This Ryan Gosling and Sandra Bullock Thriller Is Based on a True Story

The big picture

• Murder by numbers
  follows a twisted crime loosely based on the Leopold and Loeb case of the 1920s.
• The film alters some details, such as the location and age of the characters, to create a more modern story.
• A big similarity between the film and the real case is the incriminating evidence, which eventually leads to the discovery of the killers.

Sandra Bullock i Ryan Gosling have become big names in Hollywood over the years. They've dabbled in multiple genres, received rave reviews, and done it with grace and humility that makes them easy to resonate with and support. As with any big star, it's fascinating to look back on Gosling and Bullock's careers and see the roles that contributed to their abilities as actors today. But it's also surprising to look back and realize that the pair worked together early in their careers on a film called Murder by numbers. Published in 2002, Murder by numbers it's a psychological thriller, meaning the premise was meant to be a little twisted no matter what. But a deeper look into the film reveals that it was based on a true story, and it's even more disturbing than the film itself.

What is “Murder by Numbers” about?

Murder by numbers follows Richard Haywood (Gosling) and Justin Pendleton (Michael Pitt), high school classmates who plan the perfect crime. They spend months planning the crime and finally kidnap a woman, strangle her and frame Richard's dealer for the murder. Bullock's character is Detective Cassie Mayweather, who is put on the case to investigate with her partner Sam (Ben Chaplin). Together they uncover details about the case that point to Richard and Justin, such as footprints at the scene and vomit nearby. Cassie is convinced that Richard is behind the murders, but others claim that all the evidence points away from the boys. Obviously, we know Cassie is right, but it's still a tense ride she tries to prove the guilt of the boys with the least belief of those around her.

“Murder by Numbers” is based on a true story

As if the film's plot wasn't disturbing enough, it was actually based on the Leopold and Loeb case of the 1920s. Nathan Leopold i Richard Loeb they were students at the University of Chicago when they plotted and planned what was characterized at the time as “the crime of the century.” The pair spent seven months planning the crime, from the choice of the victim to the actual kidnapping and murder, and the subsequent elimination and cover-up of the crime. His victim was Robert “Bobby” Franks, a 14-year-old student at the Harvard School for Boys and Loeb's neighbor. In May 1924, Leopold and Loeb executed their plan and offered Franks a ride home from school. When he agreed, he was dragged into the back seat of the car, where he died. The pair then removed the body and mutilated it to avoid identification, and moved on to the next part of their plan, which was the ransom note.

Because suspicion never seemed to fall on them, Leopold and Loeb often discussed the murder with Franks' family and friends, and Leopold even joked about confessing to them to get the reward money. But eventually, his “perfect” plan began to fall apart when police found a pair of glasses near Franks' body. The specific style of glasses was purchased by only three people in Chicago at the time, one of whom was Leopold. And when they were brought in for questioning, their alibis began to slip and they were exposed to be more guilty than anyone could imagine. Loeb was the first to confess, followed soon after by Leopold, and the confessions apparently cleared up all the evidence found by investigators, and Leopold and Loeb were found guilty of their “perfect crime”.

“Murder by Numbers” narrows down aspects of the Leopold and Loeb case

Murder by numbers it may take certain aspects of the Leopold and Loeb case, but it changes some aspects of the story. For starters, the original case happened in Chicago in 1924, while Murdered by numbers takes place in California in 2002. Also, the real Leopold and Loeb were college students, but the characters in the film are high school students, making them younger than the people they were based on. The choice of victim was also different. Leopold and Loeb chose a neighbor of Loeb's, who eventually brought them back. Meanwhile, Richard and Justin in the movie chose a completely random victim to make sure there would be no trail leading to them. The film also shows a much deeper planning of the murder, like the modern environment had to take into account advances in research technology. In the film, they have concrete alibis and even stage a crime scene.

There is a great similarity between the films, and that is the evidence that finally led to the pair being caught. The evidence changes from a pair of glasses to some vomit near the film. Just as the glasses were only bought by three people in Chicago at the time, the contents of the vomit revealed traces of caviar. And on the San Benito movie set, there was only one restaurant that served caviar, and Justin was a regular. These pieces of evidence, while different from each other, made both the character and his real-life counterpart the prime suspect. The film also removes any doubt about who was the real killer between Justin and Richard, as there is video evidence that Justin was the one who did it. In the actual case, there is still doubt as to whether Leopold or Loeb struck the fatal blows.

while Murder by numbers remains an incredibly twisted story, mitigates many aspects of the case and therefore it feels a little different. While it can be deeply unsettling, it won't make you feel as sick as the real thing. However, Murder by numbers it's a superb thriller and keeps you guessing every second. It may be based on a real case, but it has enough differences to throw you off course, no matter how much you study the Leopold and Loeb case beforehand. And as disturbing as the actual case is, that's not exactly a bad thing. It's actually quite a welcome change. So, if you're looking for a twisted crime story or just looking to explore some of Ryan Gosling and Sandra Bullock's previous filmography, Murder by numbers it's an exciting place to start.

Murder by numbers is available to rent or buy on Prime Video in the US

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