I really enjoy mystery/suspense movies when they are done well. Too many of those movies end up not being that good. I heard for a long time that Jennifer 8 was a very good movie before I finally saw it. Because of that, I went ahead and got the movie when I found it for only $5.50.

John Berlin, a homicide detective, moved to a small town after burning out in L.A. and almost immediately ended up involved in an investigation. He connected a new murder to a group of unsolved murders. All the victims in the unsolved cases were young women and the police had given them the name Jennifer. John felt like he had a break in the newest murder when he found a witness. There was a problem though. Helena was blind so most of the other cops didn’t think she made a good witness. Even John’s friend and fellow cop Freddie Ross had doubts about John’s investigation. John and Helena spent a lot of time together and even started a sexual relationship. John was convinced that Helena was in danger of becoming the next victim of the killer.

Jennifer 8 was one of the better mystery/thriller movies that I have seen. It wasn’t the first movie to feature an investigation focused on a serial killer and it won’t be the last. I don’t remember ever seeing another mystery movie that had a blind witness. That was a unique idea and it made sense why many of the cops didn’t think she was a good witness. Some very interesting scenes were created around Helena being blind that wouldn’t have worked if the character could see. One scene showed how disorientated Helena got in an unfamiliar place when she was bumped and jostled around by a crowd. She ended up in some suspenseful scenes because she couldn’t see. Different sounds were used effectively in the movie and did help to build suspense more than once. The suspense built steadily throughout the movie and kept things very interesting even during some slower scenes. There was some violence in the movie even though it wasn’t an extremely violent movie overall though there were a few disturbing images shown. The movie was rated R and not meant for children.

John seemed to become obsessed with the Jennifer murders once he learned about them. He was convinced they were connected to the newer murder and his investigation was the main focus of the movie and it provided the mystery element. They mystery was well developed and included enough surprises to keep things from getting boring or predictable. John was shown doing different things related to the case, including running some tests at the station. I thought those scenes were interesting even though they were a little bit slower. Some viewers might think those scenes slowed the pace down too much. This wasn’t a fast paced movie overall. Instead it moved at a steady pace that only slowed a few times. I wasn’t bored or bothered by the slower scenes because they were needed to properly build the suspense.

John met Helena through his investigation and seemed drawn to her. They ended up spending a lot of time together even though the man that ran the institute for the blind where Helena lived tried to run John off. Other people tried to warn John about getting so involved with her and he just got more determined to start a relationship with her. There were sexual situations and scenes between the characters. They were mainly shown just kissing even though it was made clear that they had started a sexual relationship. Frontal nudity turned up in the scene when Helena was taking a bath. The nudity didn’t last long since the scene wasn’t that long. I have wondered if a body double was used for the scene because Thurman doesn’t look that well endowed now.

John had been working as a detective in L.A. before he burned out and decided to move to the smaller town where his friend Freddie and his wife Margie lived. If I remember right, Margie was John’s sister, so he was going to have family close for the first time in a while. He could be stubborn about some things, especially when they were connected to the case and Helena. He did seem to be a good cop even though he didn’t always follow procedures. Andy Garcia was really good and believable in the part.

Helena was a young blind woman that lived at an institute for the blind. She had lived there for years and was a music teacher. Helena was unsure about some things and very trusting most of the time. I thought that Uma Thurman handled the part well. I’ve never been around a blind person before, but Thurman did seem believable as a blind person. She had a vacant look in her eyes throughout the movie. Freddie was considered the top cop in town before John turned up. The two men were friends and go along fine, though Freddie didn’t always believe John’s theories about the case. Lance Henriksen was good in the part. Kathy Bates was fine as his wife Margie. Several other cops that John and Freddie worked with were in the movie without them being developed that much. Agent St. Anne was brought in later in the movie to run an interrogation. John Malkovich was wonderful in the part even though it wasn’t that big. I tend to find Malkovich creepy in whatever movie I see him in. There was a bit of creepiness in this character as well, though it was more subtle than many others he’s played.

Main Cast

Kathy Baker - Margie Ross
Graham Beckel - John Taylor
Kevin Conway - Chief Citrine
Andy Garcia - John Berlin
Lance Henriksen - Freddie Ross
Perry Lang - Travis
John Malkovich - Agent St. Anne
Uma Thurman - Helena

Bruce Robinson - Writer and Director

DVD Information

The DVD of Jennifer 8 that I picked up has the widescreen version of the movie. I don’t know if there is a full screen version available or not. The DVD doesn’t have any special features. The theatrical trailer was really the only thing on the disc. The video and audio on the DVD was very sharp and clear.

Jennifer 8 was a very entertaining suspense thriller that unfortunately has been over looked by many people over the years and is very under rated. The movie is worth watching for people who like good suspense thrillers. Fans of the cast should also give the movie a chance.

This review is part of elvisdo’s Canadian Write-off. Some of the movie was filed in British Colombia, Canada.

Andy Garcia Movie Reviews
Ocean's 11 ~ Ocean's Twelve ~ Twisted ~

Uma Thurman Movie Reviews
Be Cool ~ Paycheck ~ The Producers (2005) ~

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age