mockinghare There are movies based on real life serial killers that are for entertainment only. This isn't one of them. I wouldn't even go as far as professing it's infotainment. The movie has a very documentary style feel to it with the only element missing being a narrator. It doesn't live off of big action and doesn't cater to the gore and torture porn fans either (like Bundy: An American Icon did for example) and luckily so. The essence of this movie is the interaction between Bob Keppel (Bruce Greenwood) and Ted Bundy (Cary Elwes). The chemistry between these two actors is simply incredible and both are playing their parts so convincingly that it took my breath away at times. Cary Elwes was quoted as saying that this role took a part of his soul away and I have no problem believing it. If you ever listened to Bundy's confession tapes (available on youtube) you know how easily he switched between joviality, bravado and a cold, psychopathic glee when talking about about his murderous deeds. Cary Elwes does such an authentic job switching back and forth between these sentiments that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. His mimic is subtle, oftentimes even understated; his eyes do all the work. There's an underlying rage emanating from him during his conversations with Keppel that made me wonder if he had trouble switching back to his regular Mr. Joe guy self once the director called "Cut!" Likewise he chose the right tone of voice, the right pitch and pronunciation, that reminded a lot of Bundy himself in his interviews. After rewatching "Kiss The Girls" recently I was yet again reminded of how versatile this actor's voice is. As for Bruce Greenwood, his portrayal of Robert Keppel is equally on par as Elwes'. The struggle between being - or rather playing - a family man and "ordinary cop" and trying to delve deeply into both Bundy's as well as Gary "The Riverman" Ridgway's psyche are bone chilling. There's grief in his expression about the things Bundy confides in him, but as he tries to mentally connect, yes even "become," the Riverman in order to catch him he gets lost. He loses connection to himself, his wife and children, he slowly but steadily becomes obsessive-compulsive in his quest to uncover the truth. Although Sam Jaeger, who plays Detective Dave Reichert, has considerably little screen time his performance is equally strong as Bruce Greenwood's and Cary Elwes. Last but not least there is "The Riverman" himself, played by David Lawrence Brown. The last scene is based on one of the confession tapes of Ridgway's and he absolutely nails the killer's odd, choppy speech pattern (hinting at his low IQ of a mere 82) and his oddly blank face during his interrogations. If you are interested in understanding the machinations and motivations of serial killers, witty dialogues, psychological suspense, and Ted Bundy's case in particular, I guarantee that you will appreciate this movie greatly. A fair warning: It is haunting, literally haunting. It has stayed with me for weeks after first watching it, occupying my waking thoughts and dreams. Which is far more than I had expected of a "low budget TV movie."

SnoopyStyle It's 1982 Washington State. A woman's body is pulled from the Green River. Dave Reichert (Sam Jaeger) from the King County sheriff's department seeks the help of Ted Bundy (Cary Elwes) expert Robert Keppel (Bruce Greenwood). Keppel was a new detective as the Bundy case unfolded and was part of the Bundy task force. Bundy contacts Keppel and the duo goes to Florida to visit him in prison.This is part of the inspiration for The Silence of the Lambs. It's noticeable but it doesn't dwell on it. Bruce Greenwood holds this together. It's rather basic TV movie stylistically. Cary Elwes is a pretty looking killer. He has a different type of power. One wonders why a seemingly nice looking guy kills. He has a believable charm that can pull others in and that is his danger. I would love to had these two actors be directed by someone better in a cinematic theatrical release.

Cynthia Price I just saw this on TV from about the halfway point only, but was familiar with the plot from my reading. I'm anxious to see it again. I thought Cary Elwes BECAME Ted Bundy in a way that was eerie and absolutely impressive. Bruce Greenwood had a part that could have been mundane, but his tremendous depth as an actor turned it into a disturbing and memorable role. And I thought their joint scenes were .. well, completely intense -- contrary to the lead-in review from IMDb. Greenwood has always been one of my favorites, but I found Elwes a bit more of a surprise. Would recommend this to acting classes everywhere and to anyone who can withstand an in-depth look at psyches that are way outside normal boundaries.

Syl I had just bought the book, The Riverman, in Ketchikan, Alaska. I was on vacation and I bought it at a drugstore. It is perhaps one of the best books ever written about Bundy. Keppel does not leave anything out regarding Bundy or Ridgway in the book but the film version is conduced to keeping the important facts and information. Those pictures of Bundy's murder victims are real authentic. What other films about Bundy fail to express is what he did with the bodies of his murdered victims afterwards. In order to catch the Green River Killer, he had to befriend Ted Bundy, played admirably by Cary Elwes. He does such an excellent job that it's frightening and often chilling. Cary Elwes is the best Bundy I have ever seen in television movies. He even brings out a sympathetic side to his human monster never before. No, this movie is not for children or squeamish adults. If the viewers watch without much information, they may not be able to grasp the horror of both the Green River and Bundy's legacies. But watch how Bundy uses his knowledge to try to solve one of the world's biggest mysteries. While Bundy did not live long enough to see the Riverman's capture, he died a complete coward and confessed to all his crimes with hopes of saving his own life.