In Los Angeles, FBI counter-terrorism investigator Ray Karsten and district attorney’s investigator Jess Cobb go about their day in the office. Newly hired assistant DA Claire Sloan, an attractive Harvard graduate, is gaining Ray’s attention.
Jess is pushing Ray to ask Claire out, to Ray’s disapproval, since Claire recently became engaged. While Jess and Ray bicker, they receive a call about an unknown female’s body found in a dumpster near a mosque that Ray is investigating for possible terror links. Arriving in the scene, Ray takes the first look at the body and is deeply shocked to see that it is Jess’s daughter, Caroline, raped, brutally murdered and bleached inside and out. Jess is distraught when she learns the news and breaks down. Ray vows to find the suspect and do justice.
During the investigation, Jess feels the increasing need to move away from the city. While helping Jess pack, Ray notices pictures from the police station picnic day and a young man staring at Caroline in all the photos. After Ray finds no leads with the police officers for the identity of the young man, causing intense frustration, he begins scanning the system for a matching photo. He identifies the suspect, Marzin, and his address. Ray brings Detective Bumpy Willis to help investigate.
At Marzin’s home, the two find and recover a suspicious-looking comic book, within which they find a pattern that reveals Marzin’s location. Marzin is tracked down and arrested. Claire argues with Ray over his methods, citing the evidence as inadmissible because of improper protocol and conflict of interest. She almost releases Marzin during his interrogation, but hesitates and changes her mind when she catches Marzin attempting to look under her blouse.
Claire taunts Marzin, leading him to unzip his pants, expose himself and attack Claire. Ray beats Marzin, who is ultimately let go because of his status as a government informant. Jess, Claire, and Ray are disappointed and argue with District Attorney Martin Morales, who refuses to pursue the case due to lack of evidence and a reluctance to lose an informant. After his release, Marzin’s van is found burned, destroying all evidence against him. With the loss of her daughter, Jess becomes a tormented shell of a person and regresses into anti-social behavior. Ray pledges himself to never stop looking for Caroline’s killer, but transfers to the private sector and gets a job in security.
Secret in Their Eyes is an American mystery thriller film written and directed by Billy Ray, based on the 2005 novel originally titled La Pregunta de sus Ojos (The question in their eyes) by Argentinian author Eduardo Sacheri. The film stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, and Michael Kelly. Sacheri’s novel was previously adapted into the 2009 Argentine film The Secret in Their Eyes, directed by Juan José Campanella, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 82nd Academy Awards. The film was released by STX Entertainment on November 20, 2015.
Secret in Their Eyes
Directed by: Billy Ray
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Dean Norris, Lyndon Smith, Michael Kelly, Zoe Graham, Anita Tucker
Screenplay by: Billy Ray
Production Design by: Nelson Coates
Cinematography by: Daniel Moder
Film Editing by: Jim Page
Costume Design by: Shay Cunliffe
Set Decoration by: Andrea Joel
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic material involving disturbing violent content, language and some sexual references.
Studio: STX Entertainment
Release Date: October 23, 2015
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