It is a solid supernatural thriller set in Navajo Indian country - an atmospheric movie. Scott Glenn is a gloomy homicide detective named Cain sent to Indian country to apprehend Nakai Twobear, a serial killer who appears to possess supernatural powers.

What looks like a routine transportation job turns into a nightmare when Cain subdues to his prisoner's hypnotic influence. Swerving to avoid an imaginary Indian on the road, he comes round in hospital to discover that Twobear escaped into the wilderness. Wanting to rectify his error, Cain joins a posse that sets off to recapture him. But as the team moves deeper into unknown territory, the hunters become the hunted...

Although the film contains some grisly murder scenes, it mostly focuses on constructing believable characters and creating tense suspense sequences. The romantic subplot about the burgeoning relationship between the detective and fetch-able fellow tracker Angela Alvarado does not thwart the drama.

The desert and mountain scenery is breathtaking. The movie falls into cliché now and then, with a few dream sequences envisaged to jolt the viewer. But, it does not resort to any boring HALLOWEEN-like ending where the murderer keeps coming back to life.

This is a good picture - and I am not speaking in forked tongues.

John Cain (Scott Glenn) is a homicide detective passing through personal problems. His wife has just left him, after nine years of marriage. His chief is aware of the problem, and asks him to bring a serial killer, Nakai Twobear (Benjamin Bratt), arrested in an Indian reservation. While driving back to the city with the prisoner, Cain hits the car and the murderer escapes. Cain joins Ray Whitesinger (Angela Alvarado) and other Indian policemen in the chase of the criminal, who has some sort of psychic powers. Weird things happen with Cain, whose soul was possessed by Twobear. In the end, Cain finds again the meaning of life with Ray. This movie has a good mystic story, well constructed, having action, romance and mysticism. I am a fan of Scott Glenn, but he really has a good performance, as a tormented man in a hard time. The slow pace is the unique problem in this good film. It is not a masterpiece, but also it does not deserve such a low rating. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): `A Presa' (`The Catch')