Untraceable (2008)

O Masterpiece
O Excellent
X Rental
O OK
O Mediocrity
O Avoid

Review by Jason Pyles / January 28, 2008

In 1978, the first of a series of shocking horror films called “Faces of Death” was released. This documentary (and its successors) claims to be a compilation of various footage that captures actual deaths, which is sometimes gruesome. It turns out that much of the “Faces of Death” footage is artificial.

But what “Faces of Death” threatened to deliver then is nearly commonplace now and easily found on the Internet. Saddam Hussein’s hanging was captured on a cell phone video and available for the world to see online. In fact, viewing live executions has become disturbingly popular.

Sensitive readers (like my wife) should skip over this lengthy, juicy paragraph and continue reading at the next: Let’s not forget the darkest form of filmmaking, snuff films, which are underground and obviously illegal movies that supposedly record actual violence, rapes and murders. (The movies “8MM” (1999) and “Vacancy” (2007) are about snuff filmmaking.) During my sophomore year of college, I happened into a dorm room full of guys watching something that I believe was an authentic snuff film: On this video I saw some dude hanging upside down by a chain while a group of deranged maniacs peeled his skin off in strips. It could have been some twisted Nine Inch Nails promotion, as their music was supplied for the soundtrack, but only Jeff “Time-deat” C. could tell me for sure (and I wish he would inform us on the comments page). My untrained eye was pretty sure it was real, so I left the room appalled and sickened. (Oh, and Jeff, by the way, it was my mom who ratted on you for having that pet snake in the dorms, unbeknownst to me at the time. Sorry.)

Anyway, all of this lengthy prelude is to introduce the potential validity for the premise of “Untraceable.” Sure, this movie has aspects that require a little suspension of disbelief; but overall, “Untraceable” is a fairly intelligent, modern thriller that would not disappoint as a rental choice for your spooky movie night.

Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) works for the Cybercrime Division of the FBI. Hers is the duty to scour for scumbags on the Internet who are breaking the law, typically through fraud, thievery and sexual crimes. But when Marsh gets a tip to check out “Kill With Me.com,” she discovers that the URL offers a literal invitation. (By the way, to preempt your curiosity, I checked www.killwithme.com and found an amusing surprise. Check it out after you’ve seen the movie.)

Yes, in “Untraceable,” some nutcase is capturing and restraining victims in his or her basement, setting up live, streaming video of the sufferer’s fatal afflictions. And the more people who visit the site, the faster the killer’s lethal contraptions kill the victims. The means by which death is administered varies but is always diabolical and creative.

I know, I know … couldn’t the FBI easily zero in on the location of the killer or simply shut down the site? Yes, but not in this movie. This killer is exceptionally intelligent, not to mention tech-savvy, and lots of “techy-speak” is thrown around to try to quell the concerns of astute critics, such as yourself, who pose legitimate gripes such as these. But just go with it.

“Untraceable” was made in the capable hands of Gregory Hoblit, the man who gave us “Frequency” (2000), one of the best films that year. In Hoblit’s new film we get nice touches like an overcast, gray world, which is ominous and unpleasant. And at the same time, our protagonist passes a traffic accident (totally unrelated to the story) where a body lies motionless. These details stir uneasiness within us, evidence of a good thriller.

Part of the fun of a Whodunit or a “Who’s doin’ it” is trying to figure out the identity of the killer. “Se7en” (1995), a must-see crime thriller, waits for most of the film to reveal the recognizable actor who plays the killer. Whereas, “Insomnia” (2002), another great crime flick, necessarily reveals its killer’s famous face about halfway into the movie. Both of these approaches are effective. But “Untraceable” doesn’t tease our curiosity enough with the Whodunit question. Even so, the reasons why the killer is committing such heinous acts are pretty good, which is a rarity for this genre.

Oh, here’s a little challenge for those who see this movie: Unless I totally missed something obvious (which is possible), there are two characters who aren’t where they’re supposed to be and seem to essentially vanish. This question, though small, is never answered, at least, not that I noticed. If you caught what happened to these two characters (the two who were in the empty room where the lamp is tipped over), then please submit a comment on this blog.

I like “Untraceable” because it is somewhat original: Web site visitors aren’t fans but accomplices assisting in murder. Interesting. The killer may have unrealistic, elaborate plans, unbelievable luck, remarkable financial means and too much extra time, but it’s still intriguing, all the same. And I also appreciate how “Untraceable” is deranged without going overboard into the depths of unwatchable grotesqueries.

“Untraceable” seems to point its mouse finger at origins such as reality TV, a craze that is possibly mutating into our watching live executions online. We might wonder why anybody would want to watch that. But then again, why would anybody want to watch horror films?

Regardless of whether the killing is real or unreal, we are still entertaining ourselves with the portrayal of violence and murder. Perhaps we just like the thrill of viewing as a mere proxy, safe and secure, while asking ourselves the “what if?” question: What if that were me? What would I do in that predicament? Or, perhaps we’re just glad it’s not us hanging upside down from a chain at a Nine Inch Nails party.

Directed by Gregory Hoblit
Diane Lane / Billy Burke / Colin Hanks
Thriller / Crime 100 min.
MPAA: R (for grisly violence and torture, and some language)

U.S. Release Date: January 25, 2008
Copyright 2008: 225