There is a lingering part of me that still wants to see director Charlie Shackleton’s documentary adaptation of a California Highway Patrol officer’s book, which claimed a conspiracy within the local government to hide the true identity of the “Zodiac Killer.” There’s also a lingering part of Shackelton that wants to see that documentary, too. However, perhaps it’s a blessing that he lost the rights to the book, as we might not have gotten “Zodiac Killer Project.”

The film opens on a long shot of an empty parking lot somewhere in northern California. Shackleton narrates how he would have recreated the first time Lyndon Lafferty, author of “The Zodiac Killer Cover-Up: The Silenced Badge,” met George Russel Tucker. In Shackleton’s envisioned version, the two would stare each other down, Lafferty would drive off and then immediately compare Tucker to a police sketch of the “Zodiac Killer” in his car. But that was  before Lafferty’s family revoked the rights for the documentary. In “Zodiac Killer Project,” the parking lot remains empty except for a few people wandering across the screen, humorously punctuating Shackleton’s dramatic narration. 

“Zodiac Killer Project” largely consists of scenes like this. The documentary feels like a slideshow being narrated by a friend lamenting a cancelled project. Most of the time, it works, primarily due to Shackleton’s charmingly comedic delivery. Though the long takes on locations considered for the documentary can become a tad grating, Shackleton sprinkles in enough short cutaways to keep the viewer engaged. Additionally, the voice of a producer occasionally speaks to Shackleton through a radio — one that is deliberately reminiscent of a police radio — and Shackleton himself even appears in the recording booth in the latter half of the documentary. 

Shackleton is not unaware of the hypocrisy of his position. He frequently criticizes the tropes of the true crime genre while talking about exactly how it would have been done in his project. This is where a good portion of the humor lies. The documentary frequently pulls clips from similar films, comparing bites to each other to demonstrate how formulaic the genre is while Shackleton comments how he might have done the same. Additionally, Shackleton is unconvinced of Lafferty’s theory, appearing more interested in crafting a compelling story than in providing an entirely truthful narrative. 

However, the documentary is not without its faults. Shackleton fails to delve into why society has such a fixation on true crime, perhaps because he himself is a fan of the genre, and the film is not so much a deconstruction of the culture of true crime so much as it is purely a genre study. This is entertaining, and not without its value, but it seems like something of a missed opportunity in a film constantly poking fun at the genre. Additionally, the long takes can get tiresome, even with Shackleton’s charming narration, and you may find yourself longing for a bit more variety after a while. At certain points in the film, it feels more like Shackleton is simply making this movie to get back at the family’s revocation of the rights. Yet, it is also hard not to forgive him for these flaws, as the film is witty and charming enough to overlook its larger issues and the questions it leaves the audience wondering about after the credits roll. 

“Zodiac Killer Project” will undoubtedly not be for everyone. If you approach “Zodiac Killer Project” hoping for a true crime documentary, you will be disappointed. Similarly, if you approach “Zodiac Killer Project” hoping for a standard documentary, you’ll likely be let down. But if you can get past the unconventional style and somewhat misleading title, you’ll find something quite funny and occasionally insightful in the not-so-cryptic message of “Zodiac Killer Project.”

You can keep up with The Maneater’s 2025 True/False Film Fest coverage here.

Edited by Alyssa Royston | aroyston@themaneater.com

Copy edited by Emma Short | eshort@themaneater.com

Edited by Emily Skidmore | eskidmore@themaneater.com