Penelope Purcell from Pipe Organ. Maybe there's a Marla Marple from Michigas in there too. I lost count. Ka-ching.This is too much for Dushku. She begins to crack up and hallucinate the dead little girls. She's not only taken off the case but shipped off to the hospital. Upon her release she spends two years in group counseling, led by the understanding, wheelchair-bound Timothy Hutton.Hutton isn't on screen that often. She goes to him for a few words of reassurance on those occasions when her hallucinations begin scratching at the door. If, by their third meeting, you haven't figured out that Hutton not only can walk but is the child-raping murderer to boot, you haven't seen enough movies of this genre.The plot is too ridiculous to describe further. The acting isn't in any way distinguished either. Dushku has modest talent. Cary Elwes and Michael Ironside must not be getting too many offers these days.The worst conceit is the ambiguous ending. The last shot is of Dushku strapped down in a mental hospital, completely ga ga, and then the epilogue -- the notorious alphabet killer has never been caught and remains at large -- thus clearing the way for a SEQUEL to this meretricious rubbish. Let's hope nothing comes of it or we'll all wind up in the rubber room with Megan.The only redeeming feature of the production is the sound of gunshots. They're not as loud as real gunshots but their sonic contours are similar.Nice job there. With the gunshots. The rest of the movie stinks. Want more proof? The alphabet connection is never explained, just plain dropped from the plot, a sensible but negligible inconvenience, like a trouser pocket full of too much heavy change.And another thing. No more heroines with names like Megan or Regan. Or cute names like Ally or Jillian either. An onomastic irritant.