Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Suspect Zero 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 2, 2024

E. Elias Merhige's "Suspect Zero" (2004) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include audio commentary by the director; four-part archival program on the conception and production of the film; alternated ending with optional audio commentary; promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

If you pick a proper angle early, all material that seems to be pulling Suspect Zero in opposite directions very quickly can be placed in an entirely logical story. There are a couple of these angles. However, for a long time, the misdirection plays are pretty good, so if you fall for a few, you can easily end up constructing a confusing story with some pretty awkward players, engaging in relationships that for a while would appear utterly random to you.

I mention all of the above because one of the popular criticisms that has been thrown at Suspect Zero is that it is a slow and oddly disoriented film. It is neither of these things. It is a very intelligent thriller that invites the viewer to sample some of the chaos that a crime investigator would be pulled into after encountering the work of a truly unorthodox serial killer. These types of genre films almost always profile their serial killers in the exact same way. Despite some unique qualities, they are intelligent men who follow original blueprints to commit their heinous acts, so to get them, crime investigators must figure out how they think and begin reconstructing their routine. In other words, the crime investigators temporarily become psychoanalysts who plug into the minds of their targets and then use their thoughts to identify them. The logic of these thoughts, no matter how twisted they may be, is a precious key, which is why in the real world real crime investigators collect them in archives.

But what if the serial killer does not have a blueprint and his mind is impossible to penetrate? There is no logical path to him. And if there is no logical path to a possible target, then reconstructive work cannot begin. Crime investigators would stare at a big black hole that sucks up their guesses and instantly destroys them with the inexorable power of a foreign logic that no one can comprehend.

In Suspect Zero, FBI agent Thomas Mackelway (Aaron Eckhart) is summoned to New Mexico to investigate what appear to be crimes committed by an unorthodox serial killer. However, there is very little information for Mackelway to work with, plus it is so random that he cannot establish any sort of a logical pattern in the serial killer’s behavior. While looking at an unsolvable case, Mackelway is reunited with FBI agent Fran Kulok (Carrie-Anne Moss), his ex-lover, who also struggles to identify any legit clues that can point the two in the right direction. But a seemingly random observation resets Mackelway’s entire take on the case and he begins suspecting that someone with vastly superior deductive skills (Ben Kingsley) is directing a much bigger case where the elusive serial killer is one of many targets that are being hunted with incomprehensible precision.

Director E. Elias Merhige worked with an original screenplay by Zak Penn and Billy Ray that should have produced a substantially longer film because the middle section of the story that is told in Suspect Zero is beyond fascinating. I do not wish to spoil the story, but I would like to mention something that I know to be true. During the Cold War era, the KGB had a top-secret program like Project Icarus that gathered talent from all across the Eastern Bloc and used it to do far more advanced work than the one that is described in Suspect Zero. For example, the KGB had trained talent that could perform in ways that would make famous contemporary clairvoyants look like amateurs, and this talent was frequently embedded in diplomatic missions where crucial outcomes were sought. While working under pressure, much of this talent was lost, too.

The other aspect of the production that could have been modified is the stylization, which is used as the glue to hold the uneven pieces of the narrative together. Mackelway’s bouts of maddening frustration and the collection of the crucial mental images are visualized with stylized imagery that frequently feels overdone.

Merhige’s director of photography was Michael Chapman, whose credits include such iconic films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Hardcore.

Suspect Zero 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of Suspect Zero is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-23 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #26-39 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The native 4K presentation can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose Dolby Vision and did not do any comparisons with HDR, but I tested plenty of footage from the 1080p presentation.

On my system, the native 4K presentation was clearly superior because it produced much stronger and more pleasing visuals. Indeed, while delineation, clarity, and depth were frequently comparable in native 4K and 1080p, the 1080p presentation did not handle grain exposure particularly well. In some of the brighter outdoor footage, for instance, I could see tiny blotches that were missing on the native 4K presentation. Also, there were several areas where the fast-moving footage had noticeably better fluidity in native 4K. Color reproduction is outstanding. However, there is plenty of stylization that impacts how light is reflected, so highlights can be pretty uneven at times. Some mental images are tinted as well. Image stability is excellent. The entire film looks spotless.

Suspect Zero 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The 5.1 track is definitely the one to use when viewing Suspect Zero because there is surround movement on it that is quite impressive. The chase with the big truck, but several other similar sequences, have completely different dynamic balance, too. The dialog is always very clear, sharp, and easy to follow. I did not encounter any audio dropouts or distortions to report in our review.

Suspect Zero 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director E. Elias Merhige explains that he did not set out to make a genre film about a serial killer and why he focused on the ways in which the human brain processes information, and discusses the nature of the case FBI agent Thomas Mackelway works on, the significance of particular stylization choices that were made, how investigative work irreversibly impacts the minds of the investigators, etc.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, director E. Elias Merhige explains that he did not set out to make a genre film about a serial killer and why he focused on the ways in which the human brain processes information, and discusses the nature of the case FBI agent Thomas Mackelway works on, the significance of particular stylization choices that were made, how investigative work irreversibly impacts the minds of the investigators, etc.

• What We See When We Close Our Eyes - this four-part archival program focuses on the conception and production of Suspect Zero. E. Elias Merhige recalls the first time he learned about the U.S. government's funding of a secret "remote viewing" program and how it inspired him to do Suspect Zero. Also included are clips from interviews with scientist Dean Radin, former "remote viewer" Paul H. Smith, and Aaron Eckhart, amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).
  
  1. How We See
  2. Remote Viewing
  3. Psychic Spying
  4. A Non-Local World

• Remote Viewing Demonstration - presented here is footage from a live "remote viewing" session that director E. Elias Merhige participated in and filmed while doing research for Suspect Zero. Also included are clips from an interview with Merhige. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Alternate Ending - presented here is an alternate ending that can be viewed with an optional audio commentary by E. Elias Merhige. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. U.S. Trailer
  2. UK Trailer
  3. TV Spots

Suspect Zero 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite tremendous technological advancements that have altered how we live our lives, the human mind remains a giant enigma because it can do things that still cannot be rationalized. Suspect Zero is about the unlocking of the human mind's potential and using it in solving seemingly unsolvable crimes, which director E. Elias Merhige reveals was a top-secret practice in America for decades. I like this film quite a lot and think that it was a great choice to bring to 4K Blu-ray. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.