Crime Time (1996)

Directed by: George Sluizer | 118 minutes | horror, thriller | Actors: Stephen Baldwin, Pete Postlethwaite, Sadie Frost, Geraldine Chaplin, Karen Black, James Faulkner, Phil Davis, Marianne Faithfull, Emma Roberts, Anne Lambton, Suzanne Bertish

The relationships and psychology at the basis of ‘Crimetime’ has quite a lot of potential. The obsession with what is ‘real’ and the search for this authenticity against a background of a cynical world that just wants to be entertained. That’s enough for a fascinating – and even chilling – drama. With an actor like Pete Postlethwaite in the ranks, this theme can even be successfully brought to the fore. And yes, even with a Stephen Baldwin in good shape, there’s quite a bit to be gained from this.

But there are even more themes at play: the desire to be ‘seen’ and noticed. Not so much because of your immediate environment, but because of the larger community, because of the media. Fame, the power, and attraction of the media. The corrupting power of it, even. And what happens if you lose that focus? What kind of valley do you fall into and to what extremes can you go to find your place again? Spicy fare, especially if it comes on top of it. Then you have to come from a very good background to braid it all elegantly. Even if you want to keep the playing time within limits.

You guessed it, Sluizer barely succeeds in this. It’s just too much to cram into a film of less than two hours. In addition, Stephen Baldwin doesn’t exactly show his best work, leaves a lot to be desired, and also adds a sarcastic, winking tone that isn’t delicious, like in a ‘Starship Troopers’ by Paul Verhoeven. entertaining, but raises eyebrows and actually makes you feel like you’ve landed in a b-movie. The less successful supporting actors are also to blame for this.

But as said: the dramatic basis is not so bad. The murder of a (starting) serial killer is highlighted in a TV program that reconstructs murders and then asks the viewer whether witnesses would like to come forward. A kind of ‘Investigation Requested’ but with an entertainment sauce over it and very dubious motives. In short, it’s only about the ratings, and the producers actually prefer not to have the killer caught.

Mediocre but self-righteous actor Bobby Mahon (Stephen Baldwin) has to make ends meet as an actor in this TV series and is inspired by Sidney (Postlethwaite), the murderer who indirectly provides him with work on a deliberate workday by murdering a woman from a bar, the night before. He starts to put himself more and more into him, wants to know how he carries out the murders, what he wears. In short, he wants to play the killer role as well as possible, in the ‘method acting’ way. Which of course carries the danger that he plays the part a little too well. At first his girlfriend finds it exciting that he gets a little rougher during their dates, but at some point the fun is gone for her too.

The extent to which Bobby is involved in the police investigations is quite absurd, by the way. With the new murders, he is always the first to see the corpse up close. Maybe if the ‘Crimetime’ program were a little less cynical and actually provided tips, it would be something different, but the people behind the program are clearly a bunch of opportunistic greedy people with no regard for the well-being of society.

When Sidney stops killing, Bobby’s ratings and career take a turn for the worse. Fortunately, Sidney sees the program on TV and is flattered – and seen – by Bobby’s spirited commitment. He even leaves tips on his answering machine and finds inspiration again to continue killing. For his (or Bobby’s?) fans, shall we say. The motivations and actions of these two characters become more and more similar, and this bond (and contrasts) between Bobby and Sidney keeps ‘Crimetime’ (the movie) quite interesting at various times.

This is largely due to the always interesting acting Pete Postlethwaite. Stephen Baldwin, on the other hand, makes quite an impression in a few powerful scenes, but it’s a shame that he already seems quite psychotic – or at least half stoned – for most of the film. Then the transition to obsessed killer is really only a small one and there is little room for mood swings and nuances. Ultimately, ‘Crimetime’ is simply a film that wants too much and achieves too little. And that’s a shame, given the talent in front of and behind the camera.