Joe Deacon, A Deputy Sherriff in a regional police force, is sent to LA to fetch some evidence for a case. In LA he is reunited with many former colleagues as he was a homicide detective there. He is also drawn into a perplexing serial killer case, the details of which are very familiar.

Reasonably interesting, though had the potential to be brilliant. Started off well, with decent character development and an intriguing plot. Good casting and performances too. Denzel Washington puts in his usual solid performance, Rami Malek is good and Jered Leto does what he does best - act as a weird, off-the-wall character.

However, just when this looks set to be heading for something fantastic, cracks start to appear. The plot is less watertight and plausible and then it suddenly takes a rather tangential direction. This direction could have been a masterstroke if handled correctly but unfortunately it isn't. The ending is quite the damp squib. It is dressed up to appear quite profound but it isn't.

So quite disappointing in the end. If writer-director John Lee Hancock had stuck with the initial plot and made a tension-filled crime drama this could have been great. Instead he tries to take it in another direction and while this is more original, his plot is weak, making for an unsatisfying conclusion.

Another thoughtful, character-focused drama with Denzel Washington. It plays against type and the lack of action might frustrate some viewers but I thought the realism worked in its favour and made it unpredictable. The story is essentially a loose remake of SE7EN, with Washington and young partner Rami Malek tracking a creepy serial killer, played with relish by Jared Leto. It's slow and mannered, bolstered by strong performances, building to an emotional rather than physical crisis at the climax.

Deke (Denzel Washington) is a detective who returns to California to deliver evidence. He works his way into a case similar to one that ate at him five years earlier which he never solved. He teams with Jim Baxter (Rami Malek) the man who replaced him. Jared Leto becomes the main suspect and enjoys being a suspect.

Deke has the typical unique way of doing and seeing things like Colombo or Kojak as he is sometimes called. The fun is watching them work going through the police drama motions.

Guide: F-word. Corpse nudity. No sex.