Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton wanted to make a documentary on the Zodiac Killer, one of the most infamous serial killers in American history. But when the project fell apart, a new one emerged, and it became a sensation at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
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That’s the set-up for Shackleton’s “Zodiac Killer Project,” a wry and self-reflexive look at the true crime genre, and it finally hits NYC theaters on November 21, with a wider national rollout to follow.
Here’s an official synopsis for “Zodiac Killer Project,” courtesy of Music Box Films:
Filmmaker Charlie Shackleton was hot on the trail of the next great American true crime documentary—a riveting account of a highway patrolman’s quixotic effort to identify and capture the infamous Zodiac Killer. Shackleton devised a plan, began collecting interviews, and shot “evocative B-roll” footage of ghostly California freeways and parking lots where the killer may have once lurked. And then the project fell apart, leaving Shackleton with fragments of the unfinished film and time to ruminate on shortcuts and signifiers of the ubiquitous genre.
A witty and beautifully assembled deep dive into our obsession with serial killers and the stories we tell about them, Shackleton’s Zodiac Killer Project emerges from the ash heap to probe and deconstruct the form with the incisive eye of a true crime connoisseur.
Along with directing “Zodiac Killer Project,” Shackleton also produces the film with Catherine Bray and Anthony Ing.
As noted earlier, “Zodiac Killer Project” was a sensation at Sundance earlier this year. Jury Head Elijah Wood awarded the film the Innovator Award at this year’s festival, championing its originality. But those familiar with Shackleton’s career shouldn’t be surprised by the success; other notable works by the filmmaker include “Beyond Clueless,” a doc exploring the Teen Movie genre, and “Paint Drying,” an experimental protest film that had a strange second life on Letterboxd.
“Zodiac Killer Project” hits NYC theaters on November 21; stay tuned for more details on its nationwide expansion. Watch a trailer for the doc below.
