THE VINDICATOR (2025)

3 stars

Miracle Media. Digital. 19th January

THE VINDICATOR starts, after a tease with a girl being chased, with effective opening titles with giallo style music.

The film follows the exploits of a trio podcasters and their show about killers called Serial Chat. With Ava Cole (Anna Greene), Tommy (David W Rice) and Brad (MacCallister Byrd), who seems like a bit of a jerk. Their special guest on their latest instalment is the wheelchair bound Lance Clemens (Sean Berube) – a Psychology of Criminal Behaviour Professor and their teacher at University and something of a mentor. Back in the day he worked for the FBI, searching down serial killers – with talk of Gacy and Dahmer.

They make an announcement about their next show. Apparently, the one true serial killer of the new millennium is The Vindicator. Who targets small groups – slaughters one and one is dissolved in acid. So far they have killed 49 people in 49 states. So the next killing should be in Arizona. Which is why they are going to Arizona to go live next week. Ava thinks she has some evidence which might reveal the killer’s identity – and is keeping it under wraps.

Of course you know once they get there things won’t go as planned… and they will soon come face to face with this notorious murderer.

The film takes its time getting going with perhaps a bit too much talking at the beginning – however, once they get to the house, where they are broadcasting from, things ramp up. They start their podcast live, concentrating on The Vindicator, whose killings date back to 1994. As they describe some of these slayings we get flashbacks to the bloody scenes… and then the power cuts out.

The film is nicely shot and has a well constructed script as tensions rise and is solidly acted. It makes good use of a predominantly single location and has a nice twist at the end – which some may find contrived.

Steve Kirkham