Genre: Crime/Thriller
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Writer: John Malone
Based on the graphic novel
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Jack Reynor, Kyle Chandler, Aubrey Plaza, Cameron Britton, Carla Gugino, David Dastmalchian, Victor Garber, Zach Grenier, Philip Baker Hall
Plot: Cleveland, 1936. A group of boys play tag on a grassy hillside along the shores of Lake Eerie. The boys run further up the hilside and into a stretch of tall grass. One of the boys stops in his tracks. The other boys run over to see what's going on. They see a bluish-white human arm laying in the grass.
At City Hall, Mayor Harold Burton (Kyle Chandler) speaks at a podium on the front steps of the building. He is giving a speech about how he has heard the city's cries for help and is looking to make sure the city is ready to host the Republican National Convention the next month. Inside, Edna Ness (Aubrey Plaza) watches through a window as the mayor continues his speech. She then turns her attention to her husband, Eliot Ness (Jake Gyllenhaal), fixing his collar and brushing some lint off the shoulders of his suit. The reporters are starting to get restless of the mayor droning on when Mayor Burton announces that he has hired the great Eliot Ness to become to the city's new Director of Public Safety. Ness walks out to greet the mayor on cue. The reporters are suddenly brought back to the life from the presence of the man who took down Al Capone. Ness takes over the podium, thanking the mayor for the kind words. A reporter asks Ness what his immediate plans are in his new position. Ness jokes that he plans to unpack his suitcase, but that after that he looks forward to turning the police department into a cutting edge law enforcement operation. Edna joins Ness for some pictures and the two of them leave the scene.
Police cars and the coroner's wagon are now parked on top of the hill where the arm was found. The boys sit, shaken, in the back of a squad car. Down on the hillside, Detective Walter Myrlo (Jason Clarke) lights up a cigarette as the crime scene photographer finishes taking pictures. Myrlo's younger partner, Detective Sam Simon (Jack Reynor) joins Myrlo and tells him that the coroner still hasn't arrived. Myrlo informs Simon that more body parts have been discovered and shows him the headless body of a white man wearing a black sock on its remaining foot. The left hand is missing as well. Simon asks if they've found the head yet. Myrlo says not yet, but that officers are still searching the tall grass for the head, or even a hand or a foot while they're out there. An officer calls out that he's found something. Myrlo and Simon rush over and find that a second male body has been discovered. It, too, is headless.
Eliot and Edna Ness eat dinner at a popular night club while a big band plays to a herd of dancing couples. Even with all the entertainment, Eliot and Edna are still the center of attention. Edna is worried about how her hair looks. Ness tells her to ignore the gawkers and enjoy her dinner. A man comes up and asks for Ness' autograph, which he gladly gives, much to the annoyance of his wife.
Doctor Pearce (Philip Baker Hall) inspects the two bodies on autopsy tables at the morgue. Myrlo and Simon stand in the doorway, eager to hear Pearce's findings. They ask him if he has an ID on either of the bodies. Pearce tells them that no head equals no teeth equals no dental records. Like wise, no hands equals no fingers equals no finger prints. He tells them it will be next to impossible to identify either body unless someone comes looking for them. Pearce points out the orange discoloration on some patches of skin. He tells them that he isn't sure what the substance was, but that the killer was most likely preserving the body after killing, probably for at least two weeks. Myrlo is frustrated that Pearce doesn't have anything that helps them currently. Pearce scoffs at Myrlo and tells him he does have one nugget of information: both bodies were killed by the same man. They were beheaded with identical cuts, with incredible precision and strength. Myrlo asks about the missing genitals, and Pearce gleefully tells him that they were found stuffed in the chest cavities, and that both bodies were totally drained of blood. Myrlo says they'll get back to looking for the heads, but Simon interrupts him suggesting that the killer may have kept the heads for himself.
As Eliot and Edna leave the dinner club, two police cars screach to a stop at the corner. When the cops exit the cars, Ness asks them what's going on. They tell him that they're on a bootlegging raid. Edna tells her husband she'll catch a cab home. Ness hurries to follow the cops into a warehouse. When they get inside, they find other officers already there telling them to get lost. Ness demands to know what's going on. They explain that the warehouse belongs to Moe Dalitz and he has paid for protection. Ness tells them to get lost and begins taking it to the dozens of wooden barrels filling the warehouse.
Moe Dalitz (Zach Grenier) chats with his men at his underground casino, hidden in the back room of his restaurant. Suddenly the casino's steel door, and much of the brick wall around it, collapses into the casino. Bricks falls from the wall, clouds of dust erupt. Police officers swarm into the casino and begin rounding up the patrons. Dalitz screams at the police that he pays them every month. Ness emerges from the dust and tells Dalitz that those police are no longer on the payroll and personally handcuffs Dalitz. He drags Dalitz out of the casino to the flashing lights of the press photographers' cameras.
The next day, Simon and Myrlo arrive to the downtown police station to find that many cops and detectives are holding the same letter informing them they've been suspended by Ness. Simon and Myrlo check their desk, but there is no such letter addressed to them. That night, Myrlo and Simon enter Myrlo's house. They are greeted by Myrlo's two young daughters and his wife Doris (Carla Gugino). Myrlo gives his wife a kiss and picks up his daughters. They sit down for dinner. Doris offers to set Simon up with a nice young woman, but Simon turns down the offer, saying he's just too busy right now.
The next morning, Myrlo and Simon are overseeing a diving crew at the Kingsbury Run Reservoir. They discuss how a head was found along the shoreline that morning. Myrlo then changes the subject and asks what Simon thought of Elizabeth. Simon says she seemed like a nice girl, but he isn't interested in being fixed up. Underwater, the diver scans the dirty water, but the filth is so thick he can only see a few inches in front of him. Something bumps into him. A decaying bloated arm and an equally grotesque decayed head float in front of his face. The diver backs away, but is bumped again. He turs and sees a limbless torso behind him. Mylro and Simon see the jerking of the diver's air tub and order the other officers to pull him up. Once he's up, the diver takes off his mask and vomits. Simon grabs a net pole and pulls up the decayed human head.
Eliot wakes up late and Edna asks him what he was doing so late. He says he was running a major bust, it's probably on the front page of the newspaper. Edna grabs the paper, but there's nothing about the bust on the front page. Instead, the headline reads: TORSO KILLER WREAKS HAVOC ON CITY.
The Cleveland City Club conference is filled to capacity. Mayor Burton and the city council sit at a long table. Eliot Ness, straightening his tie, walks into the room. Reporters and citizens have been waiting for somebody to make a statement. Mayor Burton cedes the microphone to Ness, who gladly takes the it and begins addressing the crowd. He tells them that he has good news for everyone. He says he's sure everyone has already read about the midnight raids. There's no reaction from the crowd. Ness continues talking, going on about traffic concerns, but the crowd is growing restless. One frustrated man stands up and asks Ness what he's going to do about the maniac going around chopping people to pieces. Ness says that the police are leading an investigation of the murders and that he's sure the men on the case are very competent. The man repeats that he wants to know what the great Eliot Ness is going to do about the killer. Ness looks to the mayor for assistance, but the mayor turns away from him. The room becomes a wall of noise from the protests of those in the audience. Ness tries to regain control to no avail.
At City Hall, Ness and Mayor Burton make a beeline for the mayor's office. After Ness enters the office, Burton slams the door. Burton demands that Ness make the torso killer thing disappear quick. Ness says that he shouldn't be getting involved in routine murder investigations on top of everything else he's doing. Burton reminds Ness that he was hired to make the city safe and respectable. He tells Ness to stop spending his time being chummy with reporters and make the city safe. He is the Safety Director after all. Ness says he'll take control of the case, but for the good of the people of Cleveland, not to make Burton look good. Ness then storms out of Mayor Burton's office.
Myrlo and Simon meet with Dr. Pearce at the city morgue. Myrlo asks what Pearce has for them. Pearce holds up the decayed skull pulled from the reservoir. He says that the head was cut exactly like the others, but that it doesn't go to the torso they pulled from the reservoir, so now they are up to five victims. Simon asks if Pearce has any good news. Pearce says yes actually. They've been able to identify two of the victims. The recent head belongs to Florence Polillo, age 42, local prostitute. Her sister reported her missing a few days ago. Myrlo jokes that that is almost a lead. Pearce goes on, saying the first victim is Edward Andrassy, age 23, a local drug dealer, pornographer and all around hustler. Simon's face turns grey when he sees the photo of Andrassy attached to Pearce's folder. Pearce then tells them he has some information on the orange chemical. It's definitely a preservative, but not one you can buy. The killer must have invented it himself. Pearce then informs them that he has officially filed his retirement paper work and wishes the detectives the best of luck on the rest of their investigation.
Ness sits at his desk staring at the front page of the newspaper: I WILL CATCH THE TORSO KILLER, VOWS NESS - SAFETY DIRECTOR TAKES CONTROL OF CASE. He throws the paper in the trash and goes through his mail. Amid the letters is a large picture postcard of the Cleveland skyline. Ness turns the postcard over. One the back of the postcard, a drudely scratched message reads: HOW DO YOU PLAN ON CATCHING ME, ELIOT WORTHLESS-NESS? Ness checks for a postmark, but it has been smeared. Myrlo and Simon enter the office. Ness rises to shake their hands. He tells them that he wants them to head up the "Torso" investigation team. Simon asks who else they'll be working with. Ness says just himself. Myrlo and Simon look at each other. Ness tells them he wants them to tighten the screws on the killer quickly and quietly. He doesn't want any press at all. Myrlo jokes that he and Simon get to be "Untouchables". Ness says no more Untouchables, but if they want a name they can be "The Unknowns" and he wants them to remain so unknown that nobody knows it. Ness throws open the Torso killer files and asks them to tell him about the case that he can't read in the reports. Simon says they don't have much. The killer is book smart and most of the victims are John Does. Myrlo tells Simon not to forget about the genitals. Simon tells Ness that the victims' private parts were all removed. Simon says there was one other case like not too different. The killer preyed on the poor and targeted prostitutes. All of them were butchered. The killer gutted the victims, slicing them from their genitals to their throats. Sometimes organs were missing. The police were baffled, but didn't worry about it too much until the press caught wind of it all. Panic then consumed the city. The killer then started sending the cops notes and presents. Ears, skin, livers, sometimes he sent letters or wrote little messages at crime scenes. The killer was never caught, the case never solved. Myrlo rolls his eyes, saying that can't be true. Simon asks Myrlo if he's ever heard of Jack the Ripper. Ness picks up the postcard from his desk and hands it to Simon, saying he got a present. Simon and Myrlo examine the postcard.
That evening, a young hustler covered in tattoos stands on a dirty street corner. A car pulls up and the driver waves the hustler into the car. The hustler gets into the car and meets the driver, Det. Sam Simon.
Meanwhile, on the Cuyahoga River body parts have floated to the surface - the head and torso of the tattooed hustler - all during the Republican National Convention as Seantor Cosgrove (Victor Garber) gives a speech, thanking Mayor Burton for hosting. Ness is called into the coroner's office where he is met by Myrlo and the new county medical officer, Gerber (David Dastmalchian). Gerber explains that he has started from scratch. Simon enters the morgue, a bit flustered. Gerber reveals the remains of the tattooed hustler. Simon's face drops. Gerber surmises that the killer isn't actually killing for sexual gratification, but rather he has been targeting the poor either because he is insane, he is paranoid, or he is just plain arrogant. After looking at the hustler's body, Simon excuses himself from the morgue. Myrlo follows after him and asks what is wrong. Simon reveals that he knew the victim. Myrlo asks how, and Simon lets it slip that he is a homosexual. Myrlo is shocked and heads back inside to find Gerber discussing making a paper mache likeness of the victim to help get a positive ID from the public.
Eliot and Edna Ness attend a black tie event downtown. Senator Cosgrove crosses the room to reach them. Moe Dalitz is also in attendance and raises a glass of champagne toward Ness. Just as Senator Cogrove leaves their side, Mayor Burton makes his way over and asks to borrow Eliot for a few minutes. Burton is furious that yet another body was discovered during the Convention. Ness assures Burton that all of his energies are devoted to the Torso case before walking away from the mayor. Ness spots Edna talking to a large, tall man across the room. Edna spots him and waves him over. She introduces him to Senator Cosgrove's nephew, Gaylord Sundheim (Cameron Britton). Ness shakes his hand and apologizes, saying they must be going. As they are walking out of the room, Ness reaches into his pocket and pulls out a postcard - no postmark or stamp. He realizes that it must have been hand delivered by someone at the party. He spins around, scanning the crowd, but it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. He reads the card: QUITE A PARTY. THE WIFE IS A PRIZE, TOO. That night just as Eliot and Edna are getting ready for bed there is a knock at the door. It's Myrlo. He tells Ness another body was found just a block away. Eliot apologizes to Edna and leaves. Myrlo goes to see Simon, who says he was worried that Myrlo would spill the beans about him to Ness. Simon says he tried to resign from the police force, but Ness refused his resignation. They go back to see Ness, who tells them that he just met with a potential witness - a homeless man who was given some alcohol that knocked him out by a large man down on Kingsbury Run. The man woke up in a tub. He ran away and went to the police station after he found a postcard in his pocket: NOBODY WILL MISS THEM, NESS.
Ness, Myrlo and Simon head down to Kingbury Run, a shantytown that has been erected on the lower banks of the Cuyahoga River. With a team of officers, they begin dismantling the shanties and herding the downtrodden residents into paddy wagons. Myrlo and Simon both express confusion as to why exactly they're doing this. Ness explains that even if they can't find the killer, they can at least take away his victims. Once all of the residents are gone, Ness orders the Kingsbury Run shantytown to be burned to the ground. When Ness gets back to his office, he finds yet another postcard in his stack of mail. This one, however, has a postmark unlike the others. He calls Myrlo and Simon into his office and announces that they are going to canvas the zip code the postmark came from. As Ness canvasses, he asks local shopkeepers if they know of an large men who live in the area. One shopkeep points out a large, dilapidated house down the street. Ness and Myrlo head to the house. As they reach the front door, they are greeted by Gaylord Sundheim, who holds his wrists out in front of him, ready to be cuffed.
At the station, Sundheim is hooked up to a rudimentary polygraph as Ness prepares to question him. Before they can even turn on the machine, Sundheim tells them to save their time - he is the Torso Killer. Sundheim then goes into a long winded, incoherent diatribe about how the Torso Killer should be applauded for his efforts to bring on the next step of human evolution. Suddenly the doors burst open and Mayor Burton and Sundheim's lawyer enter the room. The lawyer demands that Ness release Sundheim as they don't have any actual evidence against him. Burton demands that Ness leave Sundheim and any other family members of his political affiliations. Ness tells Myrlo and Simon that they only have one option now: catch Sundheim in the act.
Simon stands on a street corner dressed like a street hustler while Myrlo stakes out the scene from his car. A car pulls up in front of Simon, who gets in the car. Myrlo starts his car and slowly follows from a safe distance. The car winds its way through a heavily industrial area and into a field of five foot tall grass. Myrlo realizes he can't follow without giving himself up. He looks out toward the lake where he sees some seemingly abandoned warehouse structures. Myrlo turns around and speeds to a police call box. Meanwhile, Ness leaves the police station to find a postcard on the windshield of his car. The postcard is blank. Ness speeds off in his car toward the lake. Myrlo calls Ness' office, but is told that Ness just left the office. Myrlo slams the phone down in frustration, gets into his car and speeds off towards the tall grass.
Simon is led through an old warehouse by Sundheim. Once they enter the sparsely lit building, Sundheim disappears into the darkness. Simon pulls his concealed gun and starts following a chopping sound he hears. He starts heading up a staircase. At the top of the stairs, he is hit by a powerful stench. He covers his nose and presses on. He opens a door and is horrified to find a the killer's work room. Lined up on a shelf are all the missing body parts, heads and limbs, that were never found. Myrlo is outside the row of warehouses when he hears a gunshot. He bursts into the building with his gun and flashlight out. Myrlo hears the sound of something rolling down the stairs. Myrlo aims his flashlight at the sound, only to see Simon's decapitated head rolling across the ground. Sundheim emerges from behind Myrlo and takes him to the ground with a barrage of blows.
Ness speeds down a dirt road. He sees the the gap in the grass caused by Myrlo's car and follows the path. He is followed by a dozen police squad cars, sirens blaring. The battering ram truck crashes through the wall of the warehouse. The headlights reveal Sundheim hovering over Myrlo with a machete. Ness runs into the building and opens fire on Sundheim, who falls back into the darkness. Sundheim then sets fire to the building, which is quickly engulfed in flames, and heads up the stairs. Sundheim suddenly throws something at Ness, who hits the ground. Ness sees that he has been hit with Simon's headless corpse. Ness fires at Sundheim again and again. Sundheim tumbles down the stairs, landing only feet from Ness. Sundheim rises and throws Ness into a wall like a ragdoll. Sundheim readies for another attack. Ness frantically looks for a weapon when he spots that Simon's lifeless hand is still clutching his gun. Unable to get the gun out of the hand, Ness manipulates Simon's dead fingers to pull the trigger. Ness pulls until the gun is empty. Sundheim hits the ground as the ceiling starts to collapse. Ness drags the wounded Myrlo out of the building.
In the morning, Gerber is at the scene collecting the human remains of several bodies from the charred warehouse. Ness asks if he found Sundheim's body yet, but Gerber says he won't know until he's able to do more in-depth examinations of the remains found in the building. Ness leaves the scene to head over to Sundheim's house. When he gets there he finds movers loading Sundheim's furniture into a truck. Ness asks them what they're doing, but they don't answer. Senator Cosgrove comes out of the house and apologizes for his nephew being so sick. Ness asks where Sundheim is. Cosgrove tells Ness that Sundheim has voluntarily checked himself into a state mental hospital to get help. Cosgrove laughs at the idea of Sundheim thinking of himself as the Torso Killer. Ness is furious that Sundheim is trying to escape justice, but Cosgrove reminds Ness that the law dictates that because Sundheim voluntarily checked himself into a psychiatric hospital he cannot be charged with any criminal act during the length of his stay. Ness assures Cosgrove that if Sundheim ever steps foot outside of that facility, he will make Cosgrove's life a living hell. Cosgrove says he can live with that arrangement and makes a call to the institution. At the mental institution, Sundheim is wheeled into the electroshock room against his will. Ness goes to the hospital to visit the injured Myrlo who is in a room with his wife, Doris.
One year later, Eliot Ness, with Edna at his side, gives a speech in front of city hall announcing his candidacy for the office of Mayor of Cleveland. One of the reporters asks about the Torso Killer, but Ness simply tell him that the case is closed.
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