In the midst of the thriller wave of the 1990s, “The Collector” arrives at the cinema and establishes itself as a most effective piece of entertainment. It is available on Netflix.
In 1995, Morgan Freeman played one of his most iconic roles in the terrifying Seven under the direction of David Fincher. Two years later, as thrillers continue to punctuate the decade of the nineties, the actor plays in The Collector.
Adapted from the novel of the same name written by James Patterson, this film marks the first appearance of the character of Alex Cross, a detective who will appear several times on screen years later. In this first mission, the inspector investigates a disappearance of young women captured by a masked man who calls himself Casanova.
Although The Collector did not have the same cultural impact as Seven, the film remains one of the most effective thrillers of this decade of cinema rich in serial killers. We also find many points in common between The Silence of the Lambs, with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, and The Collector: a pseudonymous killer, a reckless heroine – played here by Ashley Judd – and a distressing atmosphere.
An inevitable comparison
The major difference? The reception of the public and the profession. The Collector is far from having received the rave feedback from her peers. In his criticismthe New York Times does not hesitate to compare the film to Silence of the Lambs in order to discredit it.
Over the years, Le Collectionneur has nevertheless gained a small cult reputation among fans of the genre which, even if it does not revolutionize the thriller, manages to offer spectators a few thrills. Four years later, the film saw a sequel, still with Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd, under the title The Mask of the Spider.
The Collector is available on Netflix.