Titus Welliver, Catherine Bell and Cole Hauser in "Good Morning, Killer"; photo curtesy of TNT

“Good Morning, Killer” (TNT) 

The latest offering on TNT’s Mystery Movie Night is taken from April Smith’s novel GOOD MORNING, KILLER. The film adaptation stars Catherine Bell as FBI Agent Ana Gray. She is assigned the case of a kidnapping that eventually leads to the trail of a serial killer. The plot is a little too meandering, and the rest of the cast is under-utilized, but Bell plays her role to the fullest and makes her scenes work.

Agent Gray is called to the home of a wealthy couple in California. They have received a call from their daughter Juliana (Genevieve Beuchner) saying she has been kidnapped and is going to be killed. Gray assigns her team to various duties and begins work on the case. Representing the LA Police Department is Andrew Berringer (Cole Hauser) with whom Ana is having an ongoing romantic relationship.

Agent Barbara Sullivan (Suleka Matthews) is on Gray’s team as is Mike Donato (Titus Welliver). Gray also has a trainee named Jason (Ryan Macdonald) assigned to her. The team works well together except for Jason who is too raw to be truly useful in the field.

All of the characters surrounding Ana Gray may have been important in Smith’s book but they serve no function in the movie. William Devane, an actor I was very pleased to see on screen again, is wasted as Gray’s grandfather. He has a total of two scenes that do nothing to further the plot.

As Gray and her team close in on the killer the actual capture goes on and on and on. The length of time it takes strains the credibility of the story. If this is true FBI practice then something is wrong with this picture.

The movie comes off as being a showcase for Bell’s talent. She looks great and does a solid job of acting out her role. Everything else is just excessive or unbelievable. This is one of TNT’s least enjoyable “Mystery Movie Night” offerings.

“Good Morning, Killer” airs on TNT, Tuesday, December 13 at 9PM.