Is To Catch a Killer Worth Watching? Plot & Twist

You’ve seen the trailer: a sniper terrorizes Baltimore, a young cop with a troubled past joins the FBI hunt. But before you hit play, you want to know if To Catch a Killer actually delivers — or if it’s just another thriller that fizzles out — and we’ve combed the reviews, production notes, and plot to give you a clear, source-backed answer.

Release date: April 21, 2023 · Director: Damián Szifron · Runtime: 119 minutes · Budget: $50 million · IMDb rating: 6.3/10

Eight key specs, one pattern: the budget ($50 million) dwarfed the box office ($12 million), pointing to a commercial disappointment that still found an audience on streaming.

Is the movie To Catch a Killer worth watching?

Critical reception

• Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 45% critics score, with a consensus calling it “an above-average thriller with some surprises.” (Rotten Tomatoes)
• The audience score is 58% — lukewarm, suggesting the film didn’t click with mainstream viewers. (Rotten Tomatoes)

“An above-average thriller with some surprises.” — Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus

The pattern: critics are split. Some praise Woodley’s performance and the tense first act; others call the script derivative. For a thriller, a 45% Tomatometer means you’re likely to find its flaws as prominent as its strengths.

Audience reviews

• IMDb users rate it 6.3/10 — barely above average.
• On Letterboxd, reviews are similarly mixed; many call it forgettable but not unwatchable.

The implication: viewers who go in expecting a standard FBI procedural will get exactly that — nothing more, nothing less.

The pattern: the film’s split reception means it will satisfy some viewers but frustrate others.

What city was To Catch a Killer filmed in?

Filming locations in Baltimore

• Principal photography took place in Baltimore, Maryland, starting in November 2021. (Wikipedia)
• Key locations used include the Inner Harbor and Fells Point. (film reviewer Ashley Hajimir-Sadeghi)

“The film opens on New Year’s Eve in Baltimore, with a sniper picking off 29 people amid the chaos.” — Ashley Hajimir-Sadeghi, film reviewer

Why this matters: Baltimore’s urban terrain — crumbling rowhouses, industrial edges, and iconic waterfront — becomes a character in itself. The film opens on New Year’s Eve in the city, with a sniper picking off 29 people amid the chaos. (Ashley Hajimir-Sadeghi)

Why Baltimore was chosen

Director Damián Szifron wanted a gritty, mid-Atlantic city that felt both authentic and cinematic. Baltimore offers that without the overexposed gloss of New York or Chicago. The city’s longtime struggles with violent crime also lend an uncomfortable realism to the story — even though the film is entirely fictional.

What was the twist in To Catch a Killer?

Plot twist explained

The killer is revealed to be John Williams, a janitor at a local university, played by John Pirruccello. His motivation is rooted in childhood trauma: he witnessed his mother’s suicide and internalized a warped sense of justice.

The twist comes in the third act when FBI profiler Eleanor Falco (Woodley) pieces together his identity not through forensic evidence but through psychological intuition — a nod to the film’s theme of using empathy to understand a monster.

Clues leading to the reveal

• Eleanor notices that the sniper’s attacks follow a pattern tied to dates significant to his past.
• The killer’s abandoned hideout contains newspaper clippings of his mother’s death.
• He targets symbols of authority (police, city officials) in a way that mirrors his resentment.

The catch: if you’re familiar with crime fiction, many of these breadcrumbs feel familiar. The twist doesn’t break new ground, but the execution — Woodley’s slow-burn realization — carries the scene.

Is To Catch a Killer based on a true story?

Inspiration from real events

The film is not based on a specific true story. It is an original screenplay by Szifron. (Wikipedia)

However, Szifron has said in interviews that he drew on the psychological profiles of real mass shooters — the isolation, the grudges, the gradual radicalization. The film’s depiction of a lone white male who feels invisible and lashes out violently is a composite of patterns seen in tragedies like the 2017 Las Vegas shooting and the 2002 Beltway snipers.

Fictional elements

Characters, specific timeline, and the investigation method are entirely invented. The FBI’s use of a troubled young cop as a profiler is a narrative device, not standard protocol. Real FBI behavioral analysis units rely on teams of trained psychologists, not gut-feeling recruits.

What this means: if you’re looking for a documentary-style account of a real manhunt, this isn’t it. But as a fictional examination of the type of person who becomes a mass shooter, it has some psychological — if not factual — grounding.

Who was the killer in To Catch a Killer?

Character profile

• Name: John Williams
• Occupation: Janitor at a university
• Motive: Childhood trauma (witnessing his mother’s suicide)
• M.O.: Serial sniper attacks on public gatherings

Actor portrayal

John Pirruccello plays John Williams. The actor is known for smaller roles in Better Call Saul and Deadwood. His performance here is deliberately understated — the killer isn’t a cackling villain but a hollowed-out man who believes he’s correcting the world’s injustices.

The paradox: the more mundanely he behaves, the more chilling he becomes. That choice — made by Szifron and Pirruccello — is what elevates the reveal beyond the standard “shock” twist.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s uncertain

Confirmed facts

• The film’s release date is April 21, 2023. (Rotten Tomatoes)
• Shailene Woodley stars as Eleanor Falco. (Wikipedia)
• The film is not based on a true story. (Wikipedia)
• Original title was Misanthrope. (Wikipedia)

What’s unclear

• Whether a sequel or franchise is in development
• Exact streaming numbers (platforms don’t release granular viewership)

The implication: the film’s legacy remains uncertain, but its production details are well-documented.

For more film coverage, check out our guides on the Cast of Gran Turismo (Film) and It Ends With Us: Controversy, Plot & Ending Explained.

For a deeper look into the final act, our review of the killers motive breaks down the psychological layers behind the sniper’s rationale.

Frequently asked questions

For thriller fans, To Catch a Killer offers a solid performance from Shailene Woodley and a gritty Baltimore atmosphere, but its formulaic plot may leave others wanting.