Category Archives: Suspense

2009, Crime, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Italian, Mafia, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, True Story, Violent

The Sicilian Girl (2009)

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From NetFlix:

In this taut drama based on a true story, 17-year-old Rita (Veronica D’Agostino) is leading a privileged life when her father and brother are slain by rival Mafiosi. Bent on revenge, she turns to a sympathetic magistrate (Gérard Jugnot) and breaks the code of silence. In her journey from self-centered teenager to fearless advocate for justice, Rita enrages Sicily’s most powerful men, putting her life in jeopardy.

Probably the biggest impression I got from this amazing enactment of a true story was how all-encompassing and soul-destroying is the Mafia cult. For Rita the real stumbling block was accepting the fact that her adored father was no less a brutal and cruel assassin than all the other animals. Her own mother did her best to convince Rita to not testify even though the Mafia had killed Rita’s father and brother.

Also awe inspiring was the bravery of Rita and the prosecutor and all the other law enforcement staff. Human life means nothing to the Mafia.

Be prepared for a surprise (and true) ending.

2010, Australian, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugs, Grim, Lawyers, Police Story, Revenge, Slow, Suspense, Violent

Animal Kingdom (2010)

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From NetFlix:

When his mother dies suddenly, a 17-year-old boy (James Frecheville) finds himself drawn into the clutches of a diabolical criminal family, until a good-hearted detective (Guy Pearce) makes a concerted effort to change the boy’s fate. Australian writer-director David Michôd’s first feature-length drama won the World Cinema Jury Prize: Dramatic at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival

How lucky I was to stumble on this gem of a film! Confirming my excited impressions are all the rave reviews in the Wikipedia article.

Instead of Joshua, the boy is called simply ‘J’. For this entire Australian film, the character J is practically mute. We can only assume that some awful battle is taking place inside. When he speaks it is usually some terse (i.e. one word) answer such as ‘yeah’, spoken with a strong Australian accent. Not all the characters are terse, especially if they are hopped up on cocaine.

Suspense is palpable, especially because J is trapped in a herd of unbalanced and unrestrained uncles who are guided, encouraged, and protected by a menacingly evil grandmother Smurf. Understand: this is a very controlled film atmosphere. There are violence, drug use, and insanity in a film that is mostly quiet, SLOW, and threatening.

Expect two surprising plot twists. Do NOT read the Wikipedia summary first because it will spoil these surprises.

Most memorable moment for me: Catch the interchange between Guy Pearce and the grandmother in the supermarket toward the end of the film.

Toward the end be sure to catch Guy Pierce asking J if J has “found his place in the world” and then ask yourself what that really meant when the film reaches its startling conclusion.

I highly recommend this film!

2010, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Drama, Grim, Kidnapping, Political statement, Suspense

Buried (2010)

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From NetFlix:

While on a job in Iraq, civilian contractor Paul Conroy (Ryan Reynolds) is attacked and kidnapped, then awakens to find himself buried alive in the middle of the desert with nothing but a lighter, a candle, a cell phone and a knife. Does Paul have the instincts he’ll need to save himself? Director Rodrigo Cortés crafts a tense psychological thriller with sociopolitical undertones that doubles as an exercise in claustrophobic terror.

If you are claustrophobic, DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM !

If you read the Wikipedia article you will find rave reviews such as “Wringing a seemingly impossible amount of gripping drama out of its claustrophobic premise, Buried is a nerve-wracking showcase for Ryan Reynolds’ talent.” Here is a film in which Ryan Reynolds is anything but a handsome Hollywood star.

Incredibly spell-binding , I could not take my eyes off the screen. But this is a film with a nasty message. We are asked to believe that Paul Conroy was purposely setup by his American contractor. At the very least his company CRT weasels out of its responsibilities by concocting a reason for claiming that he was discharged from the company JUST BEFORE being kidnapped. How on earth could we know that such things have ever occurred ?

From a technical standpoint: would not Paul have exhausted the air in the buried crate a lot sooner than the film shows ?

In no way can I spoil this film for you. You will just have to suffer through the torture to see what happens.

2010, Car Chase, Crime, Detective, Drama, Drugs, Gangs, Love Story, Redemption, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

The Town (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Career bank robber Doug (Ben Affleck) and his volatile partner, Jim (Jeremy Renner), hit a roadblock when Doug falls for bank manager Claire (Rebecca Hall), whom he kidnapped during their last heist. Worse, an FBI agent (Jon Hamm) is now trailing the thieves around their Charlestown, Mass., territory. Affleck directs and co-writes this smart, intricate actioner that co-stars Blake Lively as Krista, Jim’s sister and Doug’s troubled former flame.

No doubt about it, Ben Affleck shows how multi-talented he is in this adaptation from Chuck Hogan’s novel “Prince of Thieves”!

Yes, there are the mandatory car chases, sex scenes, shoot outs at the OK Coral, etc. But I was always rooting for Affleck’s character Doug, hoping he could turn his life around. However, cooperative crime is a trap, once a member always a member. Somehow his relation with Claire adds something distinct about the film (but then there is always “On the Waterfront”).

Jan Hamm is wonderfully forceful as the FBI lead agent. It’s nice to see him as something other than one of the “Mad Men”.

One of my favorite villains, he plays “The Florist”, is the Cheshire, England born-and-raised Pete Postlethwaite (I wonder how you pronounce that name). His final end in this film is very satisfying.

Please read the Wikipedia article which tries hard to dispel the myth that Charlestown remains a breeding ground for criminals. Too bad the article didn’t explain how they filmed all those destructive car chases.

My one real objection is that at the end of the film (this is not a spoiler) Doug has arranged too many clever details. And just when, amidst the shooting, did he have time for those arrangements?

2010, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Love Story, Rape, Revenge, Spanish, Suspense, Violent

The Secret in Their Eyes (2010)

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From NetFlix:

A startling discovery comes to light for retired Argentine criminal investigator Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darín) as he pens a biographical novel about the unsolved case of a young newlywed’s brutal rape and murder years ago. Past and present intertwine for Espósito and colleague Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil) in director Juan José Campanella’s Oscar-winning character study in which justice, pain and love collide.

Compare this film with The Official Story (1985). Both deal with the corruption that is Argentina. “The Secret” occurs during the time of Eva Perón and therefore in the 1940’s and 50′. “The Official Story” takes place a few years after the “Dirty War” and there in the 1980’s.

Obsession with justice and an inability to forget the past is the prevailing theme. Corruption during the era of Perón accounts for the difficulty Espósito finds in obtaining justice.

Some dialog is wonderful witty banter. Some dialog shows the ugliness inherent in the Argentinian culture. The acting is wonderful.

On one level this is a story of frustrated love. On another level it is about obsession with justice. On another level it is about official corruption.

At many points I assumed the film had ended. But wait … there’s more! Finally there is a surprise ending that you may or may not expect. Sorry, no spoilers !

2000, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark, Drugs, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Grim, Horror, Nudity, Occasional gore, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Violent, Vulgar

American Psycho (2000)

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From NetFlix:

With a chiseled chin and an iron physique, Patrick Bateman’s looks make him the ideal yuppie — and the ideal serial killer. That’s the joke behind American Psycho, which follows a killer at large during the 1980s junk-bond boom. Bateman (Christian Bale) takes pathological pride in everything from his business card to his Huey Lewis CD collection, all the while plotting his next victim’s vivisection.

Opinions vary wildly on this controversial film. Despite the horror, I found myself laughing at the satirical approach to nonchalant mayhem. Moreover, in this vein I saw the obvious connection between this story and the TV series Dexter (2006) featuring a serial killer who kills serial killers.

Certain more objectionable parts were left in the uncut version that I got from NetFlix. Should I have felt guilty watching this film ? At any rate, let me just jot down some “notes” and let you decide. To help you form an opinion you might also read the Wikipedia article.

  • Christian Bale is a study in perfect acting. He put himself through intense physical training to look the part.
  • Much of the satire centers on the complete vapidity of the financial traders. They constantly try to outdo each other by creating fancy calling cards. At one point Patrick is so incensed that someone else’s card is nicer than his card that he goes out and vents his anger by murdering someone.
  • Another point of satire is the obsession about eating at the best restaurant, one-upping each other on begin able to get a prized reservation.
  • Reese Witherspoon does a great job as Patrick’s clueless fiancee. In one restaurant scene she babbles on about the personalities she spies while Patrick is drawing sadomasochistic pictures on the tablecloth.
  • Willem Dafoe is a totally different actor from his usual self. He successfully portrays a private detective affecting an exaggerated smile and cloying society manners.
  • Little by little I began to suspect that Patrick’s intimate circle of financial goons (who explicitly hated women) were all homosexual. Patrick calls this phenomenon the “Yale thing”.
  • As he prepares yet another victim for slaughter, he banters on and on to that unsuspecting victim about the marvels of some piece of popular music.
  • You never see damage being done to a human body. You may be there while it is happening, but you do not really see it. Just the very bloody aftermath. At one point you see a completely naked and blood covered Patrick running down a hall with a chain saw.
  • At one point Patrick really loses his grip and the film also seems to lose control.

My biggest disappointment was that I did not understand how the story ended. If anyone has the stomach to watch this blood bath, please tell me how Patrick gets away with his crimes. Did he kill someone who was pretending to be Paul Allen ? What happened when at the end he steals into an apartment being shown for rent only to discover that all his bodies stashed in the closet have disappeared ?

Not really a gore fest, but close!

2010, Car Chase, Complicated, Fantasy, Psychological Thriller, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Violent

Inception (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Nominated for two Golden Globes, this unnerving sci-fi thriller stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Dom Cobb, who earns a tidy sum infiltrating the dreams of corporate titans to steal their most closely held secrets. Tapped by a rich industrialist (Ken Watanabe) for a job involving a rival’s heir, Cobb marshals a team of specialists that includes his right-hand man (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an architecture student (Ellen Page) and a chemist (Dileep Rao).

A dream within a dream within a dream !!! Well, if you are comfortable with computer recursion or computer stacks or maybe just plain old multiprocessing, why not ?

Just let your mind go, enjoy the eye candy (pseudo-science, dreamscapes, elaborate settings, digital effects, etc), and if you don’t seem to understand everything, it just doesn’t matter.

You might try reading the Wikipedia explanation.

At the very least pay attention to the meaning of the spinning top so that you can truly appreciate the final 5 seconds of the film.

2009, Bullying, Could Be Hard To Watch, Danish, Drama, Explicit sex, Gay theme, Nudity, Revenge, Suspense, Violent

Brotherhood (2009)

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From NetFlix:

After joining a neo-Nazi organization, former Danish army officer Lars (Thure Lindhardt) falls for Jimmy (David Dencik), a fellow skinhead who can’t ignore the sexual sparks flying between them — or forget the importance of keeping their relationship under wraps. Nicolo Donato makes his directorial debut with this affecting tale of violence and illicit passion that took the top prize at the Rome Film Festival.

To appreciate one theme in this film you should be aware that Danish Neo-Nazis are alive and well as we speak. In fact Steig Larsson in his Millenium trilogy refers to the Danish Neo-Nazi movement.

As opposing theme, gay male sex is supposedly “verboten” in the Nazi culture. In one amusing scene Lars explains to the Nazi group leader how pervasive the gay culture was among the German Nazis. Of course the group leader cannot accept such a notion.

Much violence occurs in the film. Suspense exists throughout because at any moment Lars and Jimmy might be discovered. Do not expect a happy ending.

As gay films go, this is one of the best I have seen because it avoids all of the usual gay cliches (for example, not a word about AIDS). There are explicit nude scenes of (unsafe) gay sex.

One interesting sub-theme is one of self-doubt: Jimmy initially is reluctant to engage in gay sex. Lars is never really certain he wants to join the Nazi group.

Hollywood looks need not apply here. In fact, Jimmy’s drug-addicted brother could easily pass for a very skinny vampire.

Danish with English subtitles.

2004, Crime, Detective, Mystery Film, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Police Story, Psychological Thriller, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Suspense, Violent

Twisted (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Female cop Jessica (Ashley Judd) is more dedicated to enforcing the law than most of her colleagues, since she feels she has a lot to make up for: Her father moonlighted as a serial killer. Could it be that the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree? That’s what Jessica thinks when she finds herself at the center of her own investigation as past lovers inexplicably start dying at a breakneck pace.

Did I guess who-done-it ? No, I was wrong twice. Try your own luck.

Good acting, well shot in San Francisco, well-known actors, sexy! Could have been an hour TV crime show but the film is still a strong B+. Not a total waste of time.

2008, Conspiracy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Occasional gore, Plot Twist, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent

Tell Tale (2008)

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From NetFlix:

In this thriller inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Josh Lucas stars as Terry, a single dad who’s kept alive by another man’s heart — a scenario that suits him fine until he discovers that the ticker’s original owner was murdered. Worried that he might come to a similar end, Terry embarks on a desperate search for the donor’s killer in this Michael Cuesta-helmed film produced by Ridley and Tony Scott.

At first I thought this would be a B-grade forgettable film and perhaps it is. However, it was compelling enough that I stayed glued to the screen. Your opinion would be appreciated if you ever watch this film. There are just too many other better films to watch.

While not offering any spoiler to this mystery plus vengeance film, it does seem that lately I have watched many films with a theme of organ transplant (“Repo Men”, “Never Let Me Go”, “Dirty Pretty Things”). I was a bit put off by the vigilante aspects of the film, but it is just a story.

There is one very gory scene toward the end which I cannot discuss without spoiling.

With my poor hearing and because there were no subtitles available, I had trouble understanding how the detective was complicit in the plot. Help would be appreciated.