by Guven Turkmen
1. Introduction
“I kill 200 people and then someone gives a shit…, At night there are so many lights on you can’t even see the stars. I want time. I want space. They want things.” – Dean Possey (To Catch a Killer 1:36:00-1:38:00). Mass killings are often committed to spread an agenda or belief, but in the case of Dean Possey, a character from the movie To Catch a Killer, murdering innocent people is his retribution for the foundations of our lives today; work, consume, and die. In a vacuum, Possey’s motives are relatable to most people, especially those in the working class, and that’s what makes him an interesting character; he does not exhibit the typical stereotypes of villainy. He is a man who is fed up with reasons most people are every day but uses terror as a coping mechanism. This paper is in no way justifying acts of terror, but it is vital to examine the current political climate, policies, and society as potential breeding grounds for mass shooters. Nobody spontaneously picks up a gun and says today is the day, it’s the years grinding them down that makes them pull the trigger. It’s a question of what grinds them down. To Catch a Killer follows the pursuit of a mass killer in Baltimore, through the experiences of Eleanor, a beat cop who struggles with her own mental issues, while incorporating public reception to the tragic events as well. To Catch a Killer finds its place in the crime/psychological thriller genre by delving into the mystery and investigation surrounding killers by focusing on character motives. The film encourages reflection into the implications of an increasingly modernized world, exploring themes of moral ambiguity, psychological complexity, and the accompanying factors that drives people to their breaking point. Therefore, allows the audience to relate to the killer and challenges typical depictions of antagonists in film, with commentary on media’s sensualisation of tragedy. Through an analysis of historical contexts, current data, and the thriller genre, this paper aims to analyze how the events and characters in To Catch A Killer effectively provide a critique of society.
2. Drawing From Reality: A Historical and Thematic Analysis of Mass Murderers
Possey’s character reflects that of real-life Theodore Kaczynski, notoriously known as the Unabomber. In his manifesto, the Unabomber expresses resentment for industrialization and its consequences, which is identical to Possey’s ideology (Moen 224-225). They both envision a world where humans remain primitive and free from reliance on technology (Moen 224-225). They both use random acts of violence to cope. They both lived in an isolated cabin full of armaments. It is clear the filmmakers drew inspiration from the Unabomber’s life, and adapted him into a more prolific killer, whilst retaining the same level of relatable mantra to the working class. Cases like the Unabomber go as far back as the luddites in the 1800s; English textile workers who opposed the industrialization of their jobs and used violence as their means to an end (Smith 71-72). It’s easy to label all these cases, both fiction and non-fictional, as luddites, but Possey’s motivations go beyond just hating machines. His hatred is for human patterns and cycles we are forced to endure. Lamarck, the FBI regional director in To Catch a Killer, stated that “We’re all different, we still act the same. Rush hour, lunch hour, Black Friday, New Years Eve. We just blindly follow the same patterns. He’s not punishing people, he’s disrupting behaviour.”, showing that it isn’t just industrialization Possey is sick of, but the path humanity strayed from (To Catch a Killer 00:30:10-00:30:20). This also touches on consumerism, of how people chase new products and popular brands, resulting in excessive waste and pollution.
An article published in the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology states that 21% of mass shooters in the United States are motivated by hate solely, with 32% using unemployment and economic factors as their motivation (Peterson et al. 11.13). Possey would fit within these statistics, as in his own words, he is tired of constantly trying to make money to survive. He’s tired of following the rules of the world, and he turns that hate into fuel and funnels it into violence. Another notorious domestic terrorist was Timothy McVeigh. McVeigh claimed the government was tyrannical, however it was his experience in the Iraq war that made him believe this (Parachini 392-393). Possey uses the same type of motive. However, dozens of terrorists share motives with Possey. Creating a character like Dean, that pulls inspiration from various real-world killers, can help the filmmakers achieve a sense of realism, or even better, a sense of familiarity. Possey’s acts of terror felt familiar, and they are, as they have occurred hundreds of times in recent American and international memory, which creates a powerful message to the audience: This isn’t just a movie, it’s a reality we live in.
To Catch a Killer also depicts realistic political discourse. The film relies on TV and radio to show the mass media’s reaction to the massacres. Via this medium, the audience hears multiple perspectives regarding the events of the film, with some blaming America’s involvement in the middle east, and others on gun control policy. There are also references to 9/11, and the Las Vegas massacre, further grounding the film by pulling the audience out of the viewing experience and remembering real tragedies and the associated emotions behind them. An article examining the correlation between media coverage and mass shootings published in the European Economic Reviewfinds that “…US as an exogenous variation suggest shooting news may indeed cause future mass shootings” (Jetter and Walker 14). Mass shooters thrive off controversy and fame, and the media exemplifies this. Moreover, there are phenomena called ‘copy-cat shootings’, where media coverage of shootings inspires others to commit similar acts or be radicalized (Jetter and Walker 3; Peterson et al. 11.7). To Catch a Killer accurately depicts this phenomenon. After Dean shoots up a mall killing dozens, the footage of his carnage is shown on the news, and other groups, completely unconnected to Dean take responsibility for the terrorism. White supremacists, Nazis, racists, and xenophobes, all claim to be the perpetrators and call upon others to bear arms, to ‘reclaim America’. However, this ‘claiming’ isn’t isolated to these groups. The public and the media also like to point fingers after a massacre. Was it ISIS? Was it immigrants? Was it neo-Nazis? A false flag? The sketchy guy down the street? Mass media molds tragedy to fit their narrative. In the film, the pointing of fingers leads to an innocent boy killing himself because of a mental breakdown. Lamark draws this connection after asked why the kid would jump out of a window during a police operation if he was innocent -“maybe its cause of that fucking parasite Jimmy Kittridge calling him a terrorist on live TV. Arab kid, Baltimore high school, you think he pictured himself becoming homecoming king after that?” (To Catch a Killer 34:10-34:20). All points considered, it is vital to understand that the media plays a huge role in preventing and causing mass shootings and preventable deaths. To Catch a Killer addresses this adequately, leaving the audience to reflect upon the last time they turned on the news and played a game of ‘who did what?’.
3. Making a Mass Shooter
A TV presenter said it best, “They’re often victims of aggression during childhood and development, especially from the people who are supposed to love and protect them” (To Catch a Killer 00:19:18-00:19:25). Mental health and childhood trauma are well established determinants of future violence in individuals. Two thirds of mass shooters are diagnosed with a mental health issue according to an article in the International Review of Psychology, however the article also emphasizes that mental health does not directly correlate with acts of violence and its vital to not stigmatize mental health treatment (Lankford and Silva 639-640). Issues at school and work are also common amongst mass shooters, as mistreatment leads to isolation and resentment, which increases susceptibility to radicalization, and ultimately may lead to a seeking of ‘vengeance’ (Lankford and Silva 640). As mentioned earlier, the media presents biased news and leaves viewers stuck in a bubble, resulting in people committing attacks upon whoever the media deems is responsible for society’s problems (Jetter and Walker). Regarding policy, gun control is also a major determining factor in the prevalence of mass shootings. The easier it is to access a firearm in a country, the higher the mass shooting rates are, especially in the United States (Peterson et al. 11.10; Lankford and Silva 640-641). On a grander scale, mass shootings can also be a result of growing inequality, the shrinking middle class, and the exploitative nature of capitalism (Gahman 70-73; Peterson et al. 11.8; Jetter and Walker 3).
However, in To Catch a Killer, there is no one answer to what makes a mass shooter, just like in real life. The motives and factors that drive Possey to kill are a mix of everything mentioned so far: the sensational media, mental health issues, childhood trauma, economic inequality and exploitation, consumerism, capitalism, industrialization, gun control, and outright hate. Dean Possey is a culmination of everything that everyone may hate. He uses almost every problem in current society as his drive and that’s what makes the current gun violence epidemic so hard to treat – there are too many factors at play. The filmmakers used Dean’s diverse set of motives to critique society. That it is the audience that made Dean. It is the mothers and fathers who mistreat children. It is the media that killed an innocent boy. It is the media that controls the narrative. It is the excessive consumption and waste generated by everyone. It is the inequality that people are born into and must struggle to get out of. These are just slices of what makes mass shooters. The film shifts the blame from the individual to society, but individuals are ultimately responsible by indulging in the media. This in no way justifies killing innocent people, however it is important to reflect upon these factors and discuss prevention.
4. Using Thriller and Cinematography
To Catch a Killer is a film of high political content that incorporates traditional thriller formulas. As mentioned throughout this paper, the film heavily relies on news and radio broadcasts to convey a political message. Steve Nael, in Genre of Hollywood, states “thrillers in particular often mark that appeal by drawing on and quoting ‘authentic’ (or authenticating) discourses, artefacts, and texts: maps, newspaper headlines, memoirs, archival documents, and so on” (Neale 30). Moreover, one of the focuses of this paper was to explore the character motives and relate them to real world contexts, and this in of itself is part of the thriller genre, as stated in Projecting Politics: Political Messages in American Film – “adding complexity and confusion to everybody’s motives, simultaneously establishing the thriller as a major form for political movies” (Haas et al. 161). To Catch A Killer is an excellent film within its genre due to presenting moral dilemmas, questioning the audience’s perspectives, and taking jabs at all sides of the political spectrum through a grounded lens.
The film enhances realism with point of view and following camera shots, allowing the audience to uncover the mystery with the investigators, creating suspense. The film opens with an upside-down shot of Baltimore, and the same style is used later. Upside-down shots can invoke a feeling of uneasiness that is often associated with thrillers. Additionally, handheld camera shots provide a grounded experience as well. Additionally, the film relies on sound for storytelling. There is rarely any quiet time, with constant radio and news chatter, which at times can be overwhelming. Adding on, during extreme closeups of characters, surrounding noise is muffled, with an amplified sound of the character’s fidgeting, it is only when the character’s focus is drawn elsewhere that the sound all fades in at once. This is evident in the mall shooting, where Dean sifts through food scraps, his fidgeting amplified amongst the malls noise and judgemental onlookers. Dean is interrupted and suddenly all the noise comes to full clarity, which creates a sense of a calm before the storm, as right after, gunshots ring out. The constant swinging between quiet and loud allows the filmmakers to show how chaotic everyday life is and creates suspense.
5. Conclusion
Everyone is responsible. From the media, to politicians, to parents, to gun policy, to foreign affairs, mental health stigma, and the inequalities that plague society. To Catch A Killer offers a relatable motive stemming from all the problems of modern society and compiles them into one killer, whilst addressing the issue of violence and the roots that it grows from. The film critiques public and investigative approaches to mass shootings and questions the audience’s own beliefs by invoking a feeling of realism and familiarity through inspiration and references to real world tragedies and people. Through thriller, Szifron can paint the issue as gray, and provide a moral ambiguity for the audience to dissect. However one could argue by taking jabs at every side and issue, the filmmakers can leave the audience feeling that the film leaves no discernible message, but this paper demonstrates that that is the message. The real world is messy and not straightforward, however by acknowledging all these issues/motives, society can move towards preventative strategies and hopefully curb increasing amounts of mass shootings, rather than point fingers at each other.
Works Cited
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Haas, Elizabeth, et al. Projecting Politics : Political Messages in American Films. Routledge, 2015.
Jetter, Michael, and Jay K. Walker. “News Coverage and Mass Shootings in the US.” European Economic Review, vol. 148, Sept. 2022, p. 104221, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroecorev.2022.104221.
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Moen, Ole Martin. “The Unabomber’s Ethics.” Bioethics, vol. 33, no. 2, Aug. 2018, pp. 223–29, https://doi.org/10.1111/bioe.12494.
Neale, Steve. Genre and Hollywood. Routledge, 2005.
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Peterson, Jillian K., et al. “Epidemiology of Mass Shootings in the United States.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, vol. 20, no. 1, Annual Reviews, Feb. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081122-010256.
Smith, Roger D. “Luddites and Robots.” Research-Technology Management, vol. 65, no. 2, Taylor & Francis, Feb. 2022, pp. 71–72, https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2022.2020537.
To Catch a Killer. Directed by Damián Szifron, Vertical, 2023.