Category Archives: Detective

2014, Action sequences, Argentinian Detectives, Bisexual theme, Bureaucracy, Cocaine, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Cover-up, Detective, Drama, Drug Dealers, Erotic Tension, Everybody lies, Extramarital Affair, Father-son relations, Flirting, Frame someone for a crime, Gay theme, Horses, Insomnia, Kanopy streaming, Murder, Mystery Film, Personal Betrayal, Plot Twist, Police Corruption, Police Culture, Police Investigation, Psychological Drama, Sociopath, Spanish, Surprise Ending, Violent

Death in Buenos Aires (2014)

From Kanopy:

The biggest hit of the year in its native Argentina, DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES is a gripping police thriller about corruption, paranoia, and the secret gay lives of the wealthy elite of Buenos Aires during the politically tumultuous 1980s. At the scene of a murder of one of the city’s high society figures, veteran police inspector Chavez (Academy Award nominee (A Better Life, 2011) Demian Bichir, runs into Gomez (Chino Darin), a.k.a. “El Ganso” (The Goose), a handsome young rookie cop with dreams of advancement. When Chavez uncovers that the murder may be linked to a small-time hustler, and the gay nightclub La Manila, the detective sends the rookie undercover to pose as a gay newcomer on the prowl for an older benefactor. As they come close to luring out the killer, the erotic charge of their new surroundings triggers changes in both Chavez and Gomez. Director Natalia Meta’s deeply involving debut film delivers rich, multi-faceted characters that match the complexity of its riveting story.

From Kanopy you can stream this 1 hour 32 minute Spanish language thriller. Subtitles in English.

Murder, corruption, gay characters, sociopathic personality, personal betrayal, drug dealing, marital infidelity : you name it, it’s in the plot.  In addition the film is also a mystery which hopefully by the end you will solve.

Damián Bechir who plays the detective  Chavez also stars as the father in the Showtime series “Let The Right One In.”

Confusing, but certainly not dull with a surprise ending.

 

2006, Comedy, Detective, Netflix Streaming, Sight Gags, Theft, Vulgar

The Pink Panther (2006)

From Netflix:

Bumbling Inspector Clouseau must solve the murder of a world famous soccer coach and catch the thief who stole his priceless  diamond ring.

From Netflix  you can stream this 1 hour 32 minute comedy film.

Steve Martin’s remake of this 1963 classic film which starred Peter Sellars has some good laughs, especially the sight gags. Unfortunately from Netflix you can also stream the embarrassingly unfunny and vulgar “Pink Panther 2” which you should avoid at all costs.

Considering that this film was made in 2006 it seems striking that it includes cameo appearances by Clive Owen and Jason Statham. By 2006 Clive Owen had already made “Second Sight” and was making “Children of Men.”  By 2006 Jason Statham had already made “The Transporter” and “The Italian Job.” Why did they agree to cameo appearances?

This throwaway movie at least offers some belly laughs.

2021, Action Film, Action sequences, Detective, Netflix Streaming, Nothing special, Safecracking

Army of Thieves (2021)

From IMDB:

A prequel, set before the events of Army of the Dead, which focuses on German safecracker Ludwig Dieter leading a group of aspiring thieves on a top secret heist during the early stages of the zombie apocalypse.

From Netflix:

A prequel, set before the events of Army of the Dead, which focuses on German safecracker Ludwig Dieter leading a group of aspiring thieves on a top secret heist during the early stages of the zombie apocalypse.

From Netflix you can waste some possibly fun time streaming this action film which lasts 2 hours and 9 minutes.

Forget zombies because, except for a brief glimpse, this prequel has nothing whatsoever to do with zombies. Instead, its entire goal is to successfully crack open three historical, massive, and well-guarded safes.  At the same time a dedicated French detective is determined to catch the gang of thieves.

Matthias Schweighöfer is brilliant as the talented safecracker  Ludwig Dieter. German audiences are probably more familiar with this actor. As for American audiences, you might recognize Stuart Martin as the thuggish Brad Cage because he plays the Duke in “Miss Scarlet and the Duke” on American TV.

Enjoy the action sequences in this throwaway snack.

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Bullying, Detective, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Fatherless child, Flirting, French, French Detectives, French Mystery, Longsuffering wife, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Occasionaly violent, Revenge, Small Town, Suspense

A Long Lost Silence (2022)

From IMDB:

During the summer, Jules, 10 years old, is welcomed by a young couple in the countryside, because his mother had an accident. How to feel at home in a village where its inhabitants are shaken by deep antagonisms?

From MHz Choice:

French thriller about a 10-year-old boy encountering secrets among the people who’ve taken him in for the summer.

From MHz Choice you can stream this 3 episode French mystery thriller. Each episode lasts no more than 55 minutes.  The French title is “Les Hautes Herbes”. English subtitles are provided.

Jules, the 10 year old center of attention, hardly ever speaks. But his glances and stares speak volumes as he watches the adults around him misbehave in various ways.  When episode 3 reveals the killer, things get very tense.

Lots of contention between characters and  emotional scenes make this very French film watchable.

 

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!

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!

2022, Abduction, Anxiety Attacks, Arson, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Boating, Cocaine, Contract Killing, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Dark family secrets, Detective, Dishonest father, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Dog episode, Drama, Drug Dealers, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Frame someone for a crime, Hopeless Love, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Motorcycles, Murder, Murder Investigation, Prison, Psychiatrists, Revenge, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish Crime Thriller, Violent

Gasmaman (2022)

From MHz Choice:

Alexandra Rapaport stars as a suburban mom pulled into the criminal underworld to pay off her murdered husband’s debts.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 8 episodes of Season 1. Each episode lasts about 44 minutes.

Sonja Ek and her husband Fredrik have three children Nina, Gustav and Linus.  Sonja’s brother is Niklas.  Fredrik, Niklas, and their associate Stein have stolen cocaine from a crime boss. Because Fredrik has hidden the cocaine and then been shot dead, the  other two cronies cannot return the cocaine to the crime boss. Sonja is now burdened with appeasing the crime boss. Sonja’s father is also corrupt, which only makes her life more difficult.

There is not a single relaxing moment in this tense Swedish crime drama.  Expect lots of violence. DO NOT MISS!

 

2022, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Attempted Murder, Based on a Book, Contract Killing, Corrupt judge, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drones, Ethical struggles, Everybody lies, Extramarital Affair, Failed Marriage, False Imprisonment, Father-daughter relations, Fight Scenes, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Jealousy, Lawyers, Michael Connelly, Murder, Murder Investigation, Murder Trial, Narcissistic Personality, Netflix Streaming, Occasionaly violent, Plot twists, Police Corruption, Prison, Surfing, Suspense, Trial Scenes

The Lincoln Lawyer (2022)

From IMDB:

An iconoclastic idealist runs his law practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car in this series based on Michael Connelly’s bestselling novels.

From Netflix you can stream 10 episodes of this series. Each episode lasts between 46 and 55 minutes.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, who plays the lawyer Mickey Haller, is Mexican. In an interview  he explained that he was very nervous acting this part because he had to work so hard to eliminate his Mexican accent. He played Gabriel Ortega in “Goliath” (which you should not miss).

Mickey Haller is an honest man who works hard to defend seemingly guilty clients.   He also comes off as a loving father trying to come back after some bad times in his life. Neve Campbell does a great job as a prosecution lawyer who is also Mickey’s former wife.

Trust no one (as in “everybody lies”) and expect some clever plot twists. DO NOT MISS!

 

2021, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime Brit Box, British Drama, British Mystery Series, Bullying, Controlling personality, Cult, Cult Brainwashing, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, Gay theme, Homophobia, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Narcissistic Personality, Personality or religious cult, Psychological Tension, Reconciliation, Religious Cult, Suspense, Uncategorized

The Long Call (2021)

From IMDB:

Follows detective Matthew Venn as he returns to an evangelical community in which he grew up to attend his father’s funeral.

From Amazon BritBox:

Following the discovery of a dead body, DI Matthew Venn is led back into the community he left behind – and the deadly secrets that lurk there.

From Amazon BritBox you can stream the 4 episodes of this single season production. Each episode lasts exactly 46 minutes.

DI Matthew Venn’s investigation of the death of a Simon Walden leads him back to the religious cult in which he was raised, and to which he also returns for his father’s funeral.  Years before Matthew left the cult because he is gay and therefore was considered by the cult to be a sinner.  Matthew lives with his partner Jonathan Roberts who works hard to bring comfort and self-acceptance to Matthew who battles the guilt inculcated into him by the cult.  Eventually we learn how involved the cult is in the death of Simon Walden. Along the way Matthew tries to make peace with his mother Dorothy Venn.

Two notable actors are:

  • Martin Shaw plays Dennis Stephenson the leader of the cult. Martin Shaw may be familiar to you as Inspector George Gently. In this production he was 76 years old.
  • Juliet Stevenson plays Dorothy Venn, Matthew’s conflicted mother. Juliet Stevenson has a huge resumé.  My earliest recollection is her role as “The Politician’s Wife”.  In “The Long Call”  she is a aged, somewhat haggard woman. During production she was 65 years old.  In “The Politician’s Wife” she was a mere 26 years old. How time flies!

Well-done and worth a DO NOT MISS!