Zero Effect (1998)

-Written by Kyle Bain.

Daryl Zero (Bill Pullman) is the self-proclaimed best private investigator in the world. His meticulous attention to detail and his ability to read people affords him the ability to solve crimes in minutes. Zero Effect is Zero’s most intriguing venture yet, as he and his associate Steve Arlo (Ben Stiller) attempt to solve a blackmail case for a shady millionaire. 

Zero Effect is a deep, emotional journey that focuses heavily on inherently grounded and accessible topics throughout. The film centers around the case of a private investigator, one that may feel a tad farfetched, but branches out into something far more grounded. Following a millionaire, Daryl must determine who is blackmailing him for money. Maybe I don’t fully understand the gravity of the situation. I’m not a millionaire, I’m not a person worth stalking and blackmailing–so, again, there are aspects of this narrative that are understandably out of reach for me. What Writer-Director Jake Kasdan does so well, however, is allow this aspect of the film to be the catalyst for everything that comes after. The romance, the drama, the subtle comedy all come to be as a result of the mystery surrounding the anonymous blackmailer. 

Zero Effect works so well as a result of this–and there’s a trio of characters that work to bring this aspect of the film to life. Daryl, Steve Arlo, and the enigmatic Gloria Sullivan (Kim Dickens) act sort of as a triangle of sadness that manages to permeate the entirety of Zero Proof. Steve is struggling with the fact that he’s an errand boy that feels underappreciated, Gloria is struggling with trauma from her past, and Daryl can’t help but to suffer from the harsh reality that his neurodivergence and fractured interpersonal skills have effectively cut him off from the rest of the world. These are real-world issues, things that the everyman deals with on a daily basis. The gravitas of these three is simply impeccable, a genuine and honest commentary on mental health and how it affects us and our loved ones. Zero Effect, a film that initially presents itself as a dry, quirky comedy, quickly pivots to something more visceral and emotionally charged.

A film that ultimately flew under the radar, that didn’t even make its money back–Zero Effect is highly underrated, not only as the emotional giant that it is, but for its technical prowess as well. The use of slow fades on behalf of Director of Photography Bill Pope, Kasdan, and Editor Tara Timpone eases us into new scenes, and effectively presents us with a plethora of knowledge that could have potentially been overwhelming if not handled with care. Additionally, there are a few moments in which I still haven’t figured out the meaning or the purpose behind the movement of the camera, and yet, I found myself mesmerized by them. Like the slow pan to the floor as Arlo speaks with Gregory Stark (Ryan O’Neal), just to slowly fade us back into the same location from twenty feet away. I can’t wrap my head around why this happens, but, again, I found something incredibly cathartic about this moment. Regardless of the reasoning, Kasdan’s film shines in moments like this–expressing how brilliant a filmmaker he is, in his directorial debut. 

The acting, the cinematography, the editing–nearly every aspect of Zero Effect is brilliant. Yet, the thing that I might find the most compelling is the balance achieved between comedy and drama. Zero Effect transcends genres, existing in the realm of drama, comedy, mystery, and romance–with each of these pieces not only playing a pivotal role, but existing in harmony with the rest. Zero Effect is a film that gets better the more I think about it. It’s a work of art that effectively reaches viewers in a quirky, but beautiful way. 

Written & Directed by Jake Kasdan. 

Starring Bill Pullman, Ben Stiller, Ryan O’Neal, Kim Dickens, Angela Featherstone, etc. 

8.5/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING