The life story of Jason Moss is at least as intriguing – and slightly disturbing - as that of the people he dedicated his life researching… Imagining the depressing and harsh subject matter he dealt with continuously, I can more or less comprehend why he committed suicide at the age of 31, even though there isn't any actual indication that his work directly or indirectly led him to end his own life. Well before reaching the age of 20, Moss corresponded with several notorious serial killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Henry Lee Lucas and John Wayne Gacy. It was the latter with whom he corresponded the most intimately and published a book about his experiences, entitled "The Last Victim". "Dear Mr. Gacy" is the – reputedly very faithful – adaptation of this book and atmospherically unfolds how the ambitious 18-year-old Moss seeks contact with Gacy, only a couple of months prior to his execution, in order to deliver an accurate school thesis on the subject of "inside a serial killer's mind". Gacy was a homosexual and pedophile, convicted for the murder of 33 adolescent males, and thus Jason Moss' profile immediately raised his interest. They began to communicate through letters, later telephone calls and the two even met face to face shortly before John Wayne Gacy got executed through lethal injection. The film contains a handful of strong moments and a truly powerful performance by William Forsythe as Gacy, but overall seen, this isn't a hidden gem or even highly memorable thriller. Perhaps this is because you unintentionally compare it to the vastly superior "Silence of the Lambs" and "Seven", due to the element of interaction with a serial killer, but mainly it's because the screenplay is so ordinary and doesn't contain anything surprising or even remotely unusual. The bond between Moss and Gacy develops so damn predictable! Of course you know that the young criminology student gets way more than he bargained for when trying to provoke one of the most diabolical individuals of the planet. Of course you can predict that someone like Gacy, in spite of being behind bars and knowing his execution nears, can still easily manipulate and terrorize his newly found pen pal. And of course you can guess that Gacy's influence over Jason Moss becomes so strong and dangerous that his own private life narrowly gets ruined. Some of the sub plots are rather irrelevant, like Moss seeking contact with a victim that survived his encounter with Gacy several years ago, supposedly to ask for "advise" on how to confront him?!? Is it me or is this just totally inappropriate? Svetozar Ristovski's direction skills can only be referred to as neutral and the only true standout of this film is – naturally – Forsythe's stellar performance as John Wayne Gacy. William Forsythe is one of those rare character actors who has the ability to petrify you simply through his charisma and voice. Also given his resemblance to the real Gacy, especially at later age, I couldn't have imagined anyone else suitable for the role.

Well paced thriller with a good amount of creepy.

I like it when there's a character who transforms in a movie. Moss becomes involved with Gacy who gets inside his head and stirs up some trouble. We see his character sink lower and lower as a result of his obsession. The fact that this is based on a true story where the student becomes successful but still succumbs to something dark and commits suicide brings layers to this movie; and a yearning to know many more details of what really happened between these two men.

Forsythe and Moss have good chemistry and depth.

I recommend. I will be very surprised if you do not google this story after viewing - I did.

I caught this late at night on the Horror Channel so I wasn't expecting much, but DEAR MR GACY turns out to be an interesting little story about the real-life serial killer John Wayne Gacy. The film, playing out as a dark and psychological thriller, is based on a non-fiction book that tells the story of a college student who decides to research the killer for his end-of-year assignment. This requires him getting in touch with Gacy, an act which begins a sinister relationship.

DEAR MR GACY is a surprisingly mature handling of the material which offers a look into the dark psychology of a killer. Thankfully it eschews needless gore sequences - viscerally, it's a relatively tame production - in favour of some truly uncomfortable moments as the killer draws close to what will become his "last victim". The film benefits immensely from an excellent turn from William Forsythe, who turned from a B-movie kind of actor in the 1990s to a dark, imposing presence more recently (check out his work in BOARDWALK EMPIRE if you're a fan of him here). Jesse Moss is also a revelation as the student who quickly finds himself getting out of his depth. DEAR MR GACY is well worth checking out for those of us with an interest in the darker side of human nature.