Movie Type: Police Detective Film, Psychological Thriller
Themes: Murder Investigations, Serial Killers, Haunted By the Past
Main Cast: Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia, David Strathairn, Russell Wong
Release Year: 2004
Country: US
Run Time: 96 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Philip Kaufman directs the detective thriller Twisted (originally to be titled The Blackout Murders), with a script by up-and-coming filmmaker Sarah Thorp. Ashley Judd plays troubled police detective Jessica Shepard, who works under the jurisdiction of the man who raised her as his daughter, police Commissioner Mills (Samuel L. Jackson). While investigating a serial murder case, Jessica -- who is has a proclivity for dangerous, drunken one-night-stands -- discovers that all of the victims are men whom she's recently bedded. Complicating matters are her bitter ex-boyfriend (Mark Pellegrino), her very curious therapist (David Strathairn), and her odd-behaving new partner Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Thomas T. Taylor - Art Director, Cherylanne Martin - Associate Producer, Denise Chamian - Casting, Denise Chaimian - Casting, Peter Kaufman - Co-producer, Philip Kaufman - Co-producer, Sherryl Clark - Co-producer, Ellen Mirojnick - Costume Designer, Mike Topoozian - First Assistant Director, Philip Kaufman - Director, Robert F. Brown - Second Unit Director, Peter Boyle - Editor, Stephen Brown - Executive Producer, Michael Flynn - Executive Producer, Robyn Meisinger - Executive Producer, Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score), Dennis Washington - Production Designer, Peter Deming - Cinematographer, Arnold Kopelson - Producer, Anne Kopelson - Producer, Linne Radmin - Producer, Barry Baeres - Producer, Michael Scott Cobb - Set Designer, Douglas Piere - Set Designer, Nelson Stoll - Sound/Sound Designer, Sarah Thorp - Screenwriter, Lois C. Weinert - Second Unit Director Of Photography, Eric Brevig - Visual Effects Supervisor, Mark Casey - Visual Effects Supervisor, Frank Eulner - Supervising Sound Editor, Industrial Light & Magic - Visual Effects, Barbara Munch - Set Decorator
Having solved a high profile case involving a serial killer, Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd) is a rising officer on the San Francisco police force. She is transferred to the Homicide division and promoted to the rank of Inspector.
Her deceased father's former partner, John Mills (Samuel L Jackson), serves as her proud mentor. The recently promoted Jessica finds that she might once again have to prove herself in a department that takes no prisoners.
When one of her former one night stands falls prey to murder, she and her new partner, Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia) are assigned to the case. Shepard, who also has a drinking problem, soon falls under suspicion. Three more murders follow, all of whom she has had relationships with.
Shepard begins to experience a mental breakdown. Increasing blacking out for long periods of time. Her father, a police patrolman, had gone on a killing spree back in the 1970s and then murdered her mother. She begins to fear she has the same violent tendencies, and that she has been committing murder in her disorganised state.
With only her mentor's support she must find the perpetrator and clear her name, before she becomes the murderer's next victim.
Reception
The film received almost universally negative reviews with a 2% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[1] One reviewer described the role-reversal of the film as "contrived", while allowing that the film "may dole out a few guilty pleasures".[2]
Box Office
The film generated $25,198,598 in the United States and Canada and $15,756,005 in other territories for a combined worldwide gross of $40,954,603[3] - well down on the film's production budget of $50 million.
