Category Archives: Cover-up

2021, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Addiction, Amputee, Angola, Attempted Murder, Based on true facts, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Bureaucracy, CIA, Cold War, Communists, Complicated, Conspiracy, Corrupt Military, Corrupt Politicians, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cover-up, Cruelty, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, FADO songs, False Accusations, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Frame someone for a crime, Government cover-up, Historical Fiction, Hostage Taking, International thriler, Invincible villain, Jealousy, Lesbian Theme, Local color, Longsuffering wife, Love Story, Male Chauvinism, Marital Infidelity, Military, Missing Person, Monstrous Father, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder by poison, Mysterious Disappearance, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Pianist, Plot twists, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Political Intrigue, Portuguese, Portuguese History, Portuguese-Angola War, Promiscuity, Puzzling Ending, Radio Free Europe, Rape, Revenge, Russian Anti-USA Scheme, Russian Spy, Ruthless Killer, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Surprise Ending, Suspense, Tennis, Thriller, Torture, Traitors, Trust Nobody, Unhappy Marriage, Unwanted Pregnancy, Violent, War, Wife Beating, Womanizing, Wrongful Arrest

Glória (2021)

From IMDB:

In the 1960s, at the height of the Cold War, in the small village of Glória do Ribatejo, João Vidal will take on several high-risk espionage missions that could change the course of Portuguese and world history.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this Portuguese spy thriller.  Each episode lasts about 45 minutes. In Portuguese and English with subtitles.

RARET is short for portuguese RAdio de RETransmissão (Retransmission Radio).  Think of RARET as Radio Free Europe.  An article in the New York Times suggested this film to me. That article, which is worth reading, begins as follows:

————————————————————————-

Anyone who didn’t live through the Cold War might find the Portuguese Netflix spy thriller series “Glória” improbable.

Deep in the Portuguese countryside, in the tiny village of Glória, a complex radio transmission operation run by Portuguese and American engineers springs up in the 1950s, a branch of a Munich-based news organization called Radio Free Europe.

It broadcasts news and anti-communist messages in languages of various Soviet republics, but, in the show and in real life, that’s only part of its early mission: It’s also a C.I.A. front.

Until 1971, Radio Free Europe was a covert U.S. intelligence operation seeking to penetrate the Iron Curtain and foment anti-communist dissent in what was then Czechoslovakia, in Poland and elsewhere.

João (Portuguese for John) is a Russian spy seeking to undermine the activities of RARET.  Through 10 episodes we watch his masterful deceits while many around him get hurt as a result. To really appreciate the story you might brush up on some Portuguese history such as its imperialism (especially in Angola), the dictator Salazar, and PIDE (the Portuguese secret police).

Because the very ending comes as a complete and puzzling surprise, after finishing the series you can read an explanation.

Do not expect much happiness. But – DO NOT MISS!

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.

 

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.

 

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!

2022, Action Film, Action Hero, Amazon Prime, Big Pharma, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brain Tumor, Complicated, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corrupt Military, Corrupt Pharmaceutical Firm, Corrupt Politicians, Cover-up, Ethical struggles, Extremely Violent, Fight Scenes, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Government cover-up, Government human experiment, Government medical experiment, Harmful Medicine, Mental Illness, Navy Seals, Personal Betrayal, Revenge, Sniper, Suspense, Violent, War

The Terminal List (2022)

From IMDB:

A former Navy SEAL officer investigates why his entire platoon was ambushed during a high-stakes covert mission.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of this action thriller. Each episode lasts about one hour.

Essentially, this is a revenge film based on the complications of a quasi-government human experiment gone wrong.  As more details of the government cover-up come to light, the revenge list maintained by James Reece, played by Chris Pratt, of the guilty parties grows as he doggedly eliminates each person on that list.

Violent but engaging revenge series right up to the relentless ending.

2022, Abduction, Action Film, Action Hero, Action sequences, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Career Competition, Chase film, Child Hostage, CIA, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corrupt Politicians, Cover-up, Cynical, Father-son relations, Fist Fight, Government cover-up, Government-hired assassin, Hostage Taking, Improbable details, International thriler, Invincible Hero, Martial Arts, Mayhem, Monstrous Father, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Narcissistic Personality, Netflix Streaming, Physical fighting, Political Conspiracy, Political Intrigue, Ruthless Killer, Sniper, Sociopath, Suspense, Torture, Uncle-Niece relations, Unscrupulous drive to power, Violent

The Gray Man (2022)

From IMDB:

Six, a highly-skilled assassin in the deep-cover Sierra program of the CIA, is the agency’s best merchant of death. However, a mission goes bad and now Six is on the run from the CIA with sociopathic former agent Lloyd Hansen hot on his trail. Aided by agent Dani Miranda and handler Donald Fitzroy, Six must be his most ruthless to avoid Hansen, who will stop at nothing to bring Six down.

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 9 minute complete film.

Car chases, martial arts fights, guns, dead bodies everywhere, explosions, expensive destruction, official corruption. Could this perhaps be an action film? In fact that is pretty much all that this film is: one amazingly filmed, completely unbelievable, but really fun to watch action sequence after another. Do you suppose Ryan Gosling actually performed any of these stunts?

Four lead actors are:

  • Ryan Gosling plays Six.
  • Chris Evans plays Lloyd Hansen.
  • Ana de Armas plays Dani Miranda.
  • Billy Bob Thorton plays Donald Fitzroy.

Netflix supposedly spent $200 million producing this mass execution. You might as well watch the violent fun.

2021, Abduction, Action Film, Anxiety Attacks, Binge worthy, British Mystery Series, Car Chase, Cocaine, Conspiracy, Corrupt policemen, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cover-up, Crime Family, Crime thriller, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Gay theme, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Panic Attacks, PBS Masterpiece Streaming, Plot Twist, Police Corruption, Rape, Romance, Ruthless Killer, Suspense, Thriller, Torture, Undercover police work, Violent

Before We Die: Season One (2021)

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming,

Determined to solve her lover’s murder, Detective Hannah Laing persuades one of his confidential contacts to help her. But when Hannah discovers the informant’s identity, she realizes there is far more at stake than bringing the killers to justice.

From PBS Masterpiece Streaming you can stream the 6 episodes of this tense British thriller. Each episode last about 45 minutes.

Lesley Sharp played DC Janet Scott for 33 episodes of “Scott and Bailey” from 2011 to 2016. In 2011 she was 51 year old  In the 10 year span from 2011 to the filming year 2021 she has aged  considerably and to her credit sits for many thoughtful and still screen shots despite the wrinkles.  Brits seem to value the acting skill above any appearance.

In this series Lesley plays  detective Helen Laing and the mother of Christian Radic (played by Patrick Gibson). Her sidekick in an off-the-books investigation of a unscrupulous and violent family of Croatian criminals is Billy Murdoch (played by Vincent Regan). Vincent played DCS Dave Murray in the same “Scott and Bailey) series.

From the very beginning Christian volunteers to be part of the murder investigation by inserting himself into the crime family. In doing so he invites great risk to himself and causes great anxiety for his detective mother.

Season one ends in such a way as to lead into season two. However season one is complete in itself with an almost satisfying ending.  But conspiratorial villains remain undetected.

WARNING:  In the beginning of the story there are scenes of torture (another family  specialty) that are hard to watch.  In the reminder of the episodes there is much tension but no torture.

Tension plus a really clever plot twist at the end make this series a

DO NOT MISS!

2022, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action Film, Action Hero, Amazon Prime, Based on a Book, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Bullying, Cancer theme, Car Chase, Contract Killing, Corny at times, Corrupt Corporation, Corrupt policemen, Corrupt Politicians, Corrupt Prison Guards, Could Be Hard To Watch, Counterfeiting, Country Music, Cover-up, Crime thriller, Detective, Disturbing Image, Dog episode, Extremely Violent, False Imprisonment, FBI, Fist Fight, Forensics, Gory, Greed, Gritty, Hostage Taking, Invincible Hero, Lee Child, Martial Arts, Maudlin, Mayhem, Military, Mother-son relations, Murder, Nudity, Physical fighting, Police Corruption, Police Investigation, Prison, Psychopath, Romance, Ruthless Killer, Sadism, Suspense, Thriller, Torture, Violent, War Veterans, Wrongful Arrest

Reacher (2022)

From Amazon Prime:

When retired Military Police Officer Jack Reacher is arrested for murder he did not commit, he finds himself in the middle of a deadly conspiracy full of dirty cops, shady businessmen and scheming politicians. With nothing but his wits, he must figure out what is happening in Margrave, Georgia. The first season of Reacher is based on the international bestseller, Killing Floor by Lee Child.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 8 episodes of season 1. Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

Lee Child’s hero Jack Reacher is supposed to be a big, powerful, imposing man that can intimidate his opponents. Alan Ritchson amply fills that bill (as opposed to Tom Cruise who is much smaller). Ritchson played the superhero Hank Hall in the TV series “Titans”.

Violence is the dominant theme. Part of that violence involves gruesome scenes of torture such as nailing a naked man to a wall followed by much worse. Children should NOT watch this series.

Sad to say, violence in the form of watching Reacher beating and killing villains was for me a satisfying vicarious pleasure.  Making the criminals truly repellent is an effective way to rationalize enjoying such a slaughter.

Reacher never misses a shot, wins every hand-to-hand combat, is always the smartest person in the room, and is a multi-decorated war hero. Have I missed anything? Oh, yes – Reacher speaks Farsi.

In to make this epic a bona fide adolescent entertainment,  Reacher must fall in love with Roscoe the female cop but, of course,  is ever the loner who must eventually move on (so that the series can have another season). Expect many maudlin scenes.

Against my better instincts, WATCHING WAS A LOT OF FUN!

2015, Afghanistan, Anxiety Attacks, Cover-up, French Soldiers, Kanopy streaming, Military, Missing Person, Must suspend disbelief, Mysterious Disappearance, Panic Attacks, Paranormal theme, Psychological Tension, Religious Theme, Sheep Farmers, Slow, Suspense, Taliban, Unexpected Ending, Unusual

Neither Heaven Nor Earth (2015)

From Kanopy:

French Army Captain Antares Bonassieu and his squad are assigned to monitor a remote valley of Wakhan, Afghanistan on the border of Pakistan. Negotiating control of the region between local shepherds and possible Taliban sympathizers grows more and more tenuous for them as men from all sides start mysteriously disappearing. Unable to explain this eerie phenomenon, the soldiers find themselves embroiled in an existential nightmare, desperate for their own safety.

From Kanopy you can stream this 105 minute complete French film with English subtitles.

Films involving some paranormal occurrence are often second-rate. But in this military themed film, there is nothing cheesy about the paranormal disappearances of both soldiers and Afghans.  What is palpable throughout is the increasingly desperate frustration of Captain Bonassieu (played by Jérémie Renier) and his men to explain what is happening.  Even if the solution suggested to the soldiers by a young Afghan shepherd seems implausible, it hardly matters to the story.  More important and really central to the drama is the mounting tension, its psychological effect on the troops, and how to explain the disappearances to their loved ones back home. Bonassieu’s final act of self-sacrifice is clever and unexpected.

Slow moving and clearly a genre that may not appeal to everyone, this film presents, nonetheless, a rather unique and possibly moving plot.

2021, Acceptable Sci-Fi, Acceptable Science, Allegory, Autistic Technocrat, Bizarre, Black humor, Comedy, Could Be Hard To Watch, Cover-up, Depressing, Eccentric cast of characters, Exaggeration Comedy, Extramarital Affair, Farce, Government cover-up, Greed vs Common Good, Mayhem, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Often downright silly, Panic Attacks, Personal Betrayal, Political Satire, Satire

Don’t Look Up (2021)

From Netflix:

Two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The response from a distracted world: Meh!

From Netflix you can stream this 2 hour 18 minute long complete film.

According to Miriam-Webster, “allegory” is a story in which the characters and events are symbols that stand for ideas about human life or for a political or historical situation.  In the case of this film, the news that a comet hurtling toward earth will destroy mankind, which a superficial world treats as “fake news” could possibly stand for climate warming (which the Master of the Republican party declared was simply a “Chinese hoax”) or for a pandemic (Why get vaccinated against some illness that will disappear in a day or so?).

Leonardo DiCaprio provides a splendid performance as Dr. Randall Mindy, an all too human scientist trying to warn the world but who succumbs to his sudden fame and the allures of the unbalanced Brie Evantee (played by Cate Blanchette).

Jennifer Lawrence plays an increasingly frustrated and exasperated Kate Dibiasky, Dr. Mindy’s gifted doctoral student.

As far as an over the top  (if not to say bizarre)  role as President Orlean of the USA  goes,  Meryl Streep is the perfect “air head.” She even wears a MAGA cap.

When the screen finally goes black, do not stop watching.  Credits rolling by on the screen are interrupted several times by continuations of the story.  Watch the fatalistic silliness right up to the very end.

Is this depiction of a threatened end of the world really a comedy?