Our Flick of the Week is “Fallen,” with Denzel Washington popping up as the detective on the case of a serial killer who was thought to be out of commission. I must tell you that my heart sinks these days when I have to see another serial killer movie — and they roll by every month, it seems. I don’t care about any of the special wrinkles in the stories, whether there is more than one killer or whether, as in this case, the killer is inhabited by a devilish spirit that is a fallen angel.
It’s all an excuse for a depressing parade of killing. That Washington reportedly received a record (for him) paycheck for $15 million is small consolation for the audience.
There is one sequence in the film that does work. The spirit of the fallen angel in this film moves from one person to the next through touch — you pass it along by touching another. This leads to a nice scene that is a demonic form of tag on the streets of a big city.
But when Washington becomes a suspect in a series of killings that confounds his police boss, “Fallen” turns lame. Sequels and TV shows turned into bad movies have been the bane of my existence for a few years now. Add serial killer films to the list. Rated R. (star) 1/2
