The January Man is a 1989 American neo-noir thriller comedy film directed by Pat O'Connor from a screenplay by John Patrick Shanley.

[1][2] The film stars Kevin Kline as Nick Starkey, a smart ex-NYPD detective who is lured back into service by his police commissioner brother (Harvey Keitel) when a serial killer terrorizes the city.

Nick becomes involved with the mayor's daughter (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and is aided in his investigation by his neighbor, Ed, an artist (Alan Rickman).

This is a controversial decision, as Nick left the force in disgrace two years earlier but may be the only police officer brilliant enough to capture the killer.

Nick believes that this is a copycat killing, especially when he learns that the man broke a window, as opposed to picking a lock to gain entrance as in the other murders.

Nick and Ed discover the position of the victims' buildings, when seen on a map of Manhattan, forms the constellation Virgo.

Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote: "The January Man is worth study as a film that fails to find its tone.

"[3] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post was even more harsh, writing, "Eliot called April the cruelest month, but then he hadn't seen The January Man.