Director: J. Lee Thompson
Starring: Charles Bronson, Wilford Brimley, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens, Gene Davis
Running Time: 102 minutes
Synopsis: In Los Angeles, disturbed young man Warren Stacey (Gene Davis) murders an office colleague who rejected his advances, and commits the crime while naked. Detectives Leo Kessler (Charles Bronson) and Paul McAnn (Andrew Stevens) investigate, and Leo realizes the victim was a friend of his daughter Laurie (Lisa Eilbacher), a nursing student. When Stacey kills again, Leo grows increasingly frustrated by the lack of conclusive evidence. He bends the law in an attempt to secure a conviction, and Stacey retaliates by targeting Laurie.
What Works Well: This surprisingly controlled crime thriller finds Charles Bronson in decent form, making full use of a reasonably engaging plot and a moral dilemma in the gap between law and justice. With Gene Davis delivering a disturbing portrait of evil hiding in plain sight, the villain Warren Stacey is introduced early as a worthwhile foe, and his penchant for committing murders while nude injects kink to his sexual deviancy. Lisa Eilbacher adds engagement as Bronson's daughter, while Wilford Brimley provides veteran talent as the police chief.
What Does Not Work As Well: Director J. Lee Thompson's straight-ahead style is consistent with B-movie fundamentals. The dialogue is often either creaky or cringey, a few scenes meander into slasher/horror territory as an unnecessary gateway to gore, and the romance between McAnn and Laurie settles into lukewarm clunkiness.
Key Quote:
Leo: You go in that courtroom and forget what's legal and do what's right.
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