'The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story' Review: Teri Hatcher's Lifetime thriller is extremely engaging
WICHITA, KANSAS: 'The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story' premiered on Lifetime on June 29, and the edge-of-the-seat thriller is a wonderfully crafted film that keeps you glued to the TV screen till the very end.
The movie tells the story of Ruth Finley (Teri Hatcher) and her husband Ed (Tahmoh Penikett) who live a regular life when the town of Wichita comes under the dread of the fearsome BTK killer. When Ed suffers a heart attack, it leaves Ruth alone to fend off threats to her life as she gets kidnapped and faces a home invasion. As the plot unravels, we see Lt. Bernie Drowatzky ( Eduard Witzke) earnestly looking for the killer.
The movie craftily intertwines a personal story with a serial killer plot. Here's a detailed review of the movie.
Brilliant writing makes 'The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story' an entertaining watch
The film builds slowly but never gets boring. The writing is layered and as we grow deep into the story, we realize that the character building has slowly crept on us as an audience. The writing is brilliant and the screenplay and dialogues are minimalistic but very well done.
The character of Ruth Finley is a beautiful study of emotional trauma and dealing with pain and suffering. As the plot thickens, you begin to understand Ruth Finley better.
The final reveal is the highlight of the film and isn't the ubiquitous villain reveal. It delves into the psychological aspect of the stalker and leaves the audience with a mix of sadness and emotional fragility.
Teri Hatcher gives a performance for the ages
Teri Hatcher gives a wonderful performance as Ruth Finley. She dives deep into the skin of the character and you almost blur the line between the character and herself and as an audience, you're deeply invested in her journey. She carries a deep secret and ages of trauma and her expressions and body language reflect just that.
Tahmoh Penikett is the perfect foil as Ruth's husband who is torn between being a caring husband and also trying to be a good samaritan at the same time. He has some great interactions with Teri Hatcher.
'The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story' gives an important social message
The director Greg Beeman and the writer Katie Gruel had a tough task on their hands as they dealt with a sensitive topic while trying to make a thriller. They were trudging on a thin line between keeping the movie interesting and also trying to say what they set out to say.
The makers have managed to maintain the requisite balance between creating an engaging thriller and coming up with a beautifully made movie that is relevant even in today's society despite being set in the 1970s.
The movie deals with complex emotions and interpersonal relationships and the makers have been very conscious of the issues they were dealing with and carry out their job in the most sensitive manner.
'The Killer Inside: The Ruth Finley Story' premiered on Lifetime on June 29.
