Category Archives: Detective

2019, Detective, German, MHz Choice

Irish Crime (2019)

From IMDB:

For years, Cathrin worked as a criminal psychologist, often on cases together with her police-officer husband Liam. But one day 10 years ago, Liam just vanished from the face of the earth. It took all of Cathrin’s strength and the support of her son Paul to get back on her feet after her emotional collapse and fall into alcoholism. Working private practice ever since, she is thrown back into her old life when Liam’s remains are found in a mass grave of dead children as a wide-ranging conspiracy is uncovered. Also, some of her clients seem to be connected to current criminal cases and Cathrin is increasingly drawn back into assisting the Galway police, and they welcome her back warmly. But when old agonies resurface, Cathrin is determined to uncover the truth.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 4 episodes of the only season offered. Each episode lasts an hour and a half. German with English subtitles.

Highly recommended.

 

2021, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Detective, Love Story, Mother Abandons Family

Grace (2021)

From Amazon Brit Box:

Based on the best-selling Peter James novels, John Simm (Life on Mars) stars as Roy Grace, a tenacious yet troubled detective known for his unorthodox methods. As he walks a career tightrope, he is assigned to a missing person case.

From Amazon Brit Box you can stream 3 seasons of this British mystery thriller. Season 1 has 2 episodes. Seasons 2 and 3 have 3 episodes. Each episode lasts an hour and a half.

Throughout the series Roy Grace (John Simm) mourns the loss of his wife who  abandoned the family.  Evolving toward declaring his missing wife dead, he is slowly falling in love with the woman coroner Cleo.  In every episode Grace teams up with his sidekick DS Glenn Branson.

Each episode is well-written and involving.  Highly recommended.

2009, Detective, French, PBS Masterpiece Streaming

Paris Murders (2009)

From IMDB:

Chloé Saint-Laurent is a profiler and works with a police team to solve murders in Paris. She’s very sweet, she wears very colored clothes and a huge yellow bag. She looks like a little girl who needs a doll, but she’s very smart and a very good profiler. Step by step, she fits in the team and her colleagues, very reserved at first, become her best friends.

From PBS Passport you can stream 5 seasons of this French crime thriller.  Seasons 1 and 2 offer 12 episodes. Seasons 3, 4, and 5 offer 10 episodes. Each episode lasts between 50 minutes and 1 hour.

“Profilage” , as it is called in IMDB, is the French name for the series. Stories are well-done though sometime gruesome. Chloé, played by Odile Vuillemin is the main attraction but she lasts for only 3 seasons. After that Adele is the detective. Philippe Bas, who plays the male sidekick Rocher, is the one constant in all the seasons.

Well worth watching, which is why PBS has it in their catalog.

2022, Abandoned child, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Arson, Based on a Book, Binge worthy, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Child Social Services, Clever Plot, Complicated, Dark family secrets, Detective, Discussions about Emotions, DO NOT MISS, Failed Mother, Frame someone for a crime, Hopeless Love, Incompetent or unfit mother, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Monstrous Mother, Mother-son relations, Murder by poison, Murder Investigation, Parkinson's disease, Personal Betrayal, Plot twists, Prostitute, Psychological Thriller, Psychologist, Revenge, Ruthless Killer, Self-cutting, Self-harm, Shocking Ending, Sundance Now Streaming, Troubled Personality, Wrongful Arrest

The Suspect (2022)

From Sundance Now:

Joseph O’Loughlin has the perfect life: a beautiful wife, a loving daughter, and a successful career as a clinical psychologist. But it all begins to unravel when the police seek his professional opinion about the murder of a young woman. Caught in an increasingly complex web of deceit, Joseph risks everything as he embarks upon a search for a killer.

From Sundance Now (through Amazon Prime) you can stream the 5 episodes of this clever suspense series. Each episode lasts about 47 minutes.

Thanks to my neighbor Terry for introducing me to Sundance Now which currently through Amazon Prime is $6.99 per month after a short free trial.

Someone is killing a series of people.  Although DI Vince Ruiz almost obsessively zeroes in on the psychologist Joe O’Loughlin, you will probably spend all 5 episodes bouncing your suspicions from one character to the next. After many character twists the conclusion is a knock out.

Joining Sundance Now just to watch “The Suspect” is worth the price. Besides, you can cancel at any time.

DO NOT MISS!

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, America of the 1830s, Attempted Murder, Bizarre, Bloody scenes, Clever Plot, Creepy, Dark family secrets, Detective, Devil Worship, Drama, Eccentric cast of characters, Fatal Disease, Grisly, Human Sacrifice, Jealousy, Magic, Military Academy, Military School, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Period Piece, Personal Betrayal, Plot Twist, Rape, Rape Victim, Revenge, Suicide, Suspense, Unexpected Ending, Unusual, Violent, Witchcraft

The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

From IMDB:

A world-weary detective is hired to investigate the murder of a West Point cadet. Stymied by the cadets’ code of silence, he enlists one of their own to help unravel the case – a young man the world would come to know as Edgar Allan Poe.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 10 minute complete film.

If only for the 1830 period clothing , surroundings and speech patterns, watching this film can be worthwhile.  But the story is clever, the acting is fine, and the plot twist toward the very end is quite unexpected.

Several of the actors are familiar to me:

  • Christian Bale plays the laconic detective Augustus Landor. In the past he played Batman in many Batman films.
  • Toby Jones, who plays Dr. Daniel Marquis, has an unusual physical appearance. Most recently he played Sebold Cusk in “The English”.
  • You might not recognize Robert Duvall who appears briefly as Jean Pepe. His resumé is enormous.
  • Gillian Anderson, who plays Mrs. Julia Marquis, will always be Scully from the “X-Files”.

Harry Melling is a very unusual looking but up-and-coming actor who plays Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849).  His physical appearance, especially his face, is so striking that I could only stare. He played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter movies.  Will he always be cast in eccentric roles?

Well worth the watch!

Abduction, Abuse of Women, Amputation as revenge, Arrogant boss, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Disturbing Image, Drama, Father-daughter relations, Flashbacks, Forensic pathologist, Forensics, French Detectives, Grim, Jealousy, Love Story, MHz Choice, Multiple Sclerosis, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Occasional gore, Pharmaceutical Experiments, Police Culture, Prison, Psychopath, Rape, Rape Victim, Revenge, Romance, Serbian genocide of Bosnians, Serial Killer, Serial rapist, Single Father, Suicide, Suspense

Inspector La Brea (2009)

From Global Screen:

Based on the successful detective novels by Alexandra von Grothe. Mourning his wife’s death, Inspector Maurice LaBréa leaves Marseilles for Paris with his daughter Jenny. But Paris is no respite, for a ghastly copycat killer is imitating a killing spree around the Bastille that went on ten years ago.

From MHz Choice you can stream 3 episodes of this German language detective series set in Paris with English subtitles. Each episode lasts about an hour and a half.

All the crimes are ugly and brutal. Mutilated bodies are par for the course.

However, the central theme running through all the episodes is LaBrea’s loving concern for his daughter Jenny who encourages him to romance his beautiful painter neighbor who often takes care of Jenny when duty so often calls.

  • Episode 1: The Beast of the Bastille.
  • Episode 2: Murder in the Rue St. Lazare
  • Episode 3: Deadly Dreams in Montparnasse.

Somewhat old fashioned, nothing special, but plots consist of a nice contrast between the grim crimes and LaBrea’s personal life.

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Arson, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Complicated, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Eccentric Detective, Embezzlement, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Fist Fight, Flashbacks, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Greed, Illegal immigrant, Lawyers, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Social Class Inequality, Suicide, Unbelievably smart detective, Uncategorized

Knives Out (2019)

From Netflix:

A detective unravels the tangled web of secrets and lies
surrounding the death of a successful crime novelist and his
unsettling, eccentric family.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 10 minute mystery film.

Of the two “Knives Out” films currently available on Netflix, this first installment is in ways superior to the second installment “Glass Onion: Knives Out”.  Probably the more established cast of “Knives Out” accounts for the better acting.  Dialog in “Glass Onion” is often crudely vulgar which sometimes is a clue to compensating for lower quality writing.

That established cast includes:

  • Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc the detective in both “Knives Out” flims.
  • Chris Evans as the wayward son Ransom Drysdale.
  • Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale.
  • Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey.
  • Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale.
  • Toni Collette as Toni Thrombey née Drysdale.
  • Christopher Plummer as Harlan Drysdale, the patriarch.

Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera is a relative newcomer and is in someway the star of the show.

One of many examples of a household assembly of suspects in a murder in the gathering, this complexly plotted who-done-it is well worth watching. In fact

DO NOT MISS!

2015, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, AIDS, Assisted Suicide, Brain Tumor, Cancer theme, Clairvoyant, Death of a child, Detective, Ethical struggles, Father-son relations, FBI, Friendship, Gay theme, Medical Theme, Mercy Killing, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Off-color moments, Psychic, Psychopathologist, Serial Killer, Suspense, Vulgar Jokes

Solace (2015)

From IMDB:

Psychic John Clancy (Sir Anthony Hopkins) works with the F.B.I. in order to hunt down a serial killer.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

FBI Agent Joe Merriwether (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan) works with FBI Agent Katherine Cowels (played by Abbie Cornish) who has her doctorate in psychopathology.  At a complete loss in learning anything about the serial killer, Joe turns to his old friend and clairvoyant Dr. John Clancy (played by Sir Anthony Hopkins) who, owing to ugly past experiences,  is very reluctant to join the search.

Learning the motive for the killings is a priority.  If I reveal that motive here, I would consider that revelation a spoiler.

Where in all this is the actor Colin Farrell? He plays Charles Ambrose who just happens to be the serial killer. Charles shares a significant feature of Dr. Clancy’s personality.

After watching the film, you will understand why I say the film is a disguised ethical debate with no easy answer.

All the clairvoyance is just too convenient (should I say “contrived” or downright “hokey” ?).  In addition the quick decision action sequences might be hard to follow.   I give the film a B+.

 

 

2013, Abduction, Action sequences, Bloody scenes, Child abduction and murder, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drugging as a weapon, Ethical struggles, Forensics, Grim, Ironic Ending, Mentally impaired person, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Plot Twist, Police Culture, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, Violent, Wrongful Arrest

Prisoners (2013)

From Netflix:

After his young daughter and her friend go missing, a desperate
father clashes with the detective on the case and takes matters
into his own hands.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 33 minute tense thriller.

Jake Gyllenhaal movies are usually not an easy watch and this search for missing children and a  serial killer is no exception. What attracted me was the exceptional cast:

  • Hugh Jackman is Keller Dover, father of the missing Anna Dover.
  • Terrence Howard is Franklin Birch, father of the missing Joy Birch.
  • Viola Davis is Joy’s mother Nancy.
  • Paul Dano is the suspect Alex Jones.
  • Jake Gyllenhaal is Detective Loki.

Be prepared for Keller’s desperation-driven torture of Alex which is quite ugly to watch, a plot twist, and an ironic ending.

If you can stand to watch, DO NOT MISS!

2011, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action sequences, Ageing parent, Amazon Prime Brit Box, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British Mystery Series, British Police, Car Chase, Career Criminal, Clever Plot, Complicated, Contract Killing, Corrupt policemen, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime, Crime thriller, Death of a child, Detective, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Fight Scenes, Flirting, Forensics, Gambling, Grim, Grisly, Gritty, Hopeless Love, Human trafficking, Infuriating, Lawyers, Love Story, Mourning, Murder, Murder Trial, Pedophilia, Plot twists, Poker, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Possibly upsetting ending, Psychiatrists, Romance, Sad ending, Single Mother, Suicide, Suspense, Thriller, Trial Scenes, Upsetting ending, Violent

DCI Banks (2011)

From IMDB:

The tenacious and stubborn DCI Banks unravels disturbing murder mysteries aided by his young assistants, DS Annie Cabbot and DI Helen Morton.

From Amazon Prime Brit Box (or just independently Brit Box) you can stream 5 seasons of this outstandingly tense British crime series. Almost all complete stories require two consecutive episodes.  All seasons contain 6 episodes (i.e 3 stories) where each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Season 1 contains 7 episodes because the first episode is the pilot called “Aftermath”. PLEASE DO NOT WATCH this episode because it is so ugly that you might not want to watch the rest of the series. Indeed the crimes in all the stories are disturbing but season 1 episode 1 is especially nasty.

Detectives Alan Banks, Annie Cabbot, and Helen Morton are  present throughout.  Alan falls in love with Annie and a constant theme is whether they will ever get together. Alan’s father is always an annoyance. Shaun Dooley plays a wonderfully infuriating evil criminal Steve Richards.

Kathy and I eagerly ploughed through all 30 episodes, exclaiming after each story “Wow!”  In fact in one sitting we always watched two episodes making one complete story.

DO NOT MISS!