Jesse Stone 1: Stone Cold (2005)

AKA: Stone Cold

Director: Robert Harmon

Writers: John Fasano, Michael Brandman, Robert B. Parker

Composer: Jeff Beal

Starring: Tom Selleck, Jane Adams, Reg Rogers, Viola Davis, Alexis Dziena, Kohl Sudduth, Polly Shannon, Stephen McHattie, Shawn Roberts, Alex House, Mimi Rogers, Vito Rezza, Victoria Snow, John Dunsworth

More info: IMDb

Plot: In the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts, the experienced Chief of Police Jesse Stone is investigating a murder and a rape case. When a series of murders happen with the same "modus-operandi", Jesse discloses the identity of the killers. However, without the motive, proof or weapon, he has to wait for an opportunity to catch the murderers.

My rating: 7/10

Will I watch it again?  Yes.

I made the wonderful mistake of accidentally seeing the second film first, JESSE STONE: NIGHT PASSAGE (2006). The second film turns out to be a prequel to this one, the first in the series of 8 TV movies (with a 9th in post as of this writing...YAY!!!) and it plays very well like that.  It's also a better film than STONE COLD but you can't win them all.  Jeff Beal's low key score is great and it's like that throughout the series.  Selleck plays Stone just like Beal scores it, too, and he's wonderful.  It's the kind of role that you wish he'd have played in a regular series for many seasons.  There are always two stories playing out in each film.  The rape story in this one plays out rather nicely and it goes to some dark places.  The other plot about the serial killers is good up until the conclusion where it goes to shit.  There's no way a cop would do what Stone did the way he did it.  He'd be dead due to the many variables that could have gone all wampus kitty.  That really cheesed me off and it was a shitty way to end an otherwise good film.