I had a look at the Korean action thriller The Witch: Part 1 – The Subversion this week, and while this style of story has been done a number of times before this one was done in a solid and entertaining way that kept the plot, the twists, and action beats coming. That being said,…
Tag: thriller
The Equalizer (1988) – Day of the Covenant, and Splinters
McCall (Edward Woodward) and Mickey (Keith Szarabajka) find themselves caught up in a human rights struggle when Scott’s (William Zabka) new girlfriend, Zandili (Kasi Lemmons) may be a political terrorist from South Africa being hunted in New York by mercenaries and South African law enforcement. Day of the Covenant was written by Robert Eisele and…
The Russia House (1990) – Fred Schepisi
Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, and J.T. Walsh star in the cinematic adaptation of John Le Carre’s novel, The Russia House. Written for the screen by Tom Stoppard, the film was the first, big Western film to be shot on location in the Soviet Union. Featuring a gorgeous score by…
The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylod
The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…
The Equalizer (1986) – A Community of Civilized Men, and Joyride
McCall (Edward Woodward) loses a potential romantic partner after resolving her issues at the beginning of A Community of Civilized Men when she’s murdered and McCall has to help her daughter, Valerie (Jennifer Grey) survive and elude a professional agent, and killer. Written by Daniel Pyne and Scott Shepherd this episode was first broadcast on…
Taken 2 (2012) – Olivier Megaton
Liam Neeson returns as Bryan Mills, a man with a specific set of skills, in Taken 2. Picking up shortly after the events of the first film which saw him rescue his daughter, Kim (Maggie Grace) from traffickers, Mills, his ex-wife, Lenore (Famke Janssen), and Kim find themselves targeted by the deceased’s father, Murad (Rade…
The Post (2017) – Steven Spielberg
Spielberg shows us the (much-needed) power of the free press with The Post. Documenting The Washington Post’s involvement in publishing the Pentagon Papers, the film is a captivating newspaper thriller with a top-notch cast. Tom Hanks takes on the role of Ben Bradlee, chief editor of the Post, and Meryl Streep is Kay Graham, the…
Run Lola Run (1998) – Tom Tykwer
Tom Tykwer’s stunning and entertaining thriller Run Lola Run still holds up, and damn if it isn’t a fun watch. The film brought international attention not only to Tykwer but the film’s star, Franke Potente, who, four years later, would appear in the franchise opener, The Bourne Identity alongside Matt Damon. Run Lola Run plays…
Munich (2005) – Steven Spielberg
Spielberg took on the real-world events in 1972 of the Palestinian Black September group’s horrific killing of Israeli Olympic athletes and the resulting action taken by Israeli forces in retribution. Spielberg takes no sides in retelling the event, instead engaging in the human drama at work in the thriller, the effect of the ongoing conflict,…
Prisoners (2013) – Denis Villeneuve
Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal star in the emotional thriller, Prisoners, featuring yet another magnetic turn by director Villeneuve. What starts out terrifyingly enough with the abduction of two little girls turns into something horrific as twists reveal true natures, and narratives slowly shift the viewer’s perspective on what they are seeing. As two families…
The Mind Reels 