Untraceable

By Linda Winsh-Bolard

Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) is head of the FBI Portland Cyber Crimes unit. Part of her job is monitoring the web. Sweeping the net she finds a site, called Kill with Me, where somebody tortures kidnapped cat to death.

Disturbed, she reports the site and it’s abnormally sophisticated set-up, only to be brushed off by her supervisor.

The site doesn’t stay shut down and the content progresses to killing people. Here comes the twist: the site manager uses live video stream with a counter. While the victims are tied up waiting for tortuous death, the counter counts hits to “Kill with Me”. When it gets to certain number, the mechanism releases the killing instrument.

By second kill, the FBI informs people that this is no real and asks them to stay off the site. Instead, morbid curiosity and depraved minds log on as fast as they can helping to kill the victims.

The film takes a shot on both, the media constantly looking for higher ratings never mind the human cost, and people’s growing indifference to any connection with others. We are fast becoming isolated voyeurs. Growing numbers will gladly watch torture, rape, death in any variations, no compassion, no sense of responsibility, or even an associated understanding what they have become. The sense of prevailing thirst for pain in others is enhanced by the scrolling chat room comments after the victims die. These are truly obscene in their stupid, shallow inhumanity. And, as anyone who ever ended up in the wrong chat room knows, highly accurate.

Not surprising in a country where the attorney general cannot answer the question whether or not water boarding is a torture.

We are not alone, of course. Cruel indifference is growing everywhere.
Unfortunately the film does not even touch on why is it happening. If it did, it might have been clumsy or too long. I suspect that had it attempted, it would have never been made. It probes into the anonymity of the net, and the combined desire for new excitement of people who are powerless, and lack any empathy. The film is more a messenger with dire warning than a movie. Effective, fast moving, well edited messenger.

Diane Lane is credible in her character, and it is an involved character, until the end. Logically, her only mistake would climbing back into the dark car with the killer in the vicinity. Her nerdy colleague, Colin Hanks (yes, Tom’s son), seems to know all about computers, downloading, uploading etc. yet he falls for a changed voice phone call. It cost him his life, but not before he remembers his Morse. Electronics after all might turn against you at the time of need. Anyone can break into just about anything and misuse it.

There is plenty of computer jargon; only the buffs would know how accurate it is. For example: does the counter count hits or watchers- in other words one person can hit the site hundred of time repeatedly if only hits are counted. If the site recognizes computers, then it cannot. Also this killer is not only a web genius, he has unlimited resources and no need to hide in real world. Otherwise he would not have chosen to kill in Portland, Oregon. I do know it seems unlikely that the warning of killing animals would still be overlooked, but in real world it would.

A Sony Pictures Entertainment release of a Screen Gems and Lakeshore Entertainment presentation of a Lakeshore Entertainment production in association with Cohen/Pearl Prods. Produced by Steven Pearl, Andy Cohen, Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Hawk Koch. Executive producers, Richard Wright, Eric Reid, James McQuaide, Harley Tannenaum. Directed by Gregory Hoblit, Camera: Anastas Michos, Screenplay: Robert Fyvolent, Mark R. Brinker, Allison Burnett, story by Fyvolent, Brinker.

Jennifer Marsh - Diane Lane
Det. Eric Box - Billy Burke
Griffin Dowd - Colin Hanks
Owen Riley - Joseph Cross
Stella Marsh - Mary Beth Hurt
Richard Brooks - Peter Lewis
Tim Wilks - Tyrone Giordano
Annie Haskins - Perla Haney-Jardine
Herbert Miller - Tim De Zarn