Review of Instinct to Kill

Loosely based on the book The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner, Instinct to Kill puts Tim Abell and Mark Dacascos back together for the first time since The Base. Turning the story round and telling it much more from the killer's point of view gives the film advantages over the book, not least of which is the fact that we get to see more of Abell. He is the saving of the film, bringing the murderer, his character, to life in a way that Dacascos and Cryder seem unable to do with theirs. Unfortunately interesting characters have been omitted from the book which would have improved the film, but the progress of Jim Beckett reminds me a lot of the Andy Robinson character from Dirty Harry, without the totally over the top acting. It is fervently hoped that Abell does not suffer the same fate as Robinson and remain typecast as the psychotic killer, he is too good an actor for that.

Some of the make up used to disguise the murderer is a little amateurish but other special effects and the fight scenes particularly are very well done. Especially touching is the scene between Beckett and his father. What intrigued me most was Beckett's ongoing murder spree which was conducted without the expected descent into madness or raving looney tunes. He remained the same calculated, in control character throughout, who if you passed him in the street you would have thought nothing of. No rolling eyes giving the insanity away or the dishevelled appearance crying out for the men in white coats to pick him up. Abell plays it straight and it works.

Overall I really enjoyed the film and would recommend it.