Category Archives: Suspense

2014, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Bloody scenes, Dancing, Dystopia, Gloomy, Human spirit, Imperfect, Pessimistic, Sci-Fi, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Suspense, Thought provoking, Violent

Automata (2014)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

This futuristic thriller stars Antonio Banderas as Jacq Vaucan, an insurance investigator for a robotics company. While looking into a case involving a robot malfunction, he uncovers a massive threat to all of humanity.

Despite enough logic holes to sink a space ship, a lot of imagination went into this intelligent sci-fi dystopian thriller. Moreover you get to watch a bald Antonio Banderas playing what for him is a very uncharacteristic role. He even gets to dance with a robot.

Plot and action are important, but the underlying theme is very thought provoking: Would the universe care if human life, owing to its self-destructive mentality, ceased but a more intelligent race of self-creating robots survived?

Who were the heroes and who were the villains? You might notice that your loyalties shift by the end of the film.

Note that this film got poor reviews. Nonetheless I was glued to the screen without any idea of how this plot could ever end. But end it did with one symbolic gesture that for me was one of those gooseflesh moments.

Not perfect, but quite passable.

2005, Abduction, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Clever Plot, Corruption, Crime, Dark, Depression, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drug Dealers, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Gay theme, Interest in dogs, Kidnapping, Lesbian Theme, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Police Corruption, Revenge, School Teacher, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Teenagers, Tragedy, Violent, Well developed plot

Swedish Wallander (2005-2012)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Detective Kurt Wallander is an intense, headstrong maverick who’s prone to eating poorly, sleeping irregularly and drinking too much. Wallander relies on instinct and experience and doesn’t shy away from using illegal means to solve crimes.

Kathy and I have just finished stream-bingeing on all the Swedish Wallander episodes of which there are many. Cable TV gets worse each day and we were grateful to have something well-written, well-acted, and gripping to watch in the evening. Thank you, Netflix. “Gripping” is an important keyword (picture Kathy leaving the room during violent encounters).

To be precise about numbers of episodes:

Season 1 comprises 13 episodes.
Season 2 comprises 13 episodes.
Season 3 comprises 6 episodes.

Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander is a dedicated (even better – obsessed) detective whose personal life is one of drinking, loneliness, and coldness to his family. In other words, he is a mess. To his credit, the Swedish actor Krister Henriksson portrays such a man to perfection. However, as in often the case in such types of TV series, as much time is spent exploring his relations with others as in solving murder cases. For example, “Dicta“, which I have strongly recommended is cast in the same mold.

Quite a bit of camera footage is devoted to leisurely scanning the Swedish landscape and waterways. Wallander and his beloved dog Jussi take many walks on the beach outside his house.

During the course of the three seasons, characters come and go, never to be seen again.

Season 3 ends tragically. But I will not say more because that would be a spoiler. If you want to know what I mean, then send me email.

Once again, if you enjoy intense detective procedurals DO NOT MISS either “Dicta” or “Wallander”.

Be aware that there is also the Kenneth Branagh “Wallander” English series from Masterpiece Mystery.

2013, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Crime thriller, Detective, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Forensics, Journalist, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Teenagers, Thriller, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Violent

Dicte (2013)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

A crime reporter starts a new life by returning to her hometown, where she finds herself at odds with the police when she tries to solve their cases.

UPDATE: From MHz Choice you can now stream 3 seasons of Dicte. The stories and writing continue to be captivating and suspense filled. Currently (January 2020) there is a new episode of season 3 released each Tuesday.

OLD REVIEW ————————————————————-

No doubt about it, streaming is taking over. Just today (Dec 9,2014) the papers echo complaints that Netflix streaming is threatening cable TV. No surprise there seeing how cable offerings continue to worsen.

From Netflix I streamed 10 wonderful episodes of the only season made of the Swedish thriller “Dicte”. If you loved the Swedish “Wallander” you will be ecstatic over “Dicte”. Dicte is the character name of the lead actress who is a newspaper crime reporter dedicated to uncovering the truth often by using methods not legally available to the police.

More than crime solving, the series is equally if not more concerned with the personal lives of Dicte and all the people surrounding her. In this respect you can call it a melodrama. Expect to see married couples break up, exchange partners, and so forth: today’s operative word is “blended”.

As with “Wallander” the sound track is in Swedish with English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS either “Wallander” or “Dicte”!

2014, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Love Story, Nothing special, Pseudo Utopia, Psychological Drama, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Thought provoking

The Giver (2014)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

In a future society called The Community, pain, war and disease have been eradicated, as have individuality and free will. When a teenager named Jonas learns the truth about the real world, he must decide whether to reveal all or remain quiet.

Let’s have three cheers for population mind control!

Good visuals, clever use of color, and a few thought-provoking ideas make this sci-fi film watchable.

Jeff Bridges is the Giver and looks a lot like Jeff Bridges. Meryl Streep’s appearance is appropriate and not what she usually looks like. We can suppose that neither of these two well-know actors would appear in a film that was not in some way worthwhile (unless they really needed the money).

Don’t forget “Logan’s Run”, “Brave New World”, “THX 1138”, “Fahrenheit 451” and other similar pseudo-utopian presentations.

‘Nuff said!

2014, Anti-terrorism, Based on a Book, CIA, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Ethical struggles, Father-son relations, International thriler, Spy Theme, Spy Versu Spy, Suspense, Wonderful acting

A Most Wanted Man (2014)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

A half-Russian, half-Chechen man, brutalized by torture, arrives in Hamburg, where he seeks a British banker’s help in recovering his father’s estate. But the man may not be all he seems to be in this riveting adaptation of John le Carré’s novel.

Warning: you may be seething by the end of this film. Possibly that means that this well-acted film based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré is also written and directed quite well. But what is the point of such skullduggery if there is not some truthful basis to the film? Is it worth being cynical about the fun adventures of counter-espionage because a film pushes a fictional point of view? In other words, I wish the story were “based on true facts” instead of “based on a book”.

Every review I read of this film was a rave. Perhaps that is why I was glued to the screen right up to the end.

Philip Seymour Hoffman is his usual sloppy wonderful self in this his last film before he committed suicide. Rachel McAdams succeeds as a sincere vulnerable young human rights lawyer. And then there is the stunningly beautiful Robin Wright playing a cold deceitful role not unlike her role in the American version of “House of Cards”.

WAS ISSA AN INNOCENT MAN ?

Take a tranquilizer and enjoy this great film. DO NOT MISS!

2013, Action Film, Amputee, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Dark, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Fantasy, Mayhem, Personality or religious cult, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Torture, Violent

Snowpiercer (2013)

1 Comment

From Netflix:

The Earth’s remaining inhabitants are confined to a single train circling the globe as revolution brews among the class-divided cars. Based on a French graphic novel and set in a new ice age, this futuristic thriller stars a top-notch ensemble cast.

Owing to a failed climate-change experiment that essentially froze the earth, when you look out of a window on this perpetual motion train, you see snow everywhere. Although the idea of a dystopia with a brutal separation of classes is nothing new, placing the only remaining inhabitants of the planet in a train is a novel approach. From a visual standpoint, “Snowpiercer” is one of the more original sci-fi films I have seen. Progress in the story is measured by the struggle of the underclass in the rear of the train to reach the front of the train. Moving through the train offers some wonderful eye-candy.

Chris Evans does a good job as the “hero” Curtis. Ed Harris as the god-like Willford is sufficiently amoral and heartless. But Tilda Swinton as the quirky class enforcer Mason steals the show.

Now for the WARNING: This film is incredibly violent. At certain points the punishments inflicted on anyone foolish enough to rebel are possibly hard to watch.

In all honesty I was mesmerized, but then good guys against bad guys always holds my attention.

1974, Based on true facts, Classic, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crude Talk, Detective, Divorce, Environmental concerns, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Police Corruption, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

Chinatown (1974)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

With a suspicious femme fatale bankrolling his snooping, private eye J.J. Gittes uncovers intricate dirty dealings in the Los Angeles waterworks and gets his nose slashed for his trouble in director Roman Polanski’s complex neonoir classic.

Thanks to fellow Movie Fan Beverly for suggesting “Two Jakes” which is a sequel to “Chinatown”. First, therefore I re-watched “Chinatown” which is indeed a classic from 40 years ago.

During filming Jack Nichols was a very young-looking 37 year old and Faye Dunaway was a stunning 33 year old. In the sequel “Two Jakes” Nichols is 16 years older and looks more like the Jack Nichols that I for one remember. In this film the famous John Huston is a very effective and evil 68 years old villain.

Please read the Wikipedia account which treats not only the water history of Los Angeles but also, and more importantly, how the director Roman Polanski changed the original ending to the final very memorable version that we see in the film (spoilers not allowed).

Many older films seem dated. However, despite the older setting (styles, phones, cars, etc) this classic holds up well and can be very emotionally affecting.

Watch this great film before seeing “Two Jakes”.

2011, British Mystery Series, Clever Plot, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Father-son relations, Journalist, Lawyers, Murder Investigation, Mystery Film, Netflix Streaming, Plot Twist, Prison, Suspense, Violent, Well developed plot

Hidden (2011)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

When a mysterious lawyer asks small-time solicitor Harry to find a missing alibi witness for a client, he’s forced to delve back into his murky past.

Superb is the word that first comes to mind. After finishing the wonderful TV series “Hinterland” from Netflix, suggestions appeared on our TV screen among which was “Hidden”. As far as I can tell, you can get “Hidden” from Netflix only by streaming. Netflix’s suggestion was appropriate because here is another suspenseful, well-written, well-acted British mystery thriller. Oddly enough IMDB has no entry for this TV series.

What seems to begin with Harry trying to find out who killed his brother Mark eventually turns into a governmental conspiracy story with many well-done characters. Things are not as they seem and there are unexpected plot twists. Once I began the 4 episodes, it was very difficult to stop watching.

British TV you have done it again! DO NOT MISS!

2013, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Clever Plot, Complicated, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Dark, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Gloomy, Mental Illness, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Physical child abuse, Psychological Drama, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Slow, Stalker, Suicide, Suspense, Violent, Wales, War Veterans, WWII

Hinterland (2013)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

BBC police detective drama series set in Aberystwyth against the backdrop of mountainous terrain, close-knit villages, and windswept sand dunes of the coastline to the badlands of the hinterland. Starring Richard Harrington as DCI Tom Mathias.

UPDATE: April 2016

Netflix now offers Season 2 with 5 episodes. Below the older review still holds true, especially how slow moving and taciturn the scenes are.  Always start with the beginning episode: although each episode is a self-contained story, there are sub-threads that run through all the episodes which are crucial for appreciating the series.

From Netflix comes this Welsh one-season detective series either as DVDs or streamed. All four episodes are intense and grim. For example, episode 1 involves child abuse. Richard Harrington as DCI Tom Mathias is the silent type: he broods more than he speaks. Photography is beautiful although it depicts Wales as a barren, wild, scenic land. In this respect the mood of the country matches the mood of the characters. Episode 3 was a bit complicated. Spoken language is English and subtitles are available. Acting is superb. Plots are well constructed.

If you can survive the dark atmosphere, DO NOT MISS!

2014, Abduction, Addiction, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime thriller, Depression, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, Gritty, Kidnapping, Melodrama, Mental Illness, Murder, Murder Investigation, Mystery Film, Netflix Streaming, Not Feel Good, Police Corruption, Police Story, Psychological Drama, Rape, Sociopath, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Violent, Wonderful acting

Happy Valley (2014)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

From the creator of “Last Tango in Halifax” comes this police drama starring Sarah Lancashire (“Coronation Street”) as Yorkshire police sergeant Catherine Cawood, a strong-willed officer coping with the suicide of her daughter and struggling to raise the young son she left behind. When the man she blames for her daughter’s death is paroled, Cawood embarks on a mission to bring him down, unaware that her target is plotting another heinous crime.

Update to initial Season 1 review: Netflix now offers Season 2 of “Unhappy Valley” which continues the story line of Season 1. Season 2 is at least as riveting as Season 1.

———————————

Original Review:

“Happy Valley” is NOT happy. After I tell you what is brutal in this riveting British TV series, I will then try and convince you to watch one of the most spellbinding detective series I have ever watched.

First the ugly news: Years ago the handsome sociopath Tommy Lee Royce raped and drove to suicide the daughter of sergeant Catherine Cawood. He is just out of jail and has joined in with a kidnapping of young Ann Gallagher whom he rapes in captivity. While transporting the kidnapped girl in a van, the kidnappers are approached by a young woman policewoman whom the sociopath runs over and over and over with his automobile. Get the nasty picture? You never see any rape, but you do see some brutal fights.

Now the reasons why you should not miss this drama: Sarah Lancashire is (as the British would say) “positively brilliant” as Catherine Cawood. Here is an incredibly strong woman with a long list of problems. For example, her dead raped daughter had a resulting son whom Catherine raises alone as a grandmother because Catherine’s remarried husband left her when the boy was born. Yes, it does sound like a good old melodrama. But the acting, the complicated personal relations, and the exacting plot details and surprises are well worth the uncomfortable price of admission.

If you can stand the barbarians and their callous behavior, then I feel duty bound to say: DO NOT MISS!