8 out of 10
 

A girl’s naked body lies spread-eagle on an army training ground. A military detective, played by John Travolta, and his ex-girlfriend, now a rape counsellor, are given just 36 hours to find the kinky murderer. Swimming against shoals of red herrings, Travolta must unravel the girl’s bizarre and disturbing past in a web of intrigue and a catalogue of sexual abuse where everyone has more than just a finger in the pie.

Set in the humid "Deep South" of the US, it is like the very best of country house murder mysteries, giving the audience all the clues they need to solve it, which they will not be able to. Whilst the film is slow to start, it becomes all too gripping as the tale twists and turns, yet at all times remains shockingly believable. There are also many original touches, for example, in "The General’s Daughter", the title-role victim is introduced in a chance, but totally dissociated encounter with Travolta, well before she meets her demise, leaving her known to the audience, but her killer not.

And have no doubt; it’s films like this that prove that Travolta is worth the millions they pay him.