Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

I was all ready. Had some chores to do, a comfy seat and a nice made for TV movie to watch. I was completely set for a No One Could Protect Her romp through B movie land, when something completely unexpected occurred. I began to watch the movie. I mean actually watch the movie! Called Criminal Instinct: The Wandering Soul Murders, this film most certainly did not seem promising as edge of your seat entertainment. Even the title screams do your taxes while you watch me! After the first fifteen minutes, however, I found myself watching more and more intently. How, you ask, could this happen?

Criminal Instinct: The Wandering Soul Murders is indeed a made for TV movie (Canadian TV, actually) starring Wendy Crewson as Joanne Kilbourn, an ex-cop single mom with four kids. Her eldest daughter is an adult who runs her own business, and one day comes to work to discover that one of her employees has been murdered behind the building. Joanne’s former colleague on the police force, Phillip Millard (Victor Garber) shows up to investigate, and speculation runs rampant that this is part of a string of killings called the “Little Flower” murders.

Meanwhile, Joanne’s eldest son has reunited with his rather unstable ex-girlfriend, which has Joanne worried. Apparently things didn’t work out so well the first time they dated, and she fears a repeat.

As the investigation into the latest murder proceeds, Joanne is approached by an old acquaintance (Cynthia Gibb) who offers her the chance to be the “crime and justice expert” for a local TV station. Joanne accepts the position, and immediately begins to use it (as well as her assistant, Eric, played by Robin Dunne) to dig into the murders taking place around the city. Working with Phillip, she proceeds to dig both into the murders, as well as the past of her son’s wacky girlfriend.

I believe that this movie is part of a series, as we aren’t told why Joanne left the police force, or the whereabouts of her husband, who is mentioned only in passing and is never seen.* Her relationship with Phillip also is clearly well established, although we are not made privy to the history. I can only surmise that these details were part of a previous Criminal Instinct installment. Although slightly puzzling, these missing pieces don’t seriously mar the story told in Wandering Soul.

Now that you know the basic story, you must be wondering how this deviates in any way from a run of the mill TV murder mystery thriller. So I will, of course, tell you. The plot of the movie seems simple enough, and I was merrily watching, predicting every next move when I realized that I was consistently wrong. Yes, I know, I was dumbfounded as well. However, the twists and turns the movie takes are really quite intriguing. The movie has a nice pace, never dwelling too long on a single area of suspense before offering up yet another layer to the mystery. And the kicker? No one needed to protect her! Yes, Joanne is a very capable woman who avoids falling into the trap of being pursued by evil and dangerous men. Not that the evil men aren’t present in abundance, she’s just smart enough not to become a target. She also works with the police rather than as a solo crusader, adding to her smart quotient. The movie also manages to deliver up a rather poignant, if a bit over done, look at teenage prostitution and its causes and consequences.

Wendy Crewson plays Joanne well. Although she definitely has the feel of a character we’re already supposed to know, her Joanne is tough and savvy. She gives the character a nice connection to her family, and some well played job insecurity as well, keeping her from being a unidimensional wonder sleuth. Victor Garber also does a nice job as Phillip, not serving up a testosterone pumped ultracop, but rather a man with a job to do and the brains to let a good investigator help him. Robin Dunne, as Eric the assistant, provides some minor comic relief as the not entirely willing junior sleuth. Kerry McPherson, as Christy the girlfriend, is odd and creepy, and plays the role quite well.

There is, of course, the unrealistic fact of Joanne’s seemingly limitless access to all things relating to the murders, but it is a TV thriller, after all. And the other performances are standard fare, serviceable, but not more. The tidy conclusion is TV friendly as well. No unsightly loose ends hanging about. The photography and score are fine, neither adding nor detracting from the story.

Overall, this is an average thriller, but a distinctly above average TV thriller. A smart female lead with a well-developed character wrapped around a twisty turny little story makes for a pretty tight B movie. A three star movie on its own, I would add another half star for the fact that it manages to overcome many of the No One Can Protect Her traps so often found in TV fare. Criminal Instinct: The Wandering Soul Murders is available on both VHS and DVD (although I managed to catch it on “Lifetime”) and makes for a decent rainy day watch. Just don’t try and watch while you do your taxes.







*A bit of digging showed this to be the second Criminal Instinct installment, the first having starred Victor Garber and Teri Garr. I can only speculate that Garr did not reprise her role because no one could protect her………


Recommended: Yes