Zodiac Killer Project, directed by Charlie Shackleton, explores an abandoned true crime documentary about the Zodiac Killer; and in the process, deconstructs the genre, examining the public intrigue and moral complexities of true crime.
The documentary premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT Innovator Award; and will open in theaters, starting on November 21 in New York City, with a national expansion to follow.
Zodiac Killer Project explores Shackleton’s deep dive into unmasking the identity of the infamous serial killer. He takes a microscope to the failed project and in the process, uncovers the truth of modern viewers’ obsession with disgust, gore, and mystery. He ponders on the question of why the public seeks entertainment and even comfort from what should disturb us most.
Combining archival footage, pop culture clips, narration, and reenactments, Shackleton brings a distinctly intelligent meta-commentary to his exploration of true crime.
In an interview, Shackleton says, “It’s a genre that’s cannibalized its own critique. So I tried to set firm boundaries in the edit about how far we would go. Like there are no dead bodies in the film, there’s no discussion of any of the killer’s victims. This was a hard line.”
In their review of the film, Hollywood Reporter wrote, “Charlie Shackleton gets at the heart of what makes these docs so successful on both a psychological and schematic level. He deconstructs the genre but also manages to deepen it, creating his own suspenseful true crime feature while demonstrating how such features are created.”
Watch the trailer for Zodiac Killer Project above.
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