Probable Cause

1994 "When a cop killer is on the loose, the city streets can be murder."
5.2| 1h30m| en| More Info
Released: 20 November 1994 Released
Producted By: Showtime Networks
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A series of cop murders plagues the city. The remaining officers on the force are increasingly worried as the deaths increase with no leads. As the department's finest must solve the case before the killer strikes again.

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Reviews

Kidskycom It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.
Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
Fleur Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
OllieSuave-007 This is not too bad of an obscure Made in Canada TV movie starring Michael Ironside as a cop who tries to investigate a series of police murders, where the real mystery and intrigue lies in the motives behind the killings.The entire atmosphere of the movie gives you a mysterious, somewhat depressing and serious feeling and the acting was pretty on par. There is also a little bit of several movie elements, from suspense to drama, and from action to romance. The subplot of the lead detectives female partner and her sleepwalking issue adds onto the unpredictable intrigue of the movie. Though I've seen better made for TV movies, this one is not a bad to watch on slow Saturday night.Grade B-
blanche-2 "Probable Cause" is a 1994 TV-movie starring Michael Ironside and Kate Vernon, and featuring Craig T. Nelson.Someone is killing police officers, but Gary Yanuck (Ironside) has his own problems. He is accused of sexually harassing another officer (Brooke Adams, in a minuscule role) and has refused to apologize, claiming he did not lay a hand on her. He's under a cloud. He's assigned a new partner, Lynn Reilly (Vernon) who is an odd duck. She occasionally passes out and other times seems out of it. Worried, Yanuck approaches her psychiatrist and, after handing him a phony warrant, learns that Lynn was married before but doesn't remember her marriage. Later we learn that something terrible happened to her that she can't remember. In the meantime, she appears to sleepwalk.When she discovers an important pattern to the murders, Yanuck realizes that she's in danger and may be, in fact, the next victim.This is a slow film and because Kate Vernon plays a psychologically repressed woman and has to walk around pretty zombie-like most of the time, her performance doesn't add much spark to the movie. Michael Ironside as a cop was very good, but I didn't find him particularly likable. So I wasn't very invested in either character.The end was not surprising on one hand and on the other, had a slight twist. Not sure it was worth it.Kate Vernon was around a lot in the '80s, and she's still very active, but I never watched Battlestar Galactica or other shows in which she appeared. She is a better actress than you would believe in this film.Wasn't impressed.
disdressed12 i found this Canadian production to be a very good murder mystery.it stars Kate Vernon and Michael Ironside.the identity of the murderer is pretty much shown early on in the film so instead of being a who done it kind of mystery,it's more of a why they did it,and to a lesser extent how they did it.(the how is revealed much sooner than the why)this is an interesting twist.the dark tone of the movie is very consistent throughout and doesn't change until the movie fades to black.all in all,it's a very compelling and engrossing murder mystery from the opening frame to the closing credits.for me,Probable Cause is an 8/10
jasonc13 When scanning the shelves of your local video store, what do you see more often then generic covers of "Basic Instinct" wannabes in the thriller/mystery section? Let's face it, they are a dime a dozen, however once in a blue moon you stumble upon a diamond in the rough that exceeds expectations. Well look no further than "Probable Cause" for one hell of a good movie...The plot is this: A serial killer is bumping off cops and the experts on the case are clueless as to who is doing this and why (an important and more than resonable answer as it turns out). The lead detective (Michael Ironside) is coupled with a sexy female partner to try and shed some light on case, but not all is well between them. You see, Ironside's character is under investigation for sexual harrassment and she is less than thrilled to have to work with this manly pig. This sets up great chemistry between them, and leaves the audience wondering if he in fact is guily of this or not. A fantastic subplot that we never actually get an answer to. The female partner has trouble sleeping at night, is plagued with nightmares, and can't figure out why, and between the body count and the rising tension surrounding the ongoing case, sparks fly and things really begin to heat up.*SPOILERS AHEAD* The two soon discover that all the cops that have been off-ed, graduated from the same academy and hold a dark secret amoungst them. It turns out, the group of "perfect new recruits" raped a fellow officer while they were rookies, and left the victim with zero self esteem to say the least and a taste for revenge that she would take on them some ten years later. Well it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the female partner turns out to be the guilty party (hence her sleeplessness) however we sympathize with her character and in a twist ending, Ironside covers for her and she gets away with the murders, making look like one of the other corrupt cops.The movie moves like a bullet, and keeps the suspense and whodunit factor in high gear the whole way through, without following the trend of bad "sexy thrillers" before them. The story is fresh, the acting is top notch, and in the end it actually has a message behind it...all done with better than average taste."Probable Cause" is the type of film that if it had more marketable actors in the leads (by Hollywood's standards anyway) it would have blockbuster status written all over it. But, since it is a direct-to-video release, it barely gets any recognition at all, and unjustly so. However, that is an element that makes this a stand out. You do not need the flavor of the month superstar to carry a film like this, because the story (which somehow seems to get lost in today's films) carries it all by itself. My Lord, what a silly concept!So do yourself a favor, and rent this surprisingly solid thriller because it is a worthwhile "Cause."