Raetsonwe Redundant and unnecessary.

GazerRise Fantastic!

ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

td_gwendy I've seen a couple of Ted Bundy movies and they were more of a slasher horror fest based on real events. Although The Riverman is also based on real events, and in particular the book authored by Robert "Bob" Keppel (played by Bruce Greenwood in the movie), this made-for-TV movie to me felt a lot creepier than the other two Bundy films I had mentioned.Now before you go running off to the DVD store, you have to know that this is no slasher flick. This movie is scary for its psychological insights into the mind of a monster, particularly that of Ted Bundy. What's even scarier is how well Cary Elwes plays the role of Bundy, from his gestures, his voice, and most especially his eyes. It is perhaps one, or could be Elwes's best performance yet, albeit not quite recognized.Though a made for TV movie, it felt more like a silver screen feature. The acting never feels forced, the pacing satisfactory, and the script very intense especially towards the film's conclusion. There may be an amateurish feel towards the cinematography, but over all, a very good, chilling film.

Alex-372 Riverman is a pretty good made for TV movie. Many movies based on books are of a better quality, because the screenplay has a lot more to work with.Riverman was written by Robert Keppel, and published long before Gary Leon Ridgway was caught for the Green River serial murders.The book is based around Keppel's interviews with another serial killer, Ted Bundy, who also committed many of his murders in Washington State. The idea of a profiler going out and interviewing a (famous) serial killer was also the basis for the movie Silence Of The Lambs, with Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins.Where the movie is very good, is in showing the internal world of so many serial killers - the sociopath's inability to feel emotion except under extreme circumstances, the childhood abuse, etc. What it only slightly touches upon is the fact that for Ted Bundy, killing was only a means to an end. He was a necrophiliac who enjoyed the corpses more than the live persons, and God knows whatever other psychotic factors were in play as well. It remains a mystery why he kept the skulls - sex? Did they talk to him? These issues are brought up in a rather rushed manner, compared to the book. But that is only a minor quibble, and perhaps inevitable in a made for TV movie.The irony is that Robert Keppel was only marginally involved in actually catching either Bundy or Ridgway. Bundy was caught because of a traffic violation, and Keppel wasn't even involved at all in Ridgway's apprehension in late November 2001.I would like to add that the movie also accurately shows that these individuals are rather pathetic geeks once apprehended. They prey on the most vulnerable people in society, and often only then during their most vulnerable moments. They abuse the general trust people and societies need to operate. In short, anyone can sneak up on someone and hit them over the head. It is also why female serial killers almost exclusively target the very old and the very young, and very often use poison. They only very rarely kill adult men by violent means (Aileen Wuornos is the exception).This is a very good true crime movie, however as a movie, it has some problems.

Syl I had just bought the book, The Riverman, in Ketchikan, Alaska. I was on vacation and I bought it at a drugstore. It is perhaps one of the best books ever written about Bundy. Keppel does not leave anything out regarding Bundy or Ridgway in the book but the film version is conduced to keeping the important facts and information. Those pictures of Bundy's murder victims are real authentic. What other films about Bundy fail to express is what he did with the bodies of his murdered victims afterwards. In order to catch the Green River Killer, he had to befriend Ted Bundy, played admirably by Cary Elwes. He does such an excellent job that it's frightening and often chilling. Cary Elwes is the best Bundy I have ever seen in television movies. He even brings out a sympathetic side to his human monster never before. No, this movie is not for children or squeamish adults. If the viewers watch without much information, they may not be able to grasp the horror of both the Green River and Bundy's legacies. But watch how Bundy uses his knowledge to try to solve one of the world's biggest mysteries. While Bundy did not live long enough to see the Riverman's capture, he died a complete coward and confessed to all his crimes with hopes of saving his own life.

inkburned One thing I noticed about this movie almost immediately was the similarities between it and Silence of the Lambs. The theme of the detective going to one serial killer in order to penetrate the mind of another serial killer is present within both films, but after that the similarities begin to dissipate. Bruce Greenwood as Robert Keppel allows his character to have faults and use at least some of them to his advantage. Cary Elwes is almost unrecognizable in his nuanced performance as Ted Bundy.For me, the direction left nothing to be desired. Although movies and novels about murderers and serial killers are a dime a dozen these days (check the blurbs on the back of the paperback novels in the 'book' section of your grocery store, if it has one) 'The Riverman' adds some unexpected details that added depth to the characters and their story. There are glimpses into the minds of Bundy and Keppel throughout the movie, and I was pleased to see how they compared and overlapped. The energy was not as frantic as some cop shows make the serial killer chase out to be, but there was still a sense of urgency and electricity underlying the interactions between Bundy, Keppel, and the young detective Dave Reichert who tries his best to do the job right. The control and fresh take on this piece take it above and beyond the rest of the TV movies I've seen, and there have been a lot of them.Four and a half out of five.