Dear Mr. Gacy

Jason Moss decides to explore John Wayne Gacy for his criminology thesis and crafts an approach that frames him as a troubled, vulnerable admirer. He writes to the imprisoned killer with the aim of gaining trust and obtaining material for his paper. This decision marks the risky starting point of a dangerous investigative journey.

From his dorm room, Moss sends a carefully crafted letter to Gacy, presenting himself as a sexually confused teen seeking understanding. The outreach is designed to lure the killer into opening up and to yield insights for the study. The initial contact quietly begins the tense exchange.

Gacy responds with caution and begins pushing boundaries through letters and collect-call attempts from inside his cell. The exchanges quickly become a coercive psychological exercise, with the killer steering the conversation toward control. Moss realizes he has entered a high-stakes game with a dangerous man.

The intense exchanges begin to erode Moss's relationships with his girlfriend and family. The obsession with the case bleeds into real life, raising concerns among those close to him. The project starts to isolate him from his loved ones.

Gacy urges Moss toward troubling roles and manipulates the dynamic to test his boundaries. Moss lies about a client stealing his wallet to cover for the deception. The line between research and manipulation becomes dangerously blurred.

Gacy escalates by claiming he will protect those Moss cares about with brutal means and hints at involving Moss's younger brother, Alex. The threats push Moss toward retreating from some calls and re-evaluating the safety of the situation. The pressure intensifies the sense of danger.

Paranoia and aggression creep into Moss's life as the project dominates his thoughts. He lashes out at a classmate who bullies his brother and even contemplates hiring a prostitute to assault someone, stopping himself at the last moment. The psychological toll of the exchanges becomes increasingly evident.

Gacy learns that Moss has lied to authorities and may be corresponding with other inmates, heightening the danger. The killer tightens his grip and intensifies the manipulation. The ethical boundaries Moss fears crossing become murkier as the web tightens.

With Moss's final appeal failing, an impending execution prompts Gacy to offer to pay for a tightly supervised prison visit. Moss agrees, spurred by curiosity and obligation, while a warden confirms the strict supervision. The planned encounter becomes a focal point for fear and responsibility.

A former survivor warns Moss against meeting Gacy, but his scientific curiosity and desire to complete the project push him forward. The warning adds a layer of moral complexity to the upcoming encounter. The decision weighs heavily as the date approaches.

Moss and Gacy are placed together in the same room while guards observe from outside. Gacy pretends friendship, but the mood turns menacing as he threatens Moss with rape and murder. The guards briefly look away, misreading the moment, and Moss screams for help as they rush in.

In the aftermath, Gacy calls Moss again, threatening to reveal allegations against Alex unless Moss complies. Moss insists that his actions are for scholarly research, trying to detach the encounter from personal risk. The coercive pressure continues to ripple through his life.

Gacy is put to death soon after, leaving Moss to confront what the experience has done to him. The film shifts toward a sober reflection on the costs of crossing ethical lines for the sake of a story. Moss's personal boundaries and sanity bear the scars of the ordeal.

The film closes with an epilogue that includes an interview with the real Jason Moss and a photo of Moss with Gacy taken days before the execution. It notes that Moss later wrote a book about their relationship and that he died by suicide in June 2006. The closing moments reflect on fame, trauma, and the consequences of crossing lines.