By George & Josh Bate
Few genres have accelerated in popularity and subsequently become oversaturated at the speed of true crime. Seemingly every week, a new true crime documentary series hits Netflix, giving audiences a taste of real violence and the mystery surrounding it from the comfort of their homes. In his new film Zodiac Killer Project, filmmaker Charlie Shackleton breathes much-needed life into the increasingly stale genre by simultaneously deconstructing the behind the scenes mechanics of true crime and constructing one of the best true crime documentaries in years.
Zodiac Killer Project departs markedly from typical true crime fare in a number of key areas. The documentary finds Shackleton in the aftermath of some devastating news. His planned documentary about the infamous Zodiac Killer has been canceled as, at the last minute, he was unable to secure the rights to the book he wished to adapt – The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up by Lyndon E. Lafferty. Rather than let the project die entirely though, Shackleton devises an innovative plan – to create a movie about his unfinished movie. The documentary takes the audience step-by-step what through what Shackleton’s originally planned movie would have looked like, using his narrations, empty locations, and evocative B-roll footage to tell the story of the documentary he didn’t get to make while offering insights into all the filmmaking decisions that go into making a true crime documentary.
On paper, Zodiac Killer Project shouldn’t work. The entirety of the 92-minute film features Shackleton, off-screen for the vast majority of the runtime, narrate with still and, at times, slowly zoomed in images of real-life locations as a backdrop. Shackleton even pokes fun at the structure of his film at one point as he questions how compelling this new iteration of his documentary will be. Seemingly unanticipated by Shackleton, however, is that Zodiac Killer Project is supremely compelling and delightfully unique.
In going over, essentially scene-by-scene, what his originally planned documentary would have looked like, Shackleton provides fascinating commentary on the making of true crime documentaries and their ubiquitous nature. Interspersed with clips from a variety of pre-existing true documentaries, including Making a Murderer and The Jinx, Zodiac Killer Project frequently pauses its overview of the narrative of Shackleton’s original film and pivots to exquisite deconstructions of the true crime genre. For instance, the witty and well-spoken Shackleton is candid regarding what he would have excluded from his documentary in order to retain tension and craft the narrative he desired. Shackleton walks the audience through how he would have used certain locations as stand-ins for actual locations, how he would have skimmed over or honing in on specific elements of the story to maximize suspense, and how he would have used established tools of the genre to create a great true crime documentary.
This latter point proves particularly interesting as Shackleton frequently highlights the overwhelming similarities between all true crime documentaries, pinpointing how they recycle the same visual and narrative tools – from opening credits featuring flashing newspaper headlines and vague yet ominous narration to flashing to a video tape recorder to imply (often erroneously) to the audience that what they are about to hear is an actual recording from the case to so much more. It makes for incredibly interesting and insightful viewing, even for those who are well-versed in true crime and have seen countless documentaries. Shackleton’s incisive eye allows the viewer to learn about the universal properties of an effective true crime documentary and, in the process, recognize the extent to which these documentaries are heightened and contorted for dramatic effect. As a result, watching Zodiac Killer Project will forever change how you watch true crime documentaries.
Remarkably, however, Zodiac Killer Project couples its triumphs as a commentary on true crime with a genuinely well-crafted true crime story. As Shackleton admits, the Zodiac killer has been the subject of countless books and movies, none more famous than the novel by Robert Graysmith and the David Fincher-directed film adaptation. In adapting, at least initially, The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up by Lyndon E. Lafferty, however, Shackleton finds a novel entry point into an extensively explored true story. Lafferty’s investigation into a specific suspect of the Zodiac case is as cinematic as true crime gets – it’s very easy to see why Shackleton so desperately wanted to adapt this story into a full-length documentary. Despite not holding the rights to Lafferty’s novel, Shackleton does a surprisingly impressive job telling the story he wanted to tell, albeit through narration and B-roll, rather than more elaborate re-creations and witness interviews.
Nonetheless, Zodiac Killer Project struggles at times with gaps in its narrative that are created by the lack of access to Lafferty’s novel. There are multiple moments in the movie that Shackleton freely admits to the viewer that he cannot explain what happened, as this would place him in a legal conundrum with Lafferty’s estate. As a result, we’re only treated to a portion of this specific true crime story – an extremely well-told and crafted portion, but a portion nonetheless.
The lack of access to Lafferty’s book most greatly hinders the finale of Zodiac Killer Project. After a thrilling middle act (which involves a story involving a fishbowl you just have to see to believe), the film loses steam in its final act as Shackleton is limited as to what he can say about Lafferty’s investigation.
Ultimately, however, Zodiac Killer Project finds its footing again. After placing Shackleton himself at a distance for much of the runtime, the film eventually shows the director’s face and explores, albeit briskly, the toll unfinished art has on an artist. Any artist has, at one point or another, started a project they have been unable to complete, an underexplored theme Shackleton addresses in his film. While the documentary would have benefitted from sitting with this theme more and thus allowing the sentiment to resonate more broadly, it culminates in relevant and even emotional fashion by touching on this universal struggle for artists.
VERDICT: 8.5/10
Zodiac Killer Project breathes much-needed new life into the over-saturated true crime genre. Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton crafts an exquisite deconstruction of true crime documentaries, while simultaneously crafting a compelling true crime documentary of his own. What on paper should not work instead proves immensely fascinating as Shackleton peels back the layers, tropes, and mechanics of the genre, in turn forever changing the way you watch true crime documentaries. Although limited by the lack of full access to The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up by Lyndon E. Lafferty (the novel Shackleton originally wanted to adapt in his documentary), the filmmaker excels in crafting great tension through narration, evocative B-roll, and haunting slow zoom-ins to seemingly innocuous environments. The documentary eventually culminates in an interesting, albeit brief, exploration of the toll unfinished art has on an artist that gives the film relevance beyond the true crime sphere. Whether you’re a true crime fanatic or a true crime detractor, Zodiac Killer Project is worth a watch for its singular execution and deconstruction of the popular genre.