This is one of those movies where there's no straight narrative and it seemingly goes from the past to future, though often it turns out just to seem like the past, which I suppose is the point of the movie--that things really don't change that much. Also, the actress who portrays Elizabeth Short also portrays the actress cast as her, Lisa Small.
A filmmaker is doing a film on THE BLACK DAHLIA and is casting women in the part. While this is happening someone is killing women who look like the BLACK DAHLIA.
There are some gruesome "after" shots of what he does to them. Because it's sort of done as a documentary you have the feeling as if you're just watching these people, not characters in a movie, so it succeeds on that point. BUT I've seen at least five other movies the past several years on THE BLACK DAHLIA and I felt as if I really didn't need to see another one. I simply didn't get anything new from this.