Hotchka

_The Moonlight Murders_ is really one of the more novel serial killer thrillers that Lifetime has broadcast, many of which are just standard fare with a series of similar killings. Here, the use of the phases of the moon really adds something to the story, by Taylor Warren Goff (_Murder in the Dark_) & Ken Miyamoto (_The Bear Lake Murders_), with a screenplay by Miyamoto. Fun fact: in astrology, the phases of the moon do have meanings but I believe the writers have created their own set of meanings to apply to the story, some phases being a harbinger of the victims paying for their misdeeds, such as the woman Zeke finds who had been cheating on her husband with a co-worker (how the Moonlight Murderer knows these things about the victims is not really addressed, but it's entertaining enough that we go along with it). Goff and Miyamoto have really created some interesting characters here, namely Zeke and Poppy, two sort of lost souls who many would dismiss as not being all there, but Zeke is a college graduate. He's just never been able to earn the respect he deserves because his behavior is just a bit off-putting. Only Poppy appreciates him, having known him since high school as a friend and someone who defended her. Sweet Poppy has always carried a flame for Zeke, and while it's never made explicit, we have to wonder if it really was just by chance that she happened to move into the same building, directly across the hall from him. Is she a stalker, or just a desperately love-lorn soul who sees him as a kindred spirit? These really are two of the most interesting characters we've seen in a Lifetime movie in quite some time. The story also succeeds in that it never plays its hand early, and while we never really believe Zeke is the killer, his violent streak certainly makes us question those beliefs. But with a limited number of characters with speaking roles -- May, Franco, Poppy, Detectives Doyle and Foster, Quentin -- we know it is one of them, but it's almost impossible to know who (I did have my own theory through process of elimination, which proved correct, but that guess did not come until late in the story after one very subtle character hint), and if you aren't thinking ahead you will almost certainly be surprised (and the motives for the murders are also pretty novel in how they also relate to the phases of the moon, adding to the sense of magical realism). Aside from the fact that May and Franco seem to have a full set for their show in Tampa, this is a pretty solid, interesting and entertaining story with a shocking finale that may also bring some tears to your eyes. Director Benjamin Meyerson, aided by a good script, really does a nice job of building the mystery and suspense surrounding the murders and Zeke's behavior, keeping all of the actors firmly grounded and in character, never allowing the actual perp to telegraph to the audience that they are the killer, making even that little hint seem totally innocuous. The film also has some nice lighting in the nighttime scenes, but if there is one quibble besides the traveling news set -- Zeke is said to have arrived at work at 5:00 AM the morning he discovered the body, and he rode his bike. Before leaving he stopped to talk to Poppy, who offered him a ride, which would have been maybe 4:30 AM-ish? However, the scene is shot more like it's 4:30 PM with the sun shining brightly. A little error that you really don't think about until much later, but then it becomes a glaring mistake. (But, night shoots can be expensive so the filmmakers have to make do for these tightly budgeted and scheduled productions so we won't hold it against them too harshly.) Full review at https://hotchka.com/the-moonlight-murders-review