In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders

1988

Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller

5
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 1214 1.2K

Plot summary

It is 1985, and a small, tranquil Florida town is being rocked by a wave of vicious serial murders and bank robberies. Particularly sickening to the authorities is the gratuitous use of violence by two “Rambo” like killers who dress themselves in military garb. Based on actual events taken from FBI files, the movie depicts the Bureau’s efforts to track down these renegades.

Director

Dick Lowry Photo
Dick Lowry

Top cast

Bruce Greenwood Photo
Bruce Greenwood as Agent Jerry Dove
Doug Sheehan Photo
Doug Sheehan as Agent Gordon McNeill
Teri Copley Photo
Teri Copley as Vickie
Lisa Rieffel Photo
Lisa Rieffel as Suzanne McNeill
720p.WEB
882.63 MB
900*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
29.97 fps
1 hr 35 min
Seeds 4

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by mcdougallgreg 8 / 10

Ahead of its time...

The FBI Murders is a made-for-TV film that really surprised me. The acting ranges from good to excellent. No one in this film did a poor job portraying their characters. Ronny Cox and David Soul are the stand-out performances here.The shoot-out in the end is quite graphic for TV standards. There were a few moments in the shoot-out where I was wondering how this film made it onto network television. And this was in the late 80's, way before shows like "The X-Files" and "ER" started to push the limits of graphic bloodletting. The climactic confrontation certainly isn't gratuitous, but it doesn't shy away from showing a little blood (as would be expected when shotguns, sub machine guns, and a dozen pistols are going off).The film isn't perfect though. There are a few times where it feels like this was filmed in the early 80's. Shaky aerial shots support this noticeable flaw. It's hard to explain, but see it and you'll know what I mean. And the music is, at times, a little chintzy. Synthesizers in the 80's usually never helped a film to age well and it certainly shows in this case. Still, this did not detract too much from my satisfying viewing experience.All-in-all though, highly recommended.
Reviewed by Squrpleboy 7 / 10

Above-Line TV Movie

Liberally based on true events surrounding a mid-80's F.B.I.investigation and notorious apprehension attempt of a pair ofmurderous, military-styled bank-robbers, IN THE LINE OF DUTY:THE F.B.I. MURDERS (1988) is well-scripted, beautifully acted,and superbly directed. The pacing and tension build up perfectlyas the two story-lines –– one involving the F.B.I. team diligentlyworking its way through the case, the other showing the harshcriminal viewpoint –– mesh together with ever-tightening switch- ups until the dramatic and bloody climax. Nothing feels forced orout of place, and nothing seems missing. Just solid story-tellingand top-notch drama from beginning to end.It's largely the casting which plays such a huge role in determiningthe quality of this picture, in my opinion. With screen veteransRonny Cox, as senior agent Ben "The Grinch" Grogan, and DavidSoul, as the sadistically deadly robber Michael Lee Platt, you haveboth sides of a very truthful and convincing acting teamrepresented. Add to that Bruce Greenwood, as the rookie agent,his ex-"Knot's Landing" compatriot Doug Sheehan, as anotherhard-driven and concerned field-agent, and a plethora of otherlesser-known but equally skilled actors and you have a solid cast. But the most notable and electrifying performance turned in is inthe surprisingly cold and delivered performance by Michael Gross,as fellow killer William Russell Matix. Here Gross completelysheds the compassionate, intelligent and endearing charactertraits so well-portrayed with his much-loved character StevenKeaton on the TV series "Family Ties", and gives a completelyinner-defined and chilling turn as a contradictory bible-thumping/womanizing, murderer and bank-robbing degenerate. Shockingand terribly engaging all in one. The film pulls few punches withregards to violence throughout –– the final "take-down" scene issurely one of the most graphic and bloody ever shot formainstream audiences, even by today's standards I'd wager ––but it never comes across as exploitive. The story is always themain focus of the film and for THAT reason it succeeds; it's simplya good, engaging story that needed to be told. I first saw this made-for-TV movie on it's original network televisionairing and was extremely impressed. Now, 15 years later, I stillhold it in high regard (with only the cars and the synth-drivensoundtrack music really adding any dating to the picture at all). Unfortunately, IN THE LINE OF DUTY: THE F.B.I. MURDERS, haslong since been out-of-print on VHS, and rarely turns up on TV. Forthose lucky enough to come across it I whole-heartedlyrecommend it.7/10. A made-for-TV movie that succeeds in being more!
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