Review by John Delia
If you are looking for a good mystery with a few twists leading up to a surprise ending, then The Postcard Killings should do the trick. Taken from a “Best Seller†novel by James Patterson and Liza Marklund, the movie is nicely directed, well-acted and the production value looks high end. With not much to choose from due to the corona virus, the Blu-ray or DVD provides a good night of entertainment.
New York Police Detective Jacob Kanon (Jeffery Dean Morgan) has flown to London to meet with the police about the killing of his daughter and her husband. It was a grisly murder with the two bodies posed to look like a piece of art. But, it is also a very sick display with body parts missing and others stitched into their place. Upset that there is no clues to who killed the couple except a post card sent to a London newspaper writer, Kanon starts to look into the crime. When he finds out that a similar killing was done in Madrid, Spain, he insists that this is the work of a serial killer.
Kanon finally gets a clue after a third killing in Stockholm, Sweden and teams up with reporter Dessie Lombard (Cush Jumbo). Director Danis Tanovic (Director of Oscar winning movie Death in Sarajevo) sets up the plot and feeds out information slowly giving audience a chance to get used to the ups and downs of the investigation, Kanon’s dealing with the police in the foreign countries, and working with the postcard clues that seem to be an elusive tie to the murders. He makes his tale very compelling and twists the story a couple of times on route to his cunning ending.
The acting by the whole cast is top notch and enjoyable, especially the team of Jeffery Dean Morgan and Cush Jumbo who make the film work. Distraught that the London police are not handling the investigation the way the NYPD would work the case, he starts to overstep his boundary. Knowing that he could end his chances on getting to the killer by making adulterated steps, he seeks an out by inviting the reporter from Sweden to join in the hunt.
I also like the way Cush Jombo handles her half of the team making Dessie sympathetic to Kanon’s loss. Being cautious at first, she tries to reason with some of Kanon’s illegal ways of getting information. But, when she starts to walk the thin line of danger Kanon, things turn ugly.
BONUS FEATURE: on both the Blu-ray and DVD
“The Making of THE POSTCARD KILLINGSâ€
The Postcard Killings has not been rated by the MPAA, but contain violence, some nudity, smoking, language, and sexual innuendos. The film is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A very good crime mystery and production. (3.5 out of 5 Stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Jeffery Dean Morgan, Famke Janssen, Naomi Battrick, Ruairi O’Connor, Cush Jumbo, Joachim Krol
Directed by: Danis Tanovic
From a book by: James Patterson and Liza Marklund
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, some nudity, smoking, language, sexual innuendos.
Running Time: 1 hr. 44 min.
Video Release Date: May 19, 2020
Original Theatrical Release Date: March 13, 2020
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Distributed by: RLJE Films
Released on: Blu-ray, DVD