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Mr. Brooks
A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.
2007 · Directed by Bruce A. Evans · 120 min · Crime · Thriller · Screenplay in the scene database · 6 frames
Tagline
The man who has everything has everything to hide.
Plot
Earl Brooks, a respected businessman in Portland, Oregon, leads a secret life as a serial killer. Despite his effort to curb his "killing addiction," Brooks succumbs to his id, Marshall, and kills a young couple in their bedroom. As part of his psychopathology, Brooks leaves each victim's bloody thumbprint on a lampshade, an act that spawned the nickname the "Thumbprint Killer". He follows a meticulous modus operandi, including fastidious preparation, cleansing the crime scene, posing the bodies, locking doors before departing, and even reciting the Serenity Prayer to help himself calm down. Brooks realizes later that the bedroom curtains were open during the murder, the open window facing an apartment building.
Portland Police Homicide Detective Tracy Atwood is on the case, having trailed the Thumbprint Killer for a number of years. During her investigation she finds out that another serial killer that she previously caught, Thornton Meeks aka The Hangman, has escaped from prison and has vowed to kill her.
Brooks's daughter, Jane, unexpectedly arrives home and asks for a job at his company, having dropped out of college. Later, Brooks learns that Jane is pregnant. Soon after, Brooks and his family are visited by Palo Alto detectives investigating a murder in Jane's former campus dorm. Brooks realizes that Jane committed the murder. He briefly considers allowing her to be caught to "save her" from becoming like him. He changes his mind and commits a similar murder in Palo Alto to provide Jane with an alibi.
Plot summary from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.
Crew
- Screenplay: Bruce A. Evans, Raynold Gideon
- Cinematography: John Lindley
- Edited by: Miklos Wright
- Music: Ramin Djawadi
- Production design: Jeffrey Beecroft
- Produced by: Jim Wilson, Kevin Costner, Raynold Gideon
Cast
- Kevin Costner as Earl Brooks
- Demi Moore as Det. Tracy Atwood
- Dane Cook as Mr. Smith
- William Hurt as Marshall
- Marg Helgenberger as Emma Brooks
- Danielle Panabaker as Jane Brooks
- Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Hawkins
- Reiko Aylesworth as Sheila
- Matt Schulze as Meeks
- Yasmine Delawari as Sunday
Production
- Country: United States of America
- Language: English
- Studios: Relativity Media, Tig Productions, Eden Rock Media, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Budget: $20,000,000
- Box office: $48,443,734
- Themes: double life, businessman, photographer, psychopath, portland, oregon, investigation, witness, alter ego, murder, serial killer
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