Category Archives: Violent

2008, Action Film, Action Hero, Car Chase, Corrupt Military, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, MI-6, Netflix Streaming, Rape, Sex Scenes, Traitors, Violent, Water as valuable resource

Quantum of Solace (2008)

From IMDB:

James Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organization from eliminating a country’s most valuable resource.

From Netflix:

Picking up an hour after the events of 2006’s Casino Royale, this
James Bond adventure finds 007 tracking a traitor who’s
infiltrated Britain’s MI6.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 46 minute sequel to “Casino Royale.”

How prescient of a 2008 film to realize that one of the most valuable resources on our planet is water!  But remember, Donald Trump assured us that the very notion of climate change is a Chinese hoax.

Also on Netflix you can stream “Skyfall”. From Amazon Prime you can stream “No Time To Die.”

Daniel Craig and Judi Dench deliver their usual. Violent fun and excitement!

2006, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action Hero, MI-6, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Plot twists, Poker, Ruthless Killer, Sex Scenes, Torture, Violent

Casino Royale (2006)

From IMDB:

After earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 24 minute old favorite.

No need to critique such a familiar and famous film.  Instead I just remind you that the film is currently (Nov 2022) available on Netflix.

Probably what is most memorable for me is the plot twist at the end. Just when you relax and think “Ah, happy ending” , then WHAMMO!

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Could Be Sad, Cover-up, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Failed Father, Father-daughter relations, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Nothing special, Police Investigation, Police Politics, Shocking Ending, Suicide, Violent

Suspect (2022)

From IMDB:

Veteran detective Danny Frater is called to a hospital mortuary to identify a corpse only to find it is his estranged daughter. Traumatized by the news she took her own life, Frater sets out to discover the truth about her death.

From Amazon Prime Brit Box (or just Brit Box) you can stream this 8 episode murder inquiry. Each episode lasts only 23 minutes.

Danny Frater (played by James Nesbitt) gropes from clue to clue, from suspicious character to sinister character desperately trying to prove his daughter was murdered.  Along the way he comes to the wrenching realization that he failed his daughter completely.

Incidentally James Nesbitt once starred in an 8 episode TV series from 2014 called “The Missing”.  His character name was of all things “Tony Hughes”.

While nothing to write home about, the story was compelling and sad right up to the shocking ending.

 

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Accidental Death, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Based on true facts, Basically Sad, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, British Drama, British History, British Police, British Politics, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Everybody lies, Family Secrets, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Government cover-up, Historical Fiction, Manslaughter, Marital Infidelity, Miners, Miners versus Scabs, Murder, Occasionaly violent, Panic Attacks, Personal Betrayal, Police cover-up, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Redemption, Revenge, Sister-sister relations, Small British village, Suicide, Suspense, Undercover police spy, Undercover police work, Violent, Wonderful acting, Yorkshire Accents

Sherwood (2022)

From IMDB:

Two shocking and unexpected murders shatter an already fractured community leading to one of the largest manhunts in British history.

From Amazon Prime Brit Box you can stream the 6 episodes of this north England series. Each episode is just under an hour.

In 1984 Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher crushed a coal miner’s strike, thereby earning her title of “Iron Lady.”  Hard feelings between the striking miner’s and those who continued to work, so-called “scabs”,  have persisted from then on.  Sherwood is a small town historically associated with Robin Hood.  Of all the town’s inhabitants only one family is a “scab” family.  Striker versus scab is the paramount theme of this series which continually bounces back and forth between 1984 and the present.

Past tragedies involved the  young policemen and miners who now are middle age going on retirement.  One challenge in watching this series is to match the young characters with their present-day versions.

There are three vital subplots:

  • Someone is murdering people with a crossbow. We soon learn who and the police hunt is intense.
  • Andy Fisher inadvertently kills his daughter-in-law and the hunt is on.
  • In 1984 there was an undercover police spy, dubbed the “spy cop”, who incorporated his-or-herself into the community.  Again there is this third hunt to find the “spy cop.”

If you watch much British drama you will recognize many familiar faces. As usual in British drama the acting is superb.  With such an engaging and suspenseful plot you cannot go wrong.

DO NOT MISS!

2013, 2014, 2016, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Anxiety Attacks, Bloody scenes, Boarding school, Cold Cases, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cover-up, Crime thriller, Cruelty, Danish, Danish Detectives, Danish Police, Danish TV series, Dark, Disrespect toward women, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Ethical struggles, Extremely Violent, Failed Father, False Imprisonment, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Flirting, Grim, Grisly, Hunting, Kanopy streaming, Murder, Murder Investigation, Narcissistic Personality, Panic Attacks, Police Culture, Prostitutes, Rape, Revenge, Sadism, Sex Scenes, Sociopath, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Department Q (2013)

From Kanopy you can stream 3 full-length episodes of this series of intense crime Danish dramas. Unfortunately each episode will cost you one viewing credit.  There are many more Department Q episodes which are not available on Kanopy.

As you learn in the first episode,  chief detective Carl Mørck is such an oddball, that the police assign him to a dead-end job in the basement running Department Q where he is supposed to merely catalog unsolved cases.  Instead, he and his new partner Assad prove to be determined detectives doggedly solving difficult and ugly cases.

  • The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013) 1 hour 36 minutes

Police inspector Carl Mørck is put in charge of a department of cold cases, joined only by his assistant Assad. They dig into a case about a missing woman.

  • The Absent One (2014) 1 hour 59 minutes

The murder of young twins initially implicates a group of upper class students as the killers, though the case takes a turn or two from its starting point.

  • A Conspiracy of Faith (2016) 1 hour 52 minutes

Two intertwined cases linking the past with the present require the aid of Department Q to catch an elusive serial killer while time is running out.

All these stories involve brutal, ugly crimes. If  you can stand the nasty tension, then

DO NOT MISS!

2003, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action sequences, Career Criminal, Chase film, Ethical struggles, Gold Thieves, Interest in automobiles, International thriler, Mayhem, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Professional Thieves, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

The Italian Job (2003)

From IMDB:

After being betrayed and left for dead in Italy, Charlie Croker and his team plan an elaborate gold heist against their former ally.

From Netflix:

A clever thief masterminds a major heist amid the waterways of
Venice, Italy — but a betrayal by one of his own spells disaster.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 51 minute car chase thriller.

Car chases, helicopter chases, clever thieves, clever chess game of thieves against thief: Someone spent a lot of money producing such elaborate mayhem.

  • Charlie Croker (played by Mark Wahlberg) and
  • John Bridger (played by Donald Sutherland) and
  • Handsome Rob (played by Jason Statham) and
  • Steve (played by Edward Norton) successfully steal gold bars in Venice. But Steve betrays the bunch and shoots John Bridger to death.
  • John’s daughter Stella (played by Charlize Theron) is an honest security expert who learned to crack safes from her father John. In order to avenge the death of her father she agrees to help the betrayed bunch get back the gold.

What you see is what you get. But the action scenes are fun.

2022, Abduction, Action sequences, Bloody scenes, British Drama, Bullying, Burglars, Creepy, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Failed Father, Failing Marriage, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Gay theme, Grisly, Jealousy, Missing Person, Monstrous Father, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Police Investigation, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Thriller, Torture, Violent

I Came By (2022)

From IMDB:

Follows a young graffiti artist who discovers a shocking secret that would put him and the ones closest to him in danger.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 50 minute serial killer thriller.

As serial killer stories go, this one is fairly original and never proceeds quite as you might hope or expect. Earlier formulas need not apply.  Try not to get attached to any character in particular because that person might just disappear.

Hugh Bonneville of Downton Abbey fame plays the upper-class retired judge serial killer who never seems to lose his composure when threatened by exposure.  If  you want to portray a true psychopath, never show emotion, especially empathy.  Does that make it easier to act in such an acting role?

Will he ever get caught?  If you are  into serial killers, and ONLY if, then DO NOT MISS!

2012, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Ageing Couple, Drama, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Fight Scenes, Inevitable Ending, Kanopy streaming, Love Story, Mother-son relations, Murder, Redemption, Suspense, Torture, Unhappy Ending, Violent

Deadfall (2012)

From Kanopy:

Two siblings (Eric Bana and Olivia Wilde) fend for themselves in the wake of a botched casino heist, only to reunite during another family’s Thanksgiving celebration in this thriller.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 34 minute complete film.

During this violent thriller there is never a dull moment.

  • Eric Bana, as the brother Addison, is a killer through and through who also happens to lust after his sister Liza.
  • Olivia Wilde is the sister Liza.
  • Charlie Hunnam, as Jay Mills, is the prodigal son of the Mills family. He leaves prison as the film starts
  • Sissy Spacek, as June Mills, is Jay’s mother.
  • Kris Kristofferson, as Chet Mills, is Jay’s father. Chet has more or less disowned Jay.

As Addison flees the law while killing one person after another, he arrives just in time for the Mills’ family Thanksgiving. So also do Liza and Jay arrive for the dinner. By this time they are in love due to Liza’s manipulations.

Expect and ending which is violent, exhausting, and not especially happy.  Worth watching!

2019, Acceptable Trash, Action sequences, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Controlling personality, Corny at times, Corrupt Pharmaceutical Firm, Ending demands sequel, Explicit sex, Extremely Violent, Fantasy, Father-son relations, Fist Fight, Flashbacks, Greed vs Common Good, Invincible villain, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Martial Arts, Mayhem, Mother-son relations, Narcissist, Nudity, Outrageous Behavior, Political references, Pornographic Scenes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Some exaggerated violence, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Super Hero, Violent, Vulgar

The Boys (2019)

From Amazon Prime:

THE BOYS is an irreverent take on what happens when superheroes, who are as popular as celebrities, as influential as politicians and as revered as Gods, abuse their superpowers rather than use them for good. It’s the powerless against the super powerful as The Boys embark on a heroic quest to expose the truth about “The Seven,” and their formidable Vought backing.

With the help of Amazon Prime you might be willing to waste your idle time streaming 3 seasons of this super romp.  Each season consists of 8 episodes. Each episode lasts about 1 hour.

Calling all “adolescents at heart.”  There is very little point in being serious about this endless 24-episode mindless fantasy,  although I am forced to admit that despite all the nonsense, the acting is at times (but only at times) in the ranges acceptable to good.  Moreover, if you are interested in pornographic nudity, you will not be disappointed in this often raunchy farce.