A chronicle of the interaction between college student Jason Moss and the object of his obsession, serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
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Title: Dear Mr. Gacy (2010)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| William Forsythe | ... | John Wayne Gacy | |
| Jesse Moss | ... | Jason Moss | |
| Emma Lahana | ... | Alyssa | |
| Cole Heppell | ... | Alex Moss | |
| Belinda Metz | ... | Valerie Moss | |
| Michael Ryan | ... | Frank Moss | |
| Eric Keenleyside | ... | Stan | |
| Daryl Shuttleworth | ... | Guard Thompson | |
| Patrick Gilmore | ... | Glen Phillips | |
| Andrew Airlie | ... | Professor Harris | |
| Michael Kopsa | ... | FBI Agent | |
| Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman | ... | Male Hustler | |
 |
Hunter Elliott | ... | Butcher Shop Victim |
| Michaela Mann | ... | Prostitute | |
|
|
Dee Jay Jackson | ... | Desk Guard |
1993. Overachieving college student Jason Moss, fascinated by serial crime, decides to write his criminology class term paper on John Wayne Gacy, who is on death row and scheduled to be executed in six months time. Jason's criminology professor, Mr. Harris, will only allow Jason to write his paper on Gacy if Jason can come up with a fresh angle, as he himself believes the topic of serial killers is already overexposed. After writing Gacy a nondescript letter and receiving a questionnaire from Gacy in return, Jason believes the fresh angle would be truly to get inside Gacy's head, specifically to learn what makes him tick, by presenting himself in subsequent correspondence to Gacy as Gacy's "type", i.e. a vulnerable young man from a dysfunctional family and thus who is possibly at risk. Despite the advice that he needs to watch out for cunning Gacy, Jason is certain he can outsmart the serial criminal at his own game. Things take an unexpected turn for Jason when he starts receiving ... Written by Huggo
For a college term paper, a rather naive young man named Jason Moss (played by actor improbably named Jesse Moss) decides to interview notorious, real-life serial killer John Wayne Gacy (William Forsythe). The story, which is true, is set in the early 1990s.
Gacy was convicted in 1980 of killing over thirty Chicago area boys and young men in the 1970s, and was on death row when Moss sent Gacy the initial written inquiry. Through the plot, the two correspond via letter and talk on the phone. Eventually, Gacy arranges for a personal visit from Moss.
Jason comes across as smart, ambitious, and a bit smug and cocky. At no time does he express any genuine interest in Gacy as a person. Instead, Jason hopes to gain the confidence of Gacy so as to learn details about Gacy's experiences that law enforcement and the FBI were unable to learn. Jason's motives are thus somewhat selfish, and aimed at furthering his own academic career. I really didn't much sympathize with him or his tactics. And of course Gacy, the killer who dressed up as a clown, was truly evil. In short, there's no one to root for in this film.
This is an unusual movie in that close-up camera shots of characters comprise much, if not most, of the scenes. Lighting is conventional. The film offers little in the way of suspense. It comes across as a TV docu-drama. Casting and acting are acceptable.
For viewers interested in true crime stories, "Dear Mr. Gacy" offers a strange after-the-fact twist to a dreadful episode. And at the film's very end, the script makes a startling revelation about one of the real-life characters.