Memoirs of a Murderer (3 Stars)

This is the 39th film in the Stuttgart Fantasy Film Festival.

In most countries there's a time period within which a crime must be tried in court, or at least within which the proceedings begin. For instance, in England most criminal offences have a six month time limit. If something is stolen, the theft must be reported to the police within six months so that a charge can be made, if necessary against persons unknown. For major offences, such as murder, there is no expiry period. In Japan there used to be a 15 year time period, after which a person could no longer be tried for murder. This has since been changed in Japan, but it's still not allowed to try anyone for a murder committed before April 28th 1995.

From 1992 to 1995 there was a serial killer that the press called the Tokyo Strangler. He committed his final murder on April 27th 1995, one day before the deadline. In 2017 he decides to confess to his crimes, knowing he can no longer be tried for murder. He apologises to the relatives of his victims, and he writes a book about his murders that immediately becomes a bestseller. The general public reveres him as a celebrity, but there are two men who refuse to let go. One is the detective who unsuccessfully investigated the case in 1995. The other is a television host who also investigated the case in 1995.

This film has a lot of action, and there are repeated surprises until the very end, but I find the premise unfeasible. The plot twists also lack credibility.