Category Archives: Revenge

2018, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Addiction, Adultery, B-movie, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Corny, Corruption, Cult Brainwashing, Detective, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, French, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Imperfect, Improbable details, Jealousy, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Often downright silly, Outrageous Behavior, Police Corruption, Prison, Problematic Ending, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Romance, Sex Offender, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Predator, Sometimes seems silly, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Unjust crime conviction, Violent

The Break (2018)

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From Netflix:

Soon after arriving in Heiderfeld, inspector Yoann Peeters is called to the scene of a suspected suicide and begins uncovering troubling details

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of Season 2 of this French (English subtitles) crime soap-opera.  Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

SECOND REVIEW: Please note that there is already a review for Season 1 which is dated 2016.  To appreciate Season 2 you should first watch Season 1.  My review for Season 1 raves positively and might now be taken with a grain of salt.  It is still true that I was so taken with the plot, characters, and mystery that I once again binged on the series. However, this time let me be a bit more critical.

For adjectives describing this strange-fest consider: exaggerated, corny, repetitive, histrionic,  improbable, riddled with inconsistencies,  and ending in a questionable conclusion.  How’s that for damning with praise?

So what is so watch-worthy?  For one thing the cast consists of some of the more peculiar non-Hollywood characters I have ever seen.  All names hereafter are the character names because it is unlikely that any of the French and Dutch actors will be familiar.  Dany Bastin is the center of attention as the accused.  He is a skinny young man whose entire body is marked by a severe case of psoriasis.  When was the last time you saw an actor with truly repellent skin? He, his brother Christian, his brother’s wife Zoe, and his mother all seem to be underfed, sub-intelligent, unattractive, poverty-stricken  members of some lower order of humans.  Astrid du Tilleul is the wealthy, nasty, dissolute, drug addict murder victim. Her jealous sister Astrid and Astrid’s husband are the oddest looking pair of scheming and murderous morons to hit the screen.  Even dumber are some of the police officers.  At least one officer, Marjorie, is, however,  honest despite her physical unattractiveness.  Not so honest is her partner.

On and on and on goes the series. Yet somehow I was eagerly drawn to each episode (like a moth to a burning candle?)  If my description has not yet turned you away from this mess,  just have fun watching the exaggerated set of unlikely events.  You won’t know “who done it” until the very end.

2020, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Amazon Prime, Artificial Intelligence, Attempted Suicide, Improbable details, Jealousy, Must suspend disbelief, Plot Twist, Revenge, Surprise Ending

Archive (2020)

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From IMDB:

2038: George Almore is working on a true human-equivalent AI. His latest prototype is almost ready. This sensitive phase is also the riskiest. Especially as he has a goal that must be hidden at all costs: being reunited with his dead wife.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 49 minute complete film.

As sci-fi films go, this one is acceptable.   George has somehow captured the consciousness of his deceased wife in some large digital storage cabinet.  In successive attempts he creates robots and injects his wife’s mental remains into these robots.  But each time the quantity of  mental remains diminishes. So George better hurry along.  His first two attempts are these large, clunky, rectangular, metal robots that seem to be conscious, can converse with George, and even feel jealousy. His third effort looks like a real (and of course attractive) woman. Be prepared for a surprising ending as he deals with woman number three.

Do not fester over improbable details. Just enjoy the interplay between George and his family of robots.

2018, Abduction, Binge worthy, Danish, Danish security authorities, Danish TV series, DO NOT MISS, Drone warfare, Ethical struggles, Government cover-up, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Occasionaly violent, Redemption, Revenge, Romance, Suspense, Swedish, Terrorists, Well developed plot

Grey Zone (2018)

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From IMDB:

Victoria works as an engineer specializing in drones. She is taken hostage in the home of terrorists, while the security police in Sweden, led by SÄPO agent Eva, and the Danish colleagues at PET are trying to prevent an imminent terrorist attack. The destiny of the two women is intertwined in a gray zone where morality and responsibility are put at risk.

From MHz Choice:

Dangerous events are set into motion when a brilliant drone engineer is taken hostage in this high octane Scandinavian thriller. 

From MHz Choice you can stream the 10 episodes of this one season Danish thriller. Each episode lasts 44 minutes. English subtitles are provided.

Victoria and her son Oscar are lured into being taken targeted hostages by Lyad, a decent man turned into a terrorist because an American drone killed Lyad’s wife and son.  Victoria is being forced into programming and launching a bomb carrying drone attack on a populated target. Victoria is clever and finds a way to notify the security police who convince her to carry on so that the details and location of the bomb, drone, and target can be discovered.

As a secondary theme,  the almost unscrupulous methods used by the “good guys” ( the state security apparatus) are examined.  Jesper Lassen is devastated when a  close friend and informer is murdered while helping the authorities.  As Henry Kissinger would probably say “What difference does collateral damage make, as long as I achieve my political goals?”

Whereas I had to anxiously wait week after week for the next installment, now (Nov 11, 2020) you can binge watch all 10 episodes.

 DO NOT MISS!

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Antique Cars, Assisted Suicide, Blackmail, Boating, Bullying, Classic, Controlling personality, Corny at times, Dancing, Detective, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Film Remake, Fist Fight, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Haute Couture, Interest in automobiles, Jealousy, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Investigation, Promiscuity, Psychopath, Remarkable Costumes, Revenge, Romance, Suspense, Terminal Disease, Unhappy Marriage, Upstairs - Downstairs

Rebecca (2020)

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From IMDB:

A young newlywed arrives at her husband’s imposing family estate on a windswept English coast and finds herself battling the shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, whose legacy lives on in the house long after her death.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 3 minute complete remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic rendition of Daphne du Maurier’s famous 1938 bestseller.

If the link works for you, you can read the review in the edition today (October 22, 2020) of the Boston Globe.  Let us say that the critic, Ty Burr, damns with faint praise. As Mr. Burr reminds us, Alfred Hitchcock make the film in 1940, which makes the first film version 80 years old. He also sadly informs us that currently (Oct 22, 2020) there is no genuine streaming source for the original.

Of course we old-timers will tell you that Lily James (playing the second Mrs.  de Winter is no Joan Fontaine. Nor is Kristin Scott Thomas (playing Mrs. Danvers) any Dame Judith Anderson.  For my taste Kristin Scott Thomas is scary enough.

Ignore the critics and enjoy this remake!

2004, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Detective, Eccentric Detective, Jealousy, Lawyers, Missing Person, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Prison, Revenge, Sex Offender, Vigilante justice, Violent

Murder City (2004)

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From IMDB:

British police drama that revolves around two mismatched detectives who scour London solving complex cases.

From Amazon Prime:

Despite their polar opposite personalities, methodical DI Susan Alembic (Amanda Donohoe) and unorthodox DS Luke Stone (Kris Marshall) work as an effective team solving complex crimes.

From Amazon Prime you can stream two seasons of this series. Season 1 consists of 6 episodes while season 2 has only 4 episodes. Each episode lasts about 1 hour and 10 minutes.

DI Alembic is procedure oriented while DS Stone is intuitive, somewhat eccentric, and really smart. They both appreciate each other even though they constantly tease each other. Eventually Stone comes off as a loner who feels intensely the harm done by peoples’ evil actions.  He is often insulted by DCI Turner (Tim Woodward) but holds his tongue because Turner is his arrogant and nasty boss.

Clever plots and the interplay of characters make this series an acceptable watch.

 

 

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action sequences, Adopted child, Amusing banter, Arson, Bloody scenes, Bromance, Counterfeiting, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, FBI, Friendship, Gangs, Mildly Violent, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Police Culture, Revenge, Various Romances, Witty dialog

Battle Creek (2015)

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From IMDB:

Two detectives with different views on the world team up and using cynicism, guile and deception, they clean up the streets of Battle Creek.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this bromance detective series. Each episode lasts between 41 and 43 minutes.

Looking for a detective series with a minimal amount of violence and some warm human interaction?  “Battle Creek” is nothing special but at least you don’t have to get tense watching the action.

Milt Chamberlain (played by Josh Duhamel) is an FBI agent who for some unexplained reason is assigned to a police district.  Milt is teamed with Russ Agnew (played by Dean Winters)  much to Russ’ unhappiness. Think water and oil.  Milt is tall, slim, neat, by-the-books and loves needling Russ.  Russ is somewhat old school, prefers intuition, and fails repeatedly, despite Milt’s efforts,  to form a relation with Holly Dale (played by Aubrey Dollar).  In other words the series doubles as a soap opera.

Just a nice bit of fun crime solving with not much stress.

2010, Abduction, Action sequences, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corrupt Prison Guards, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Fist Fight, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Outrageous Behavior, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Unusual, Violent

Sherlock (2010)

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From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of Sherlock Holmes stories. Seasons 1,2, and 4 have 3 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 88 or 89 minutes.

Because there have been so many presentations involving the famous British detective, let’s be clear: In this series four of the many actors are:

Adjectives that describe this particularly imaginative adaptation are: eccentric, exaggerated, implausible, sometimes repellent.

Much of the time Sherlock indulges himself by  showing off his brilliant deductive genius.  At other times he is busy confusing his poor companion  Dr. Watson.  When he is bored he uses cocaine.

Toward the end of the seasons, especially in season 4, the plot devices are just plain over the top and unbelievable.  Also there is a lot of sadistic cruelty on the part of the last villainess, which repelled me.

If nothing else, these episodes are certainly not dull. Hang on tight!

2020, Abduction, Action sequences, Anti-Immigration, Athletes, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Cancer theme, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corruption, Crime thriller, Detective, Drama, Fascists, Father-son relations, Forensics, Gangs, Henning Mankell, Immigrants, Jealousy, Lawyers, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Police Culture, Police Politics, Race Relations, Racism, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Soccer, Sociopath, Suspense, Swedish Detective, Upsetting ending, Violent, White Supremecy

Young Wallender (2020)

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From Netflix:

Rookie cop Kurt Wallander stumbles into a hate crime in his own neighborhood. As he hunts the killer, the incident fuels anti-immigration anger.

From Netflix you can stream the 6 episodes of this drama involving crime, gangs, romance, and white supremacists. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

Henning Mankell’s “Wallender” novels have been dramatized several times. Swedish and English versions can be streamed from many different sources. His novels take place in the Sweden of the 1970s. “Young Wallender” attempts to portray Kurt Wallender in his first job as a policeman. Instead of the 1970s, the setting is present-day (2020) Sweden. English is the original soundtrack although you can choose from many languages for sound and subtitles, none strangely enough in Swedish.

Appropriate to our era is the fact that the predominant theme of this series is the crusade of white supremacists against immigration. Throw in illegal weapons smuggling, sibling rivalry, disadvantaged blacks forming gangs, and a convincing romance to produce an exciting 6 episodes.

If you Google for “Young Wallander” you will find not only reviews but also debates over the conclusion. Beware of “spoilers.”

Even though the story seems to drag at times, I do not hesitate to strongly recommend this series.

2020, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Athletes, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Corrupt lawyers, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Forensics, Gangs, German, German Detectives, Government cover-up, Greed, Journalist, Kidnapping, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Police Corruption, Police Politics, Rape, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sex trafficking, Sex with underage girls, Short-lived suspenseful episodes, Suspense, Various Romances, Violent

Tatort: Lindholm (2020)

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From MHz Choice:

Lone wolf detective Charlotte Lindholm has an uncanny talent for solving crimes and fumbling all personal relationships.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 12 episodes of the only season available in this German series. Each episode is about an hour and a half.

“Tatort”  is German for “scene of the crime.”  MHz Choice offers 4 different series entitled “Tatort:” followed by either the name of a detective or of a German city.

Beware: Episode 8, “The Disposable Girl”,  is harrowing and ends with all the corruption revolving around sex trafficking winning the battle. Because I did not understand that the story continues into episode 9, I was really depressed.  Do not watch such stories at bedtime. However,  as in most fairy tales, the good guys win and the bad guys lose in episode 9.  As usual Charlotte in episode 9 loses yet another love interest.

As in many less-than-perfect such presentations, the solutions are often just too easy. Somehow the Lone Ranger always shows up at just the right time.  But that is just fine with me, I gladly trade some realism for some release in the story tension.

Charlotte is a beautiful young unmarried mother with a very young son. She keeps searching for that one true love. Sadly that is not in the cards for our Charlotte.  Just enjoy her in-your-face, determined fight for justice in the face of bureaucratic or corrupt opposition.

At least it is not boring and, in fact, not bad at all.

2015, Abduction, Amazon Prime, Based on a Book, Bisexual theme, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Bullying, Car Chase, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gangs, Gay theme, Gritty, Jealousy, Love Story, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, Scottish, Soap Opera, Suicide, Suspense, Unhappy Marriage, Violent, Wife leaves husband

Stonemouth (2015)

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From IMDB:

Mystery drama based on a novel by Iain Banks. Stewart Gilmour returns to his hometown after been driven out two years before by a local gangster. He returns for the funeral of his friend who recently committed suicide. He sets out to try and get the bottom of his friends death who also happens to be the son of the local gangster and the brother of Stewart’s ex girlfriend.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the two episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts an hour.

Granted this drama set in Scotland is a soap opera, but it was really nice to see a complete story played out in only two episodes.  Granted also that the tensions, violence, and betrayals could have been stretched out a lot longer but instead were possibly resolved too easily. But what is wrong with a short, easy watch filled with good guys, bad guys, real friendships, and a nice love story?

One of the Scottish actors, Gary Lewis (who plays Mike MacAvett), seems to show up in many productions. You may remember him as Colum MacKenzie in the very popular Scottish series Outlander (which you should not miss).

Do Stewart and Ellie work out their difficult situation?  You too can find out in a mere 2 hours.