Suspect Zero Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Suspect Zero Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 2, 2024

E. Elias Merhige's "Suspect Zero" (2004) arrives on 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-A "locked".

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Suspect Zero arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative. The 4K makeover can also be viewed in native 4K via this 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack.

The 4K master is excellent. However, I prefer how the film looks in native 4K because on the 1080 presentation grain exposure tends to appear a bit too loose at times. Obviously, some particular encoding optimizations could have been made so that the visuals are as impressive as they can be. The rest is either very good or excellent. Clarity and depth, for instance, are frequently very impressive. Darker areas are handled very well too, so you won't see any annoying black crush. Color balance is very convincing, though some of the stylization impacts how light is reflected and produces unique highlights. The tinting produces some flatness that is entirely intentional as well. Image stability is excellent.

Suspect Zero 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.

I viewed the film in native 4K and only sampled the different areas of the 1080p presentation of it on Blu-ray. The comments below were used in our review of the 4K Blu-ray release.

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 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• 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 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 looks a little more impressive on 4K Blu-ray than it does on Blu-ray. RECOMMENDED.