Taglines: The only flaw in their plan was her.
Murder by Numbers movie storyline. Beyond having some of the same classes in their senior year at a San Benito, California high school, Richard Haywood and Justin Pendleton seemingly do not associate with each other, and what they know of each other do not like. Richard is wealthy, extroverted, popular, smart but an underachiever. Justin is an introverted intellectual loner.
These outward appearances belie the fact that unknown to anyone that knows them, they are indeed friends, at least in their joint fascination with committing what they consider the perfect murder, which includes framing someone else for the act. Justin is largely the planner, Richard the director of executing the plan. When a young woman who is eventually identified as Olivia Lake is found murdered, Richard and then Justin eventually come into the radar of San Benito homicide detective Cassie Mayweather, the lead investigator in the case.
Richard being identified as peripherally related to the case was always part of their plan to allow the pair to monitor the investigation. Richard and Justin expect the investigators to find the physical evidence they have left behind and piece together a story that they have concocted, a path which Cassie’s partner, newly minted detective Sam Kennedy, seems to be following. But an issue from Cassie’s past, which few if any of her colleagues know about and which is the reason behind her difficult but dogged nature, places her drive to get Justin and particularly Richard, who she is certain is the one dictating the plan, are brought to justice, despite the physical evidence not pointing in their direction.
Richard and Justin’s plan may be affected by their relationship with an unwitting third party, classmate Lisa Mills. Conversely, Cassie may have troubles getting the justice she wants because of her nature leading to the thought that her biases are getting in the way of seeing the evidence for what it is. The rest may be a battle of wills between Cassie and the high schoolers in who will break first.
Murder by Numbers is a 2002 American psychological thriller film produced and directed by Barbet Schroeder starring Sandra Bullock, Ben Chaplin, Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt. It is loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb case. The film was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered in competition.
The film was released April 19, 2002 in the United States and Canada and grossed $9.3 million in 2,663 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #3 at the box office. The film grossed a total of $56,714,147 worldwide — $31,945,749 in the United States and Canada and $24,768,398 in other territories.
Murder by Numbers (2002)
Directed by: Barbet Schroeder
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, Michael Pitt, Agnes Bruckner, Chris Penn, R.D. Call, Ben Chaplin, Tom Verica, Michael Canavan, Krista Carpenter
Screenplay by: Tony Gayton
Production Design by: Stuart Wurtzel
Cinematography by: Stuart Wurtzel
Film Editing by: Lee Percy
Costume Design by: Carol Oditz
Set Decoration by: Hilton Rosemarin
Art Direction by: Tom Valentine
Makeup Department: Kathleen Freeman-Smith, Jake Garber
Music by: Clint Mansell
MPAA Rating: R for violence, language, a sex scene and brief drug use.
Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date: April 19. 2002
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