The Postcard Killings

The Postcard Killings, based on the James Patterson and Lisa Marklund novel The Postcard Killers, concerns NYPD detective Jacob Kanon (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as he travels to Europe. Sadly, his trip is not for vacation, as he is going to help track down the people who killed his daughter and son-in-law. While the international authorities are happy to help him, everyone is still bound to follow proper procedures.

Since Kanon is only a visiting consultant, he uses his contacts to get access to privileged information that may hold the key to finding the two killers. He also teams up with journalist Dessie Leonard (Cush Jumbo), who helps him dissect the meanings of the poses of the dead bodies; mirrored after famous works of art. Why are these people going on a killing spree across Europe? What, if anything, are they trying to prove?

“He also teams up with journalist Dessie Leonard, who helps him dissect the meanings of the poses of the dead bodies…”

The Postcard Killings, directed by Danis Tanovic, and written by Marklund and Andrew Stern, does not reinvent the serial killer thriller. It hits all the expected beats, but it has enough depth and twists to serve as a rock-solid example of the subgenre. For one, Jacob Kanon’s love for his daughter is never in doubt. Neither is how intelligent he is, and his instincts serve him well. The police are interrogating two people who are connected to everything somehow, and Kanon is positive that their answers are rehearsed. Of course, he proves right.

Perhaps more importantly than Kanon, are the killers themselves. Without giving anything away, though the movie does reveal who they are 30-minutes in, their motivations are unexpected, to say the least. As stated in the film, there is a certain, twisted logic to what they are doing. Of course, their actions are still monstrous and horrific, but the audience almost empathizes with them.