Category Archives: Cancer theme

2015, Abduction, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Cannibalism, Cooking and food, Could Be Hard To Watch, Creepy, Dark, Detective, Eccentric cast of characters, FBI, Fist Fight, Forensic pathologist, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Gory, Grim, Grisly, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Panic Attacks, Psychiatrists, Psychological Thriller, Psychopath, Serial Killer, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Unusual, Violent, Wrongful Arrest

Hannibal (2015)

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From IMDB:

Explores the early relationship between renowned psychiatrist, Hannibal Lecter, and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.

From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons of this creepy TV series. Each season contains 13 episodes. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

If you are searching for an example of GRIM entertainment, if that is what you can call entertainment, then you have found the very definition of GRIM. We all know  Hannibal Lector as the infamous serial killer who eats the more interesting parts of his victims. What is eerie to watch is seeing Hannibal portrayed as a smooth, calm, stylish psychiatrist who is a fastidious gourmet cook taking great pains to prepare exquisite “organic” (get it? heh, heh) meals for his unsuspecting guests, including the very detectives searching for the serial killer.

Add to the mix  poor hapless Will Graham who regularly, after seeing the current butchered victim ( le corps du jour) ,  goes into a trance and visualizes some part of the murderous attack.  Will has been driven into a damaged mental state by the ambitious chief detective Jack Crawford. As a result Will spends the major part of Season 2 as a prisoner-patient at a Baltimore asylum for the criminally insane. Dr. Lector, a former sugeon, has his own psychiatrist Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier. Did you get that? Dr. DuMaurier treats Dr. Lector who treats Will Graham. Talk about convoluted!

There is an awful lot of psycho-babble that seems to occupy more than its fair share of the script. However, the sinister plot, including Lector’s clever methods for diverting suspicion from himself, is clever and suspenseful enough to warrant watching.

Some of the actors are well-known:

  • Hannibal Lector is played by Mads Mikkelsen who is now one of Denmark’s biggest movie actors.
  • Jack Crawford is played by Laurence Fishburne.
  • Dr. Bedelia Du Maurier is played by Gillian Anderson of The X Files fame. When she played in “The X Files” she was only 30 years old. In “Hannibal” she is a stunningly beautiful woman of 47 years.

Just one example of the many gory murders might convince you to avoid watching: Hannibal freezes a woman’s body and then uses a band saw to slice the body in 5 vertical cross sections, each section being then laminated in a plastic coating.

If by now you have not been dissuaded, then go ahead and watch the gore festival.

 

2016, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Adopted child, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Cold Cases, Crime thriller, Dark, Disturbing Image, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric Detective, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Finnish, Forensics, Grim, KGB, Mixed Martial Arts, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasional gore, Police Investigation, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Violent

Bordertown (2016)

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From IMDB:

Quirky police detective, in Finland, delves into his mind palace to solve despicable crimes all the while trying to keep his family together. If Sherlock was based in Finland this would be it.

From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons of this Finnish crime series. Season 1 consists of 11 episodes while seasons 2 and 3 consist of 10 episodes. Each episode lasts about an hour. Most often one complete story requires 2 or 3 episodes.

You can always get English subtitles. In seasons 1 an 2 you can get an English sound track which to my ears always sounded somewhat unnatural as if the dubbing was too formal. Oddly enough there is no English sound track for season 3, only Finnish, Spanish, and Italian.

Kari Sorjonen is quite possibly the most eccentric detective I have seen.  His odd mannerisms of touching his face and head with outstretched fingers might just get on your nerves. Supposedly when he does this he has ingenious flashes of insight.

Never mind the idiosyncrasies, the stories are as grim as they are good.  His supporting detectives and family members fill out the cast well.  Indeed a constant theme is his somewhat clueless neglect of his family because, as is the case in so many detective series, that phone is always ringing.

Worth a watch.

 

2011, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Accidental Death, Action sequences, Adopted child, Arson, Attempted Suicide, Cancer theme, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Corrupt lawyers, Detective, DIY Ending, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Gritty, Illegitimate Child, Irish, Irish Gaelic, Journalist, Lawyers, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Pedophilia, Police Corruption, Rape, Serial Killer, Suspense, TV Reporter, Unmarried mother, Upsetting ending, Violent

Corp + Anam (2011)

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From MHz Choice:

Gritty Irish-language drama chronicling the difficult professional and intense personal life of Cathal Mac Iarnáin, a tenacious TV crime reporter who is obsessed with pursuing the story behind the story. But as single-minded as he is about uncovering the truth, he is often too busy chasing stories to notice that the world of crime hits closer to home every day.

From MHz Choice you can stream two seasons of this intense Irish drama. Each season consists of 4 episodes. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.  Irish Gaelic with English subtitles.

“Gut-punching” is the most apt adjective I can apply to these eight episodes.  “Corp & Anam” is Gaelic for “Body and Soul”.

One critic labeled the reporter Cathal as unscrupulous.  Each of the 8 stories centers around some serious injustice.  No matter who gets hurt Cathal is determined to get the scoop first.  On certain occasions he is not above breaking the law to get the story.  In every case he goes out on a sometimes self-destructive limb to broadcast the story on Irish television.  Most often it is his own family which gets hurt because, as with many police detectives, his cell phone often interrupts his family life.

For this series I have created a new category “DIY Ending” which I could have used earlier for many other series.  “Do It Yourself Ending” applies to an ending in which most of the groundwork has been laid to reach a satisfying conclusion in which justice reigns and the bad guys get their punishment but in which you do not get the satisfaction of seeing those final details played out. This category especially applies to the last story of season 2 which uses two episodes 3 and 4 to tell the whole story.  This particular story leaves Cathal in danger of losing his career.

DO NOT MISS!

2001, Amazon Prime, Art Marketing, Based on true facts, British, Cancer theme, Drama, Flashbacks, Friendship, Narcissist, Nudity, Plot Twist, Suicide

Morlang (2001)

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From Amazon Prime:

A chilling, psychological drama about jealousy, betrayal and revenge.  A married couple copes with an affair, but once betrayed, can you trust the one you love? Official Selection – Tribeca and Rotterdam International Film Festivals.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute feature film.

Julius Morlang,  a photographic artist, is played by Paul Freeman about whom the following is written in IMDB:

Probably one of Britain’s most underrated actors, Paul Freeman has accumulated literally hundreds of screen credits over several decades, most notably as the main villain in the Steven Spielberg classic Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and he has worked extensively in the theatre, but he has managed to avoid becoming a star or even a household name.

As a technique for telling the story,  the film sequencing  does the following;  Show a short scene. Let the story develop more. Return to that short scene but this time show the rest of what REALLY happened.  In an extreme way, the script really jumps back and forth in time.

From the beginning it would appear that Julius Morlang is just an emotionally repressed man who remains silent while refusing to communicate or even acknowledge his and his wife’s concerns.  But if you can stick with the film to the end you are In for a big surprise.  Perhaps I am slow, but I just did not see the truth until the end.  Do not stop watching until you see screen credits because there is another surprise waiting in addition to what you think is the big revelation.  To avoid a spoiler I purposely omitted some appropriate categories for the film.

Possibly slow, but well worth watching.

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Action Film, Aliens from outer space, Bisexual theme, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Computer geeks, Drugs, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-daughter relations, Good digital effects, Happy Family Gatherings, Mediocre, Melodrama, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Nasty Aliens, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Nudity, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Suspense, Various Romances, Vulgar, Young Adults

Another Life (2019)

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From IMDB:

Astronaut Niko Breckenridge and her young crew face unimaginable danger as they go on a high-risk mission to explore the genesis of an alien artifact.

From Netflix you can stream the only season made so far of this series. Each of the 10 episodes lasts about 45 minutes except for the first episode which lasts an hour.

What makes this mediocre (and possible waste of time) series  different is that it is mostly about the inter-relations of the VERY young crew. Along the way you hear a lot of technical space babble. Who knows if any of that jargon approaches reality?  One crisis after another plagues the crew. Fortunately with each crisis there is some far-fetched solution. In a way it makes for easy watching when every seemingly insurmountable problem has a quick and often hokey fix. Eventually there must be another season because the story is just taking off when the season comes to a halt.

When I was a kid I went every Saturday morning to a movie theatre and spent the outrageous entry fee of 20 cents  to see one cartoon, one comedy short, an episode of a series starring such wonders as Superman, and a full-length feature film.  Every episode of that series ended with our hero in some jam. Next episode gets the hero out of that jam only to trap him in another jam. Needless to say, I could hardly wait for the next week’s exciting episode. Similarly I was compelled to binge watch “Another Life” to see how the kids (as I said, a VERY young crew) solved the current problem.

At least it was a welcome break from all the crime stories.

 

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action Hero, Cancer theme, Contract Killing, Father-daughter relations, Improbable details, Mad scientist, Mediocre, Merely acceptable, Mother-daughter relations, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Sci-Fi, Suspense, Thriller, Violent

Self/Less (2015)

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From IMDB:

An extremely wealthy man, dying from cancer, undergoes a radical medical procedure that transfers his consciousness into the body of a healthy young man. But all is not as it seems when he starts to uncover the mystery of the body’s origin and the organization that will kill to protect its cause

From Netflix you can stream this full-length film which lasts almost two hours.

Ryan Reynolds  plays the transformed real estate mogul (Ben Kingsley ) who now has a new body which he discovers to his horror belonged to a young father. This previous owner of the body sold his body in order to get money to treat his daughter’s illness. Now Reynolds must confront the grieving widow and her now healthy daughter in order to save all their lives from the ruthless transformation organization.

As you might expect from this typical, not very special story, you must suspend a fair amount of disbelief. Reynolds quickly discovers that he has the fighting fitness of the dead father. Moreover he never misses a shot when in gun battles with the bad guys. Without spoiling the plot, I will hint that the use of certain medical pills leads to a happy ending.

Not a complete waste of two hours.

 

2015, 2016, Abuse of Women, Adopted child, Adultery, Ambiguous Conclusion, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Cancer theme, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Cold Cases, Contract Killing, Corruption, Courtroom scenes, Depression, DNA, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Incest, Male Prostitutes, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Pedophilia, Personal Betrayal, Police cover-up, Police Politics, Prostitutes, Racism, Rape, Revenge, Romance, Sex with underage girls, Sister-sister relations

Unforgotten (2015)

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From Netflix you can stream the first two seasons of this excellent British cold-case series.

For the 6 45-minute episodes of the first season the plot starts with:

A skeleton found in the cellar of a building prompts investigation from DCI Stuart and her colleague into the murder of a young man that could potentially span back thousands of years.

For the 6 45-minute episodes of the second season the plot starts with:

Cassie and Sunny join together to investigate when a body is found in a suitcase when the river Lea gets dredged.

Although there are 5 seasons, I don’t know where to find the last three seasons.

In each season the plot runs as follows: First and foremost the challenge is to identify the victim. That process leads to a list of names associated with the victim. Each such name carries its own story. Eventually all the personal stories become entangled as the detectives struggle to make sense of the crime.

British crime series strike me as one big repertory group. You see the same actors over and over in different roles. If you want a list of those actors that keep reappearing, “Unforgotten” provides that list. Couple the list with the “Unforgotten” discussion in IMDB just in case you know you have seen that actor before but you just can’t remember who it is.

Both seasons are binge-worthy. DO NOT MISS!

 

2015, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, British, Brother-Brother relations, Cancer theme, Carpentry, Could Be Sad, Deportation, Detective, Drama, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Lawyers, Mother-daughter relations, Romance, Terminal Disease, Terrorists, Wrongful Arrest

Capital (2015)

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From IMDB:

The residents of an affluent street in London are busy getting on with their lives, when suddenly something very strange happens. Every house in the street has an identical, mysterious postcard pushed through their letterboxes that simply states “WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE”. At first, the residents of Pepys Road dismiss the notes as some sort of marketing campaign but gradually as events begin to escalate it becomes clear that there is something more to this strange occurrence than something as mundane as that.

From Acorn TV:

Based on John Lanchester’s bestselling novel, this complex and resonant drama starring Toby Jones and Rachael Stirling is a “beguiling” (The Daily Telegraph, UK) and “alarmingly recognizable” (The Times, UK) depiction of contemporary life in England’s capital city.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of the one season complete story.  Each episode is about 45 minutes.

Five subplots associated with the same block in London are involved:

  • Ahmed’s Pakistani family runs the corner grocer. One of his brothers is falsely accused of terrorism.
  • Roger (Toby Jones) is an investor with a ridiculing wife.
  • Mary (Lesley Sharp) looks after her ailing mother Petunia (Gemma Jones).
  • Bogdan is a Polish is a building contractor who falls in love with Roger’s nanny. He is renovating Petunia’s residence because Petunia dies and Mary wants to sell.
  • Quentina, the neighbor auxiliary policewoman, has VISA problems.

Lesley Sharp played DC Janet Scott in the enjoyable series “Scott and Bailey”.  Gemma Jones, who was 73 during the production, has a huge resume including playing Claire Slater in the TV series “Unforgotten”.

Almost every subplot, except for one real tragedy, ends happily. Fearing the worst, I was almost afraid to watch the fourth and final episode.  Well worth the watch!

 

Abduction, Abuse of Women, Bloody scenes, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Could Be Hard To Watch, Danish Detectives, Danish Police, Divorce, Drama, Failing Marriage, Father-son relations, Forensic Psychologist, Gory, Grim, Grisly, MHz Choice, Murder, Psychological Drama, Psychopath, Serial Killer, Suicide, Suspense, Violent

Those Who Kill (2011)

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From MHz Choice:

A criminal investigator and a forensic psychologist team up to track down serial killers in Copenhagen.

From MHz Choice (foreign language only, always with subtitles) you can stream 12 episodes of season 1 which is the only season available . Each episode lasts approximately 45 minutes. Each of the 6 stories encompasses 2 episodes.  Season 2 (2019) is mentioned in IMDB with another 8 episodes, but IMDB gives no further information about season 2.

Overshadowing all the other actors in the series are the criminal investigator Katrine (played by the very striking Laura Bach) and the forensic psychologist Thomas Schaeffer (played by Jakob Cedergren).  Oddly enough Jakob Cedergren also plays a character named Thomas in another MHz Choice offering The Sandhamn Murders. 

Once again, these stories are grim. Someone dreams up really gory crimes for the serial killers to commit. Expect lots of blood. Unfortunately the productions are excellent, well-acted and gripping. Is this some kind of guilty pleasure?

There is another series about serial killers from Acorn TV called “Wire in the Blood” starring Robsen Green as a forensic psychologist Dr. Tony Hill. Whereas Dr. Tony HIll is portrayed as a socially awkward, cleverly intuitive, and very eccentric misfit, Thomas Schaeffer is a loving family man torn between a normal life and his brillantly helpful involvement in horrible cimes.  Both series are downright gory.

Noone is perfect. One of my flaws must be watching this awful stuff.

 

2018, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, British, British Mystery Series, Cancer theme, Complicated, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Gay theme, Harlan Coben, Missing Person, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Revenge, School Teacher, Sister-sister relations, Teenagers, Terminal Disease

Safe (2018)

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From IMDB:

After his daughter goes missing, a widower begins uncovering the dark secrets of the people closest to him.

Originally this thriller was offered on Acorn TV.  In 2020 Netflix started streaming the  8 episodes of this real pot-boiler. All the characters live in a gated community. All have guilty secrets to hide. In fact, many if not most of the inhabitants are not very nice people.

You will recognize  Michael C. Hall  (the gay undertaker from “Six Feet Under” and also the lead character in “Dexter”).  Hall is an American born in Raleigh, North Carolina, but his British accent in this series is flawless (to my ears at least).

Some pot-boilers are done well and this is one of them, very binge-worthy. One attraction, if that is what it is, is the fact that things just worse and worse. Additionally the film is based on a book by Harlan Coben, one of my favorite leisure thriller authors.

DO NOT MISS!