Category Archives: Mental Illness

2018, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Addiction, Adultery, B-movie, Bad Acting, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Bullying, Conspiracy, Controlling personality, Corny, Corruption, Cult Brainwashing, Detective, Drugs, Dysfunctional Lives, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Emotional abuse, Ethical struggles, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Flashbacks, Frame someone for a crime, French, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Imperfect, Improbable details, Jealousy, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Often downright silly, Outrageous Behavior, Police Corruption, Prison, Problematic Ending, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Romance, Sex Offender, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Predator, Sometimes seems silly, Suspense, Troubled Personality, Unjust crime conviction, Violent

The Break (2018)

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From Netflix:

Soon after arriving in Heiderfeld, inspector Yoann Peeters is called to the scene of a suspected suicide and begins uncovering troubling details

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of Season 2 of this French (English subtitles) crime soap-opera.  Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.

SECOND REVIEW: Please note that there is already a review for Season 1 which is dated 2016.  To appreciate Season 2 you should first watch Season 1.  My review for Season 1 raves positively and might now be taken with a grain of salt.  It is still true that I was so taken with the plot, characters, and mystery that I once again binged on the series. However, this time let me be a bit more critical.

For adjectives describing this strange-fest consider: exaggerated, corny, repetitive, histrionic,  improbable, riddled with inconsistencies,  and ending in a questionable conclusion.  How’s that for damning with praise?

So what is so watch-worthy?  For one thing the cast consists of some of the more peculiar non-Hollywood characters I have ever seen.  All names hereafter are the character names because it is unlikely that any of the French and Dutch actors will be familiar.  Dany Bastin is the center of attention as the accused.  He is a skinny young man whose entire body is marked by a severe case of psoriasis.  When was the last time you saw an actor with truly repellent skin? He, his brother Christian, his brother’s wife Zoe, and his mother all seem to be underfed, sub-intelligent, unattractive, poverty-stricken  members of some lower order of humans.  Astrid du Tilleul is the wealthy, nasty, dissolute, drug addict murder victim. Her jealous sister Astrid and Astrid’s husband are the oddest looking pair of scheming and murderous morons to hit the screen.  Even dumber are some of the police officers.  At least one officer, Marjorie, is, however,  honest despite her physical unattractiveness.  Not so honest is her partner.

On and on and on goes the series. Yet somehow I was eagerly drawn to each episode (like a moth to a burning candle?)  If my description has not yet turned you away from this mess,  just have fun watching the exaggerated set of unlikely events.  You won’t know “who done it” until the very end.

2020, Abandoned child, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Acceptable Trash, Action sequences, Addiction, Adopted child, Aliens from outer space, Anti-Immigration, Bisexual theme, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Cooking and food, Corny, Dancing, Drugs, Father-daughter relations, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gay theme, Government cover-up, Government medical experiment, Immigrants, Incomplete ending, Latino Culture, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Love Triangle, Melodrama, Mental Illness, Mildly Suspenseful, Mildly Violent, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nice Aliens, Occasionaly violent, Racial Prejudice, Romance, Sci-Fi, Sister-sister relations, Strange Ending, Unusual ending

Roswell (2020)

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From IMDB:

Centers on a town where aliens with unearthly abilities live undercover among humans. But when a violent attack points to a greater alien presence, the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose them.

From Netflix;

A decade after the death of her sister, Liz reluctantly returns to her small hometown and reconnects with her teenage crush Max.

From Netflix you can stream 2 seasons of this sci-fi soap opera. Each season consists of 13 episodes, each episode usually lasting exactly 42 minutes (think of the film cutting involved!)

Ignore the seemingly serious thumb print summaries above. Nothing about this pseudo sci-fi love fest should be taken seriously. Rather the point is to just relax and enjoy the corny and acceptable trash.

As far as the virtually unknown actors let us briefly note that Nathan Parsons (who plays Max Evans) is Australian and that Jeanine Mason (who plays Liz Ortecho)  won Season 5 of FOX’s “So You Think You Can Dance” and earned the title of America’s Favorite Dancer. So much for fame!

If there is anything serious about this fun time-waster, it is the theme of the problems faced by illegal immigrants. In this respect the story is often political. Border agents are painted as racist bullies.  And there there are the fairly common difficulties of drug addiction.  Finally let us not overlook the prominent gay theme.

Because season 2 ends so abruptly,  the series demands another season.

I LOVE TRASH!

2017, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acceptable Trash, Action Hero, Action sequences, B-movie, Binge worthy, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Bromance, Brother-Brother relations, Chase film, Complicated, Contract Killing, Corruption, Cover-up, Death penalty debate, Detective, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Happy ending, Improbable details, Invincible Hero, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Murder, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Torture, Violent

Somewhere Between (2017)

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From IMDB:

A local news producer is given one chance to relive a deadly week and stop a serial killer. If she fails, she’ll lose her daughter forever.

From Netflix:

While investigating a serial killer, strange coincidences begin to pile up around news producer Laura. Suddenly, her daughter disappears.

From Netflix you can stream 8 episodes of this TV thriller. Each episode lasts about 43 minutes.

Give this production B or, if you are feeling generous, B+.  Why the negativity on my part?  Don’t misunderstand me, I binged from one suspenseful episode to the next. But in order to let the good guys win and the bad guys lose, this plot will supply as many implausible or impossible details as it takes to succeed.  As an example,  in one comical device that is used several times, our heroes are submerged in water and can hold their breath for practically an entire episode. Perhaps I exaggerate, but you get the idea.

If any of the actors managed to steal the show, it was the 8 year old Serena (played to smart aleck perfection by Aria Birch) who plays the daughter of the news producer Laura Price.

At least a whole raft of unknown actors got a chance to perform.

Rest assured, after watching all the bad guys come to their well earned demise,  you can enjoy a happy sappy ending.

2010, Abduction, Action sequences, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corrupt Prison Guards, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Fist Fight, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Outrageous Behavior, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Unusual, Violent

Sherlock (2010)

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From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of Sherlock Holmes stories. Seasons 1,2, and 4 have 3 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 88 or 89 minutes.

Because there have been so many presentations involving the famous British detective, let’s be clear: In this series four of the many actors are:

Adjectives that describe this particularly imaginative adaptation are: eccentric, exaggerated, implausible, sometimes repellent.

Much of the time Sherlock indulges himself by  showing off his brilliant deductive genius.  At other times he is busy confusing his poor companion  Dr. Watson.  When he is bored he uses cocaine.

Toward the end of the seasons, especially in season 4, the plot devices are just plain over the top and unbelievable.  Also there is a lot of sadistic cruelty on the part of the last villainess, which repelled me.

If nothing else, these episodes are certainly not dull. Hang on tight!

2019, Acceptable for teenagers, Bad Acting, Barely Acceptable Trash, Beautiful Seaside Town, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Career Competition, Chick Flick, Child Molestation, Contract Killing, Contract Maiming, Corny, Corruption, Dancing, Detective, Drama, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Ethical struggles, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Fist Fight, Frame someone for a crime, Friendship, Gangs, Gay Bashing, Gay theme, Improbable details, Latino Culture, Love Story, Male Prostitutes, Mediocre, Melodrama, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Motorcycles, Murder, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Plot twists, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Police Politics, Rape, Revenge, Ridiculous plot, Soap Opera, Sometimes seems silly, Somewhat trashy, Spanish, Telenovela, Uncle-Nephew relations, Unjust crime conviction, Various Romances, Violent

Toy Boy (2019)

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From Netflix:

A stripper sets out to prove his innocence for a crime he didn’t commit and was unjustly incarcerated for seven years earlier.

From Netflix you can stream the 13 episodes (each episode about 70 minutes) of this Spanish telenovela.  Many spoken languages and caption languages are available.

Spanish telenovelas inhabit a world of their own.  Chief among their attributes are “corny”, “amateurish”,  and “sometimes really stupid.” So why on earth did I watch this unintentionally laughable marathon? Netflix seemed to promote this series, so I started. Injustice and villains always get me going.  Because I have to see justice done I just keep plodding along to the end.

Before you waste your time let me list some of the “features” of this charmer:

  •  You might enjoy listening to the original Spanish (as in Spain, not Latin America) sound track. You might want Spanish captions. At the very least it could possibly be a learning experience although there are better options.
  •  Each tension point is almost immediately resolved so you don’t have to get all worked up.  Sometimes those immediate solutions seem far fetched or just too convenient.
  • Recall that telenovelas for all their involvement with sex are really very chaste.   Certainly the endless number of male stripper dance sequences are as innocent as they are boring.
  •  Warning: From the very last scene, it is obvious that there will probably be another season or even 100 more seasons. Possibilities are endless.

You can do much better, but in a certain sense the whole production is a hoot!

2015, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, Complicated, Dark, Divorce, Emotional child abuse, Failing Marriage, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Narcissistic Personality, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Tragedy, Unloved Child, Wonderful acting

Elephant Song (2015)

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From Amazon Prime:

When a psychiatrist goes mysteriously missing from a hospital that has recently been plagued by scandal, Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is called in to investigate before the news goes public.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 39 minute film.

Bruce Greenwood  (who played Batman in Batman: Gotham by Gaslight) plays the psychiatrist who is unwittingly drawn deep into the disturbed life of the young man Michael Aleen.  Catherine Keener plays the nurse Susan Peterson.

Think of this film as a complicated mystery story. What is really going on? Michael plays so many mind games with Dr. Greene that we often take wrong turns in the puzzle.

Superb acting, clever plot, and surprise turns make this one very worthwhile adventure.  Even now I hope I understood the story.

DO NOT MISS!

2017, Acorn TV, Based on a Book, Based on true facts, Bicycles, Biographical, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Family Conflict, Father-son relations, Mental Illness, Mother-son relations, Psychiatrists, Punjab Culture, Race Relations, Romance, Schizophrenia, Small gem of a film

The Boy With The Topknot (2017)

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From IMDB:

One-off drama based on the critically acclaimed memoirs of British journalist Sathnam Sanghera. A touching, humorous and emotional rites-of-passage story.

From  Acorn TV:

Based on a critically acclaimed memoir, this BBC drama is the touching and humorous story of Sathnam (Sacha Dhawan, Iron Fist), a second-generation Indian raised in Britain, who struggles to reconcile his traditional upbringing with his multicultural modern life. “Soul-searching and impeccably acted” (The Telegraph), it also stars Joanna Vanderham (The Paradise) and Deepti Naval (Lion).

From Acorn TV you can stream this 87 minute complete film.

Without giving anything away, the underlying motivation for the story is that Sathnam wants to marry a white girl outside his Punjabi culture and is afraid to tell his mother. Years ago he left his family to work in the white world of London journalism. When he returns to his family (in another part of London) he makes many discoveries about his family of which he was blithely unaware starting with the fact that his father is schizophrenic.

Call this film a “rare find” or small “gem of a film”. In any case,

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Acorn TV, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Based on true facts, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Child abuse, Cold Cases, Depression, Detective, Emotional child abuse, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Government cover-up, Mental Illness, Mildly Violent, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Physical child abuse, Police Politics, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish Detective, Underdogs win

The Truth Will Out (2018)

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From IMDB:

After a long sick leave and recovery police detective Peter Wendel is back on duty. He is commissioned to form a new team to reopen unresolved murder cases, however he soon finds himself with a rather third rank and conflicting staff. Soon they are in the center of a new case. An unknown murderer claims that Sweden’s most infamous murderer is a fraud – that he never committed the murders he’s jailed for. High reaching implications are to be exposed, involving even the Swedish government.

From Acorn TV:

Detective Peter Wendel wants to create an elite team of investigators to crack cold cases. When the police receive a tip that Sweden’s most notorious serial killer is a fraud, and therefore eight killers might have gone free, Wendel gets his chance–but only the dregs of the force are available to work the case. Can his lowly group solve these high-profile crimes? Swedish with English subtitles.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 8 episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts about 43 minutes. Swedish with English subtitles. Formerly Acorn TV advertised itself as “All Things British” but evidently their intent has changed.

Plaguing Peter Wendel throughout the episodes is the sorrow over his brother’s suicide. Because he refuses to accept the verdict of suicide he becomes so mentally ill and a bit violent and must be hospitalized. Now that he is released from care he faces the prejudice that he cannot do his job properly which only makes his job proving that the Minister of Justice erred in pronouncing a man guilty of serial killings.

His ragtag trio of helpers turn out to be diamonds in the rough, especially the older woman “administrator” who shows herself to be clever, very observant, and even capable of head butting.

What compelled me to binge watch was the injustice of the cover-up by the upper echelons and the efforts of a detected named Temo to discredit and remove Peter Wendel.

Because the pace is quite S L O W,  you might easily be tempted to stop watching after the first episode. Stick with the well crafted plot to see clever vindications.

 

2019, Acorn TV, British, British Mystery Series, Detective, Drug Dealers, Ends in Cliff Hanger, Father-daughter relations, Lesbian Theme, Mental Illness, Mildly Violent, Missing Person, Murder, Murder Investigation, Police Culture, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Uncategorized

London Kills (2019)

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From IMDB:

With the world’s most recognizable city as its backdrop, LONDON KILLS will dramatize the experiences of a team of top murder detectives. Slick, modern and fast moving, the series will be shot like a cutting-edge documentary. Each episode of LONDON KILLS will focus on a different murder following the detectives as they uncover the truth behind the killing but will also have a serial story involving the lead detective’s missing wife.

From Acorn TV:

London’s best detectives take on its worst crimes in this sleek mystery series from the creator of Suspects. DI David Bradford (Hugo Speer, Father Brown) heads an elite murder squad, but the one case he can’t crack is the one closest to him – the disappearance of his wife. Also starring Sharon Small (The Inspector Lynley Mysteries), Bailey Patrick (Bodyguard), and Tori Allen-Martin (Unforgotten).

JULY 2019 ADDENDUM:

From Acorn TV you can now stream both season one and season two.  Season two also consists of 5 episodes. Finally in season two we learn what happened to Bradford’s wife and what he has been hiding from his team. Nonetheless, season two leaves enough unsolved threads so that there could be a season three.

ORIGINAL REVIEW:

From Acorn TV you can stream the first season on this detective series. Each of the 5 episodes last about 45 minutes.  Although the 5 episodes of the first season bring an investigation to a close, throughout all the seasons there is the continuing mystery of what happened to DI Bradford’s wife. In addition the investigation in the first season is closely related to that disappearance.

As far as detective series go, this one is on a par with most and offers some genuine suspense and character portrayal. Season one’s villain is effectively creepy.

Not bad!

 

2018, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Adopted child, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Antique Cars, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Clever Plot, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Emotional child abuse, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Illegitimate Child, Jealousy, Marital Infidelity, Mental Illness, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Revenge, Romance, Sex with underage girls, Sister-sister relations, Soap Opera, Stepchild, Unmarried mother

Ordeal by Innocence (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

When wealthy philanthropist, Rachel Argyll, is murdered at her family estate, her adopted son Jack is arrested for her murder. He vehemently protests his guilt and eighteen months later, the identity of the murder is thrown in doubt. Now it is up to the rest of the family to decipher a killer amongst them.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 3 episodes of this complete story. Each episode lasts about one hour.

Only at times did the drama seemed to drag a bit. But the plot and the characters are so well developed that we could not resist bingeing.  Have fun trying to spot the killer in this unhappy family in which the 5 children (all adopted) have all been mistreated by Rachel, their witch of a mother.

Several of the British actors may be familiar to you. Rachel, the murdered victim, is played by Anna Chancellor. Her husband Leo is played by  Bill Nighy.  Philip Durrant, the bitter son-in-law is played by Matthew Goode.

Included in the plot are one of the best pieces of revenge I have seen in a film.

For what it is worth, in the United States only Virginia prohibits the marriage of step-siblings.

If you are a fan of mystery soap operas, DO NOT MISS!