Tag: Thriller
‘1992’ Film Review: A Tired Heist Movie Disguised as Something Important
In his excellent 2002 cop drama Dark Blue, director Ron Shelton weaved a powerful story of police corruption into the backdrop of the L.A. riots of 1992. The filmmaker didn’t use the incident as a prop, but a canvas to
‘The Killer’ Film Review: A John Woo Classic Reimagined by Woo Himself
With this year’s The Killer, legendary filmmaker John Woo remakes one of his finest. His 1989 blood and bullets masterpiece of the same name is widely (and rightfully) regarded as one of the great action pictures. Redoing such a beloved
‘MaXXXine’ Film Review: The Best Film of a Unique Trilogy
With only the rarest of exceptions, sequels are an unwise venture and hardly ever work. Prequels are even harder to pull off, as an origin story can ruin a character’s mystique. To have the third film in a series be
‘Hit Man’ Film Review: Glen Powell Becomes a Real Movie Star
One of Richard Linklater’s greatest strengths is his ability to write interesting screenplays about interesting characters. The talented writer-director is one of the few modern filmmakers who can take cliches and mold them into something real and relatable. If one
‘Civil War’ Film Review: A Viscerally Thrilling Warning For Our Times
Alex Garland’s latest, Civil War, is a riveting cinematic event. It has been some time since a filmmaker has captured the climate of America so precisely. Paul Schrader’s powerful 2017 statement, First Reformed, is perhaps the last time and that
‘The Wild’ Film Review: A Vivid and Complex Korean Crime Thriller
The new Korean thriller, The Wild, is the latest entry into the Asian gangster genre. Over the last decade and a half, the Korean gangster picture has taken its place on the mantle, right beside China and Japan, forming an
‘Sugar’ Series Review: A Stunning and Ultra-Inventive Neo Noir
An extremely well-crafted and completely enthralling love letter to film noir (and a bit more), Apple Tv’s Sugar, is a most welcome new series. Through its unique tone and sharply focused scripts, this engrossing piece excels in placing its allegiances
‘DogMan’ Film Review: A Preposterous and Unimaginative Waste
Luc Besson has always been a frustrating filmmaker. His early French films, 1985’s Subway, !988’s The Big Blue, and 1990’s La Femme Nikita showed a director who could combine interesting stories with inventive craftsmanship. Those works combined deep characterizations and
‘Polar Rescue’ Film Review: Donnie Yen In the Performance of His Career
Donnie Yen is one of the great legends of Martial Arts Cinema. His performances in Hong Kong treasures such as 1993’s Iron Monkey and 2005’s Kill Zone showed he had versatile acting talents that went beyond his martial arts skills.
“Love Lies Bleeding’ Film Review: An Artful Collage of Sex and Violence
Writer/director Rose Glass made her feature debut with 2019’s stunningly effective psychological horror film, “Saint Maud”, an unsettling and complex mood piece that announced a unique new voice. Glass’s sophomore effort, “Love Lies Bleeding“, is an even stronger film; a