You can so much influence from other works including STRAY DOG, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, SEVEN, and BLOOD AND BLACK LACE (all Giallo films really) in this. It is also easy to see films that were heavily inspired by it like I SAW THE DEVIL and THE DEPARTED. The real great thing of this film is making a truly paint-by-numbers two-hander cop film where two very different people are teamed up and have their own ways of doing things until they have no choice but to work together. By coming together they are able to be effective. However this is not a paint-by-numbers film. The characters, small town setting, real life influence, and overall atmosphere all warp the story into something special.
