Twisted (2004)

Jessica, whose father killed her mother and committed suicide, is a police officer. While investigating a murder, she finds herself in the center of her own investigation, when her former lovers start being murdered.

Director:

Philip Kaufman

Writer:

Sarah Thorp

Stars:

Ashley Judd, Samuel L. Jackson, Andy Garcia

1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ashley Judd	...	Jessica Shepard
Samuel L. Jackson	...	John Mills
Andy Garcia	...	Mike Delmarco
David Strathairn	...	Dr. Melvin Frank
Russell Wong	...	Lieutenant Tong
Camryn Manheim	...	Lisa
Mark Pellegrino	...	Jimmy Schmidt
Titus Welliver	...	Dale Becker
D.W. Moffett	...	Ray Porter
Richard T. Jones	...	Wilson Jefferson
Leland Orser	...	Edmund Cutler
James Oliver Bullock	...	John Flanagan
William Hall	...	Chip Marshall
Joe Duer	...	Larry Geber
Jim Hechim	...	Bob Sherman (as James Hechim)

Storyline

Jessica Shepard is an on the rise police officer of San Francisco's esteemed police department, after having solved a big case about a serial killer. Her mentor John Mills is proud of Jessica as a father would be of his daughter, since Mills was the partner of Jessica's late father. With a newly established promotion, Jessica finds that she might once again have to prove herself in a department that takes no prisoners. Not to mention a new partner named Mike Delmarco, who might be Jessica's next closest thing to a confidant. However, a man has been found dead and the two officers are brought into the investigation. What they find is a surprise when the dead in question was a man Jessica slept with, he being part of a list of one night stands that Jessica has engaged in. Now under suspicion and a terrible drinking problem gnawing at her, Jessica will have to prove to her superiors and to her skeptical partner that she's not the one behind the murders and Mills is one of the few people ...

---

Plot Keywords:

kicked in the crotch | kicked in the balls | pub | shorthaired woman | woman with short hair | 

---

Taglines:

An elusive killer. A brilliant detective. Maybe one and the same?

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Paramount UIP [Brazil]

Country:

Germany USA

Language:

English Italian Spanish

Release Date:

27 February 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Blackout Murders

Filming Locations:

Crissy Field, Presidio, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,904,299, 29 February 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$25,195,050, 23 May 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures,Intertainment AG,Kopelson Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mark Pellegrino and Titus Welliver co-star in this movie, on the same side of the law. They appeared on Lost (2004), where they played opposing sides in the island's good and evil mythology, as Jacob (The Man in White) and The Man in Black.

---

Goofs

When Jessica leaves the lab after dropping off the blood sample, the Mustang she is driving does not have a roll cage. In earlier scenes, her Mustang is shown with a roll cage.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Edmund Cutler: [knife to her neck] I can hear your heart beating. Sounds like you've got an animal in your chest, trying to get out. Sounds like blood. Sounds like flesh.
[starts unzipping her jacket]
Edmund Cutler: What's this? *What* *is* *this*?
Jessica Shepard: It's my gun.
[suddenly overpowers him and he's on the ground]
Edmund Cutler: Don't hurt me!

---

Connections

References The Right Stuff (1983)

---

Soundtracks

Papa Don't Take No Mess
by James Brown, Fred Wesley, John Starks & Charles Bobbitt (as Charles Bobbit)
Performed by James Brown
Courtesy of Universal Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Ashley needs a new genre

Ashley Judd plays police detective Jessica Shepard, on the hunt for a serial killer who is murdering the men she recently dated. When Jessica starts blacking out before each murder, the police commissioner (Samuel Jackson) and her partner (Andy Garcia) begin to suspect that she may be more directly involved with the murders.

Twisted may boast an impressive cast but that's about all it has going for it. The story is pretty unoriginal as this is just a female version of Tightrope. While having a tough female cop in the lead role is a little interesting, it doesn't save the film from being really bad. The film tries to trick the audience offering some twists and turns but they all fail. Twisted is a poorly written thriller lacking twists. If you really think about it, you could probably figure out the ending before the thirty minute mark. It's just so obvious that you wonder why they even bothered making it in the first place.

Ashley Judd stars in this movie and she really needs to move on to a different genre. High Crimes, Eye of the Beholder, Kiss the Girls, Double Jeopardy and now Twisted have all starred Ashley Judd and I think audiences are getting bored watching her in the same role in every movie. In Twisted, she gives her usual performance though she looked a little bored throughout the film. You would think having Andy Garcia and Samuel L Jackson would help but apparently no talented actor can save the movie. Jackson also appears bored throughout the movie and this a paycheck movie for him. Andy Garcia gives an okay performance. It was just a little over the top.

It's a by the numbers thriller and if you pay close attention to the film you can figure out the killer five minutes into the movie. If you sit back and relax you may enjoy it more but they could have hidden the identity of the killer a little better. All of the three main actors in this movie are way above this material and I was surprised to see all of them in this. In the end, Twisted is another dull entry into the genre and it's only worth watching if you're a die-hard fan of anyone involved. Rating 4/10.