Twisted may be an understatement. The thrills keep coming as the viewer is thrust into a highly engaging murder case that becomes all too personal for its detective. Ashley Judd (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood) plays Jessica Shepard, recently promoted to head inspector of homicide. Basking in self-contentment for attaining the coveted position of the first female chief in San Francisco, she is eager to get to work. Her strong sense of pride and aggressive flair make Shepard a force to be reckoned with.Despite her quick skills and investigatory capabilities, Shepard's first murder case as inspector proves to be a challenge. As police discover bloodied victims with the same signature mark of a serial murderer, Shepard finds herself in a race against time before the killer strikes his next victim. The fact that Shepard has been intimately acquainted with each victim is most startling. Shepard's promiscuous sexual life suddenly gains significance in the case, and Shepard finds herself not only investigating a murder, but defending her own self dignity.

Forced to acknowledge repressed fears and anger at the request of a police psychologist (David Strathaim of The Root), we learn the significance of an intimate link between Shepard's family life and the current murder case. Not only was Shepard's father inspector of homicide in the same precinct some 20 years ago, but he also was charged for a series of murders, including that of Shepard's mother. Raised by her father's old partner, Shepard is scarred by the burdensome memory of her father's horrific crimes.

As emotions resurface, Shepard nearly loses all control of her typically collected self. Shepard's co-workers become increasingly suspicious of her involvement in the case as a result of her excessive alcohol consumption and unexplained blackouts before the discovery of each subsequent victim. As Shepard struggles to deal with such turmoil, she finds herself caught between being the investigator and a suspect, even doubting her own innocence at times.

Judd's performance in Twisted is typical of in her roles in past thriller flicks, but Judd knows her strengths and uses them well. Neither Andy Garcia (Ocean's Eleven), as Mike Del Marco, nor Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), as John Mills, particularly impress in their respective roles as Shepard's partner and police commissioner. However, Garcia's character's emotional entanglement with Judd's adds some spice to the film. Camryn Manheim (of the television show The Practice) shines in her role as a lab technician for the murder case, providing some unexpected dark humor and wit. Strathaim is simply dull as Shepard's psychologist. While none of the acting performances are especially stunning, they are sufficient to keep viewer interested in the movie screen.

A disappointment in this film was the unoriginal cinematic technique. The camera work was predictable and too obviously structured to appreciate it in any artistic sense. The film's gray, hazy portrayal of San Francisco, although intended as an eerie atmosphere fit for a crime scene, appears dull and unsophisticated. Luckily, the film's appealing plot is strong enough to somewhat overcome such absence of style.

Though easily forgettable after leaving the theater, Twisted is fully engaging during the couple of hours a viewer might spend alongside a popcorn and beverage. The plot saves the movie from being a total waste of time. Perhaps we have grown to count on Judd for some good old murder mystery entertainment.