This is a good thriller with some very shocking scenes. It boasts several interesting characters which I found pretty believable. James Woods is Lloyd Hopkins a police detective who tries to catch a serial killer whose prey are young, innocent" women. Hopkins has a kind of a fixation on this type of female (not unlike the Russel Crowe character in L.A. confidential). He thinks they have to be cured" of this innocence at the earliest possible age and accordingly tells his own little daughter the gruesomest possible bedtime stories (a great scene with a great little child actress). Hopkins' wife says he is a disturbed person, and one has to agree with her.<br /><br />In the course of the investigation Hopkins finds out that the owner of a feminist bookstore, Kathleen McCarthy, played by Lesley Ann Warren, is in some way linked to the serial killer. Hopkins, of course, hates feminists but somehow, for the sake of the investigation, he gets into a relationship with McCarthy. This leads to a hilarious foreplay" conversation with an ending that makes you rock with laughter. But real tragedy is never far away and even if the feminist character is a rather blunt caricature, her actions and her reasoning are an essential and convincing part of the story.<br /><br />A further interesting point for me was the reference to born-agains". They are not involved in the crime of this movie but seem to dominate the higher echelons in the police hierarchy. Hopkins' partner warns him about them and tells him that he is at the top of their to retire" list because of his shaky family life. Hopkin's superior is a known born again (I go to church on Sunday and to prayer meetings three times a week, but for the rest of the time I put God out of my mind, he says something like that). It is a very good and sensible performance by Raymond J. Barry as it does not, like in the case of the feminist, revert to stereotype. That captain seems to be strict but correct, acknowledging the talents of Hopkins and criticizing his failings in a fair if tight lipped way. He puts Hopkins on suspension which leads to a violent ending many reviewers seem to appreciate.<br /><br />The production values and the pacing of this movie are above average, it delivers action and leaves time for introspection on different levels. I wish Al Pacino had had a look at this movie before he starred in Insomnia.