Man, I'm getting tired of these serial killer flicks. Most of them these days are way too familiar: they're content to copy a CSI-style look, throw in a few nasty scenes to please gore fans, and tie things up neatly at the climax. UNTRACEABLE, a film about a serial killer who devises ingenious deaths for his victims on the internet, is no different. The 'twist' if you can call is that is that the death of each victim is tied in to how many users are logged onto the killer's website; the more users, the faster the victim dies.

It's an intriguing principle, but not enough to base an entire movie around and that's what they try to do here. Diane Lane, looking tired and disinterested in the material, stars as the FBI agent investigating the crimes, but the first ten minutes offers more investigation than the rest of the film put together. I'll ignore the nepotism and pretty-boy-non-actor issues with the supporting cast members. The bad guy is anything but threatening or frightening, more like a geek who could be blown over by a strong gust of wind.

The 'gore' scenes are showcased to highlight the victims' pain and rather distasteful, but they're never as explicit as in the more outrageous 'torture porn' movies. The ending, when it comes, is entirely predictable, and hinges around a contrivance that doesn't ring true. I'm sorry, but if you want to watch a decent serial killer flick you'll be better off checking out some of what South Korea's putting out at the moment.

While this movie is visually well done with a good cast, the question arises, So? I know we are voyeuristic society and the anonymity of the internet has allowed cowards to watch and say things their puerile little imaginations could never dare to. Yes, I believe there would be response to this kind of thing, if it were to actually happen. The whole presentation is so ludicrous, the ease with which this nut case is able to pull of his acts takes it out for me. His ability to create these settings and to get his victims into their predicaments is just not credible. Of course, we are give a dose of the stupidity of the victims, especially in the last encounter. Gee, put yourself in the worst possible place to defend yourself when there's a person out there and you can't see him. This is a forgettable and really sick exploitation film. Granted there are exciting moments, but they are manipulated by the filmmakers, not by a reasoned plot.

FBI agent Jennifer Marsh (Diane Lane) is working cyber-crime with fellow agent Griffin Dowd (Colin Hanks). A tip comes in about a website livestreaming killing a kitten. It's an untraceable website that can't be shut down that is surprisingly originating from a local unknown place. Then the killer starts putting people in his torture chamber enlisting viewers who visit the site to help kill. Portland police detective Eric Box (Billy Burke) is investigating the case.

The setup is pretty good for the usual serial killer fare. The movie lacks tension and excitement. The killer reveal is too early rendering much of the investigation uninteresting. Diane Lane does a strong job as a federal agent and a single mom. The ending is a bit disappointing as it winds down an interesting serial killer.