Ticking Clock

Synopsis: Lewis Hicks (Cuba Gooding Jr.) is a reporter and journalist specializing in writing about the crime of murder. Instead of writing his next story, Lewis becomes the story when his new girlfriend is sadistically murdered, and he is the only suspect. Lewis investigates the murder himself and finds the killer's journal with his past victims and a death list of his future prey. Lewis believes that he is the only person who can stop the killer before time runs out for his next victim.
Director(s): Ernie Barbarash
Production: Sony
 
IMDB:
5.3
R
Year:
2011
101 min
104 Views


Whether your computer's ready or not,

there are only 318 days till the year 2000.

A group of corporations concerned

about the problems

related to the Y2K computer bug

have convened...

No. Don't cry.

Don't cry. Hey.

Everything's gonna be okay.

Hi. Everything's gonna be okay, pal.

Come here, come here. Yeah.

That's a good boy. Okay, don't cry.

She can't hurt you any more.

It's over. Come here.

No one's gonna hurt you ever again.

My name is Louis Hicks.

I'm an investigative reporter.

I cover stories of killers and criminals.

Their lives are dark, without hope.

I try not to let it affect me, but it's hard.

- Hey! Gordo! Two shots.

- No!

- Yes, yes.

- No, no, no, no.

- I got to work in an hour.

- Just one, just one.

- No, no.

- One shot, old-school.

- One. One shot.

- There it is.

- To Louis.

- Yeah.

All right, now you do something for me.

Let me buy you breakfast.

Too late. I already ate.

Breakfast of champions.

How's work? Any compelling

real-life stories I should know about?

Not today.

Well...

How's work for you, huh?

You working on the book?

Always. Always working, Gordo.

So, speaking of which,

what's up on the work front?

Are you gonna take the university thing?

Me, an adjunct professor?

I suspect a few ethics questions remain.

Louis, you're a good writer.

You're a good investigator. Maybe...

Maybe this teaching thing

is what you need to put it all back together.

You know? You know,

show them that you can hold down a job,

stay in one place, a little stability.

Hey, maybe get more visitation time

with Adam.

That would be nice.

How often you get to see him?

Weekends. Yeah. Most weekends.

Louis, pal, I worry about you.

Come on, the truth is, you don't do so well

on your own, you know?

What are you trying to say, Gordo?

Oh, God. The natives are getting restless.

- There it is.

- I got to go.

Thanks anyway, Gordo.

What would you do without me?

Can I get the cheque, please?

- Hey!

- Hey.

I thought you were coming over later.

Yeah, I just thought we should talk first.

You're wearing your wedding ring again?

I'm sick of this, Louis. I'm sick of it!

Felicia, wait.

I'm done waiting! I'm done!

Maybe your wife can handle it, but I can't.

Can't believe that son of a b*tch! Whatever.

You want to go back to your wife, fine.

Good luck. I'm done, done!

You've been crying.

You prosecuted Sampson Raines

for those murders last year.

Was it fun, Felicia?

Making all those headlines? I bet it was.

A lot more fun than taking on

a low profile child abuse case,

which got zero media coverage.

The boy! Are you the boy's father?

No. No, I'm not, Felicia.

I'm his guardian angel.

Let's see...

"Felicia Carson, single, lives alone,

dies today."

See? It's written.

So, it's gonna have to happen.

Felicia?

Felicia?

Felicia!

911. What's your emergency?

I need an ambulance, 717 Oak Lane.

Are you hurt, sir?

No, there's so much blood.

Is someone else hurt? I need more specifics.

Hey!

Stay out of it!

Felicia Carson, Assistant District Attorney.

It's gonna be a long night, fellas.

Well, well, look who it is.

No, no, let him through.

Louis Hicks. What's the matter?

Work a little slow?

Glued to your police scanner again?

I was the one that found her. I called it in.

- What were you doing here?

- We're friends.

Friends? What happened to your head?

There was somebody inside the house

with her.

When he saw me, he took off. I chased him.

We got into it,

and he slammed me into a dumpster.

- I'll sign for it. Just get her on the bus.

- Okay.

You chased him, he slammed you.

Where'd he go?

I don't know. I lost him. Man, I just...

He... It's like he just vanished.

Vanished? How?

You know, he was there,

and then he was gone.

So, what happened next?

I just passed out.

Louis, what the hell happened to you?

Hold on there. Come here. Let's get an ID.

This your friend?

Pretty girl. It's a shame.

Load her up.

She was a good person.

Who would want to do this to her?

An Assistant DA? Someone she put away,

someone who wants attention,

maybe random.

Does this look random to you?

No, it looks crazy, serial crazy.

When was the last time you saw her?

- I don't know. Around 6:00.

- Tonight?

- Yeah.

- Where?

Outside her office building.

How long you two been together?

Two months. Maybe more.

We met on a story.

Sampson Raines murders.

I remember the case.

What I wrote in that article

was nothing personal.

Of course not.

Wait here.

I'll get someone to take a full statement.

I'll help any way I can.

The department

appreciates your cooperation.

See you later, Gordo.

That guy's a real prick.

Hey, he took what you wrote about him

pretty hard.

You think?

I broke up with her tonight, Gordo.

I can't help but think, you know, if I hadn't,

you know, she was upset,

her guard was down.

This is not your fault. Come on.

Let's get somebody

to look at that head of yours. Come on.

Coming!

Hey, buddy! I missed you, man!

- Can I borrow your laptop?

- You know where it is.

Gina?

Morning, Louis. Did you forget?

No, no, I just had a rough night.

Of course. Let me guess, you were busy

researching a really hot story.

What's that supposed to mean?

Are you gonna take your son to the park

this morning or not?

Louis, you made a huge deal about

how important every weekend is to you now.

Yes. Yes, I am.

Fine. Look, I was gonna run some errands,

- but if you're a mess again...

- No! No! I'm not a mess!

This, this, this is a mess.

Morning, Hicks. Miss.

Missus. Mrs Hicks.

Detective Becker, this is my wife, Gina.

What can I do for you?

I wanted to follow up on a couple of things

from the Carson murder last night.

Murder?

Felicia Carson, an Assistant DA,

was murdered in her home last night.

Your husband found the body.

Someone I knew was killed last night.

I'm sorry. A woman you knew?

A source. From the last Journal piece.

My apologies for the early morning.

I just wanted to get right on it.

Wouldn't want to be accused of sloppy

police work in another true-crime article.

Okay. Adam, honey, let's go.

But I want to see Dad.

Yeah, I know, baby. Not today.

Daddy's busy.

Gina, wait.

But I want to watch the policeman.

- Adam, now, please.

- Gina.

Look, this is a bad time. Why don't

you give me a call later this afternoon?

What gave that away?

Hey. A woman is dead.

Good day.

Gina.

Gina!

Gina, wait a second.

I'm sorry, but I was involved.

You are always involved,

just never with the people who matter.

Are you serious? A woman was killed.

- What? A woman that you were f***ing.

- I wasn't f***ing her.

Besides, we've been separated

for six months.

Yeah, and I noticed

that you're still wearing your ring. Nice.

Stop it.

Listen, I saw the guy who did this,

and I chased him.

Save it for the goddamn book, Louis!

I don't care any more!

I'm sure it'll be great.

Especially a firsthand account.

I mean, you knew the victim intimately.

I don't know. God, I don't know. I'm sorry.

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John Turman

John Turman is an American screenwriter, film producer and storyboard artist. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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