The so-called Green River killer was responsible for more than three dozen deaths of women, mostly prostitutes, in the Seattle/Tacoma area of Washington state. This lengthy, slow, dark film isn't really his story. It follows the career of Dave Reichert (Thomas Cavanaugh),the head of the Green River task force at the King's County Sheriff's Office, with some additional time given over to the trials and tribulations of one of the killer's victims, Helen Remus (Amy Davidson).

It's not much more than a routine rendering of what has by now become a familiar narrative -- the mounting toll of bodies, the frustrated police, the dead ends, the pressure from the press, and finally the cathartic payoff.

"The Deliberate Stranger", the TV movie about Ted Bundy, for all its flaws, was a more tightly wound and better scripted tale, focusing as it did on the ensemble of cops, on the one hand, and Bundy's peregrinations on the other. The insertion of Bundy's affair with one or another woman was an informative diversion. Here, Helen Remus provides the narration, speaking from beyond the grave, in a warehouse filled with the GRK's other victims standing in a silent tableau. Her maunderings cover a lot of philosophy, with God dragged in by the heels, mostly centering around free will versus fate. (She quotes from William Henley's "Invictus" -- "I am the captain of my fate./ I am the master of my soul.") It all sounds like so much padding, although everyone is entitled to his or her philosophy about life, whether elegant or folksy. Heck, it's REQUIRED that we have one, even if we have to bootleg it in by the back door. It does get tiresome, though, and predictable. She was basically a good-hearted girl who came from a dysfunctional family and all the rest of it. If she weren't a hooker, she might have been a nun. That kind of portrayal of the victim as abused but still brave and generous, cheapens the narrative. She was murdered and her body dumped. Would it have been less a crime if she'd been shown as the cynical, self-indulgent hooker she might well have been? But that's just part of the problem with this film. There is no wit in the meandering script, no sparkle. And what passion it tries to evoke is undercut by the weak acting. Thomas Cavanaugh looks the part of the chief detective, but he has only a tentative hold on his instrument. His explosion of anger at the end of his interrogation of the captive killer looks like that of an actor trying to act out an explosion of anger, and his tender scenes aren't much better. I don't mean this as a slur on Thomas Cavanaugh the man. He probably has a loving family and a nice dog. It's just that, as a performer, he has a way to go.

There are a couple of nice shots of rivers flowing through dismal gray rocks, stirring and foaming, suggestive of peace and nature and submerged corpses. Now THAT makes one wax philosophical. It would have been nice, finally, if it had had a faster pace and if it had had a few more scenes that were brightly lighted. Even the sheriff's offices are filmed with only a few scattered lights. The lighting isn't stylish or dramatic. It's just too low. Where did this noirish nonsense come from -- "The X Files"?

This is neither the first nor the last film and/or documentary about this monster. This particular one has been called prolix and full of errors, but while it is indeed a tad on the long side, the errors aren't important. The real names of the victims are used, and though it isn't a documentary, it isn't much of a drama. A lot of it focuses on the publicity the murders generated and the red herrings the police chased, something they are forced to do in any complex investigation, especially those that involve missing persons or murders. At the end, we see Ridgway's confession made with all the sincerity of a turkey relishing the onset of Christmas. If you're tempted to watch this, think of a better way of spending three hours first, like watching three or four documentaries about other serial killers.

It's 1982 Seattle. Police detective Dave Reichert (Tom Cavanagh) is investigating bodies being dumped in the Green River which is affecting his family life with wife Julie (Michelle Harrison). Helen 'Hel' Remus (Amy Davidson) makes a new friend with wild girl Nat Webley (Jessica Harmon). She rebels after getting raped by her mother (Sharon Lawrence)'s boyfriend. She runs away at 16 after a fight with her mother. Her boyfriend gets her into prostitution and she becomes convinced that the Green River Killer drives a pick-up truck.

This is a sincere but over-extended telling of the investigation plus a fictionalized story of one of his victims. This is better than most Lifetime movies. In the end, it tries so hard and falls short of greatness. There is a really compelling true story to be told. I like Cavanagh and he has some poignant scenes with his daughter. The up and downs of the investigation are great material. It's a bit extended and some of it feels repetitive. The last act is really stretched out.

The other half of the movie with Hel is fine. Davidson is good but I don't like spirit Hel. It's too lyrical. I would have prefer a true story for Hel. I also wish the movie takes a chance with the structure. The first part of the movie could be all Hel leading up to her death. Then the second part of the series could be Reichert doing the investigation. Generally, this is over-extended with some very compelling moments.