"The Toolbox Killer" is a docudrama film directed by James Bamford and starring Dean Norris as Lawrence Bittaker and Hollywood veteran, Mae Whitman, as criminologist Laura Brand. The movie is based on the real-life crimes committed by Bittaker and his partner Roy Norris in Southern California in the late 1970s.
The film takes viewers on a journey through Bittaker's twisted mind and the gruesome crimes he committed. Using a customized van that had power tools and other torture devices, Bittaker and Norris abducted, raped, and murdered five teenage girls.
Filmed in a semi-documentary style, the movie is based on the true story of how Bittaker's case was solved by the tireless work of the Los Angeles Police Department. It depicts how Laura Brand’s encounters with Bittaker helped to unravel some of the mysteries surrounding these horrific crimes.
Throughout the movie, Bittaker recounts in graphic detail what he and his partner did to their victims, as well as how he felt about the murders. The Toolbox Killer is a disturbing and brutal depiction of one of America's most depraved serial killers, certain to leave the viewer shaken.