In the wake of hurricane Lucy, based in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Henry Hearst (Gene Hackman) is a highly successful lawyer that is asked to come to the local police station to clear up some information surrounding his witness report of a murder that occurred recently. A short chat turns into a long and troubling interrogation with personal details spilled out into the open. A release dating back over twenty years, this may be too old for some, but a solid murder mystery to this day. Under Suspicion is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Stephen Hopkins
Writers:  John Wainwright, Claude Miller, Jean Herman
Starring: Morgan Freeman, Gene Hackman, Monica Bellucci

Dialogue heavy, murder mystery tales can be few and far between, especially ones that take place in real time and ones that almost take place within a single setting from start to finish. That, however, is exactly what Under Suspicion was, with it being reminiscent of an early episode of Columbo at times, with the filmmakers here exploring flashbacks as a method of adding context within the almost two-hour runtime.

There were heavy elements of intrigue and uncertainty injected too, which were aided by the eerie, yet suspenseful musical score that very fitting for a film of this nature. As touched upon, Under Suspicion was driven mostly by its intelligent dialogue and excellent acting performances. It may be a tad slow for some viewers, with very little actually happening, but if slow burns are a style you cater for, this one is worth a watch.

Various sub-plots are included too, with the movie not just exploring the murders that are currently under investigation, but also the lives and relationships of the people that have been unfortunate enough to become entangled within the awful situation they find themselves in. There’s also an open-ended climax for the viewers, which some will value, while others may not.

In terms of the cast, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman starred as the lead characters, Captain Victor Benezet and Henry Hearst, respectively, while support reigned in the from various angles, primarily from Thomas Jane and Monica Bellucci, who adopted the roles of Detective Felix Owens and Chantal Hearst.

Rather intriguingly, and something I only found out when reviewing the flick, Under Suspicion is actually a direct remake of the 1981 release, The Inquisitor, a highly rated French based production that starred Lino Ventura and Michel Serrault – a film that may be reviewed in the near future. As previously stated, Under Suspicion is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

“Go home. Put on a funny hat. Do whatever it is morons do.”

Captain Victor Benezet – Under Suspicion