Two gifted High School students plan and commit a perfect murder as an intellectual expression of their freedom. What they did not account for is the seasoned detective assigned to the case. 

Murder by Numbers is an example of a classic crime procedural thriller that was prevalent in the 1990’s and 2000’s. The obvious pun to make is that Murder By Numbers is a crime procedural by numbers but that does not prevent it from being a really entertaining and enjoyable genre movie. 

The plot centres around four main characters. High School students Richard Haywood (Ryan Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt) who are both wealthy, intelligent and highly narcissistic. And homicide detectives Cassie Mayweather (Sandra Bullock) and Sam Kennedy (Ben Chaplin) who follow the classic pattern in these sort of films of old hand and rookie in the role. 

Sandra Bullock who at this point in her career was alternating between romantic comedy (While You Were Sleeping, Forces of Nature) and thrillers (The Net, Speed) is perfect as the cliche grizzled detective. Mayweather has a dark secret in her past, does not play by the rules and has good instincts for who she should be looking at more closely. But Bullock also gives her some humanity that lets us as viewers warm to her. 

Ben Chaplin on the other hand, just like his character, was entering into a new world. Having made his name in BBC Television sitcom Game On he was trying to make it big in Hollywood and this and 2001’s Birthday Girl with Nicole Kidman was probably as Box Office as his career got. As the rookie detective who has just completed his Detectives exam and moved into Homicide he is capable and dependable. Loyal to his new partner whilst challenging her and showing vulnerability. 

The up and coming stars of the film Ryan Gosling and Michael Pitt have had diverging career paths that feel contrary to their performances here. Pitt gives the more nuanced performance as the teenager perhaps more conflicted with the path he has chosen. Whilst Gosling plays the cocky and highly unlikeable peacock of the pair. Pitt’s career has not seen the heights of Gosling since though despite this promising start. Where these characters are elevated from their archetypes is the power dynamics between them. They pretend to hate each other at school to hide their criminal friendship outside of it. But they both have different viewpoints on their real relationship as well. 

Perhaps the most likeable facet of the film is its allusions to other artworks. The high brow discussion point is Dostoevsky’s Crime And Punishment where the idea of committing a crime to raise you up is discussed. But the more enjoyable and entertaining one is Peter Falk’s Detective Colombo. There is nothing like the killer/s believing that they are so smart they want to insert themselves into the investigation of the crime leading to their downfall. 

Murder By Numbers is a solid genre piece that will entertain across multiple rewatches.