Category: Thriller

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After the release of Bone Tomahawk in 2015, S. Craig Zahler was starting to receive a lot of attention. His cannibal western received positive reviews from critics and was nominated for various industry awards despite its limited release. Zahler followed that up with the neo-noir crime thriller Brawl in Cell Block 99 released in 2017. Starring Vince Vaughn as a man double-crossed and put in prison, the film received similarly positive reviews from critics. It completely changed the way people saw Vaughn as an actor and showed that he was capable of much more. Around the same time, Vaughn had a role in Mel Gibson’s 2016 WWII film, Hacksaw Ridge, which received high acclaim. While working on that film, Vaughn told Gibson about a new project Zahler wanted to do and Gibson signed on. That project went on to become Zahler’s 2019 crime thriller, Dragged Across Concrete.

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Officers Brett Ridgeman (Mel Gibson) and Anthony Lurasetti (Vince Vaughn) have recently been suspended after a news leak. Their superior, Lt. Calvert (Don Johnson) suspends them for six months as the news labels them as racist and unfair. Having been on the force for over 20 years, Ridgeman feels that he’s entitled to more for his hard work. Through an old contact named Frederic (Udo Kier), he learns of a massive score and invites Lurasetti to tag along. While Bridgeman has a daughter being hassled and his wife has MS, Lurasetti has reservations given his situation. Meanwhile, recently released ex-con Henry Johns (Tory Kittles) is invited by his friend Biscuit (Michael Jai White) for a job. The two are being hired by Lorentz Vogelmann (Thomas Kretschmann) to be getaway drivers for a bank robbery coming up. Both groups eventually collide and all hell breaks loose in a fight for survival.

After seeing Bone Tomahawk and Brawl in Cell Block 99, I was excited to see what Zahler would do next. Having seen this, while this is easily his weakest film to date, this is still a fantastic crime thriller. First thing to mention is the cast, all of whom do a phenomenal job, even if some aren’t given much. Gibson and Vaughn are fantastic together as two morally-conflicted cops who have good intentions despite their actions. Tory Kittles similarly does a great job, and his scenes with Michael Jai White are engaging and even funny. Jennifer Carpenter, previously in Brawl, has a small but memorable role as an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire. While Johnson and Kier only have one scene, it’s still a pleasure to see them given their legendary status. There’s some pretty intense scenes and the storyline is suspenseful and engaging all throughout.

Unfortunately, what makes this film not work as well is the runtime, which is over two and a half hours long. Apparently, the studio wanted to cut the film down to 130 minutes, but Zahler insisted on his 158 minute cut. While I stand behind a director releasing their preferred version, I think some trimming would’ve greatly improved this film. There are several scenes that feel like padding and the pacing tends to drag at times, almost halting the film. Also, while scenes like Jennifer Carpenter’s offer a unique perspective on the situation, it feels somewhat pointless given what happens. Even with that said, this still has the trademark grit and grime that were part of Zahler’s other films. If you enjoyed his previous films, you would definitely enjoy this film, though be prepared for a long runtime. Overall, Dragged Across Concrete is a fantastic if somewhat drawn-out crime thriller.

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If there’s a fear that’s universal, it’s the fear of someone breaking into your home while you’re all alone. Even the toughest people can still be frightening by the thought of having their home invaded by some terrible people. Over the years, there have been numerous movies involving ordinary people having their homes broken into and trying to survive. Some notable examples include 1965’s Wait Until Dark, 1971’s Straw Dogs, and even 1968’s Night of the Living Dead. Whether it’s a serial killer, angry villagers, or zombies, it’s scary to think of what you’d do in that situation. Given how universal the fear is, we tend to see at least one home invasion movie released every few years. In this case, we have writer David Loughery (Lakeview Terrace) and director (Meet the Blacks) Deon Taylor up to bat. Together, they’ve brought us the latest home invasion thriller, The Intruder.

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A young married couple, Scott and Annie Howard (Michael Ealy and Meagan Good) want to buy their dream home. It’s a quaint little lodge located in Napa Valley that’s very rustic and has a nice feel to it. They meet the owner, Charlie Peck (Dennis Quaid), who’s more than eager to sell them the house and befriends them. However, Charlie has an odd fixation with the house, namely with the way it’s treated and wanting to maintain it. Even after selling the house, Charlie keeps dropping by to mow the lawn, do various chores, and see the house. While Annie seems more understanding, Scott is more hesitant and insists that Charlie not tread on their property. Before too long, Charlie starts taking an interest to Annie, and we soon learn just what Charlie’s deal is. Soon, Scott has to man up and protect his home and wife from Charlie.

Going into this, I didn’t necessarily have low expectations, but I wasn’t expecting some great new groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece. Honestly, what I ended up getting was a fairly by-the-numbers and predictable home invasion thriller that has nothing to it. Even if you haven’t seen tons of home invasion movies, you can pretty much guess where the plot is going. The couple gets a new house, the owner is charming but off, things start getting weird, you know the rest. Deon Taylor’s direction isn’t terrible, as there are some decent shots here and there, but there’s nothing special about it. The weakest aspect is the writing, as David Loughery’s script feels cobbled together from other, better home invasion movies. It doesn’t help that the rap soundtrack tends to make the tone really confusing, right from the opening sequence. There’s also tons of cheap jump scares you’ll see coming a mile away.

Honestly, this movie would be pretty forgettable, except for one thing that makes it mildly entertaining, but only slightly. While most of the acting is just average, Dennis Quaid’s performance almost makes the movie worth it. He goes from being charming and likeable, to being absolutely insane and even terrifying in several sequences. Quaid is giving a much better performance than this movie truly deserves, and I think that’s what’s most disappointing. It almost reminds me of Nicolas Cage’s performance in Deadfall, another equally forgettable movie, save for his wild performance. Granted, this movie is at least better made than Deadfall, as this one at least has Quaid all throughout. Frankly, Quaid’s scenes are gold, but the scenes he’s not in are pretty dull and don’t offer much. There’s some drama between Scott and Annie’s marriage, but that’s quickly dropped. Overall, The Intruder is pretty forgettable save for Dennis Quaid.

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After the critical and commercial success of Unbreakable, rumors of a sequel started to emerge. However, despite Willis, Jackson, and Shyamalan being onboard, the studio opted not to move forward. While working on that film, Shyamalan had created a character known as “The Beast” that was scrapped for balancing issues. Eventually, Shyamalan incorporated the character into the 2017 thriller Split, naming him Kevin Wendell Crumb. Because he wanted the two movies to link, Shyamalan added Willis’ David Dunn character at the end. This eventually led to Shyamalan deciding to make this into a trilogy, assuming that Split would succeed. Thankfully, the film was such a hit that Shyamalan was able to move forward with his third entry. However, with Disney owning the rights to Unbreakable, an agreement was made for them to work alongside Universal. So, after much anticipation, 2019 brings us Shymalan’s third installment, Glass.

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The film takes place 19 years after the events of Unbreakable and three weeks after the events of Split. David Dunn (Bruce Willis) runs a security store by day, and stops crime as “The Overseer” by night. With the help of his son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), Dunn is tracking down Kevin, aka “The Horde”, (James McAvoy). After freeing some high school cheerleaders Kevin kidnapped, the two fight it outside until being stopped by authorities. They’re placed in a mental institution where they meet Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson), who believes they’re suffering from psychosis. At the same institute is Elijah “Mr. Glass” Prince (Samuel L. Jackson), who has been catatonic for years. Dr. Staple tries to convince the three that they don’t have superpowers, but are suffering from delusions of grandeur. But soon, Glass starts planning his escape with help from The Beast and David has to stop them.

First off, let me discuss the things about the movie that I did enjoy, as there’s a lot to like. For one, the acting in the movie is quite strong overall, not a single one falling flat. Like in Split, McAvoy still gives a stellar performance with his multiple personalities, each one distinguishable from another. Jackson, when he actually has something to do, does a good job as Elijah and still comes across as intimidating. Bruce Willis, who’s lately been sleepwalking through his roles, seems to actually care here and delivers a good performance. Sarah Paulson does a good job as she usually does, but her dialogue scenes tend to drag on and on. Also, in addition to Spencer Treat Clark, both Charlayne Woodard and Anya Taylor-Joy return and have some good moments. In addition to the acting, the action sequences are well-choreographed and exciting to watch.

Unfortunately, while Shyamalan clearly tried since he had wanted to do this movie for years, the movie kinda falls flat. At times, the movie seems to not know if it’s a sequel to Unbreakable or to Split. It almost comes across like Shyamalan couldn’t figure out how to combine the two movies together and make it work. Also, while the first act is pretty solid, things start to drag in the second act, almost to a halt. It does start to pick up in the third act, but the ending leaves a lot to be desired. Without going into spoilers, I’m very conflicted about the ending, in that it’s interesting but it’s also kind of upsetting. While it does set up some interesting ideas, it also comes across as a bit of an insult. So overall, Glass has some good elements, but falls flat as the end of a trilogy.

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With the back-to-back releases of The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, M. Night Shyamalan became a household name. Many critics lauded him as one of the best directors at the time, even comparing him to Spielberg and Hitchcock. In 2003, Shyamalan released the sci-fi film Signs, which was another critical and commercial success for Shyamalan. But then, things changed with 2004’s The Village, which was very polarizing despite being a financial hit. After this began a dark period where Shyamalan’s movies got worse and worse, many now debating his filmmaking skills. Between 2005 and 2013, he released Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, and After Earth. However, when hope seemed lost, he came back swinging 2015’s The Visit, which surprised many with how great it was. After that film’s success came Shyamalan’s next surprise hit, 2017’s Split, a psychological thriller about man with 23 different personalities.

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After attending a party, teens Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are kidnapped. When they wake up, they find that they’ve been kidnapped by a man calling himself Dennis (James McAvoy). While trying to come up with an escape plan, they’re greeted by the same guy now dressed as a woman. Turns out the man’s real name is Kevin, and he’s suffering from dissociative identity disorder, having 23 distinct personalities. Aside from the kidnapped girls, we also meet Kevin’s psychologist Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley), who specializes in Kevin’s condition. We get to meet several of Kevin’s personalities, including 9-year-old Hedwig, who ends up befriending Casey, thinking her a girlfriend. However, these personalities talk about a 24th personality simply known as The Beast, who the girls will be sacrificed to. It’s a race against time as the girls try to outsmart Kevin and escape.

While most teen girls in these movies are usually insufferable, they’re all three-dimensional characters that you root for. Anya Taylor-Joy is easily the strongest of the three, which isn’t to say the other two are terrible. When the movie makes Casey the main heroine, she really gives it her all and delivers a solid performance. Betty Buckley, who was also in The Happening, is another highlight in the cast, clearly believing she can help Kevin. Of course, the one who ultimately steals the show is James McAvoy, who makes the price of admission worthwhile. Given the role, this could’ve gone horribly wrong if given to a lesser actor, but McAvoy really sells it. He honestly makes you believe when he goes between different personalities as he doesn’t play any of them the same. He runs the gambit between being funny, sympathetic, intimidating, and terrifying.

Shymalan’s direction is on-point and the cinematography from relative newcomer Michael Gioulakis perfectly sets a very eery presence. While the score isn’t as great as that of regular collaborator James Newton Howard, West Dylan Thordson’s score still works. Like many of his past films, Shyamalan does have a cameo, but it’s not as intrusive as it could’ve been. Of course, this being a film about a mental disorder, it isn’t the most accurate representation of DID. But, so long as the movie does its job well and it isn’t insulting to the disorder, it’s all good. Also, as is common with many Shyamalan, there is a slight twist towards the end that I won’t spoil here. Between this and The Visit, it seems that Shyamalan has learned from his mistakes and really made a comeback. Split isn’t the most original thriller, but it’s still engaging thanks to James McAvoy’s performance.

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Not to be confused with the famous leading man of the 60s, Steve McQueen has been gaining a great reputation. He first became interested in film while attending Goldsmiths College at the University of London while studying art and design. His first film was a short in 1993 called Bear, which was shown at the Royal Art College in London. From then to 2007, McQueen mostly did short films until 2008, when he made his first feature film, Hunger. While not a huge hit commercially, it was very well-received by critics, and McQueen won the Caméra d’Or at Cannes. McQueen followed that with 2011’s Shame, which got a limited release for its NC-17 rating, and was also well-received. Then, in 2013, he made 12 Years a Slave, which was both a major critical and financial hit. Now, after a 5-year hiatus, McQueen returns with the heist-thriller, Widows.

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A group of thieves, led by Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), gets gunned down after a robbery gone wrong. Turns out Harry and his crew stole $2 million from crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyree Henry) and he’s upset. He starts threatening Rawling’s widow Veronica (Viola Davis) to deliver the money within two weeks or things will get worse. She soon finds Harry’s notebook, which details each of his heists, including plans for what would’ve been his next heist. With this in hand, she recruits the widows of the other heist members, Linda (Michelle Rodriguez) and Alice (Elizabeth Debicki). At the same time, Jamal is running for aldermen against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), whose family have historically always won. As the widows continue planning their heist, several twists and turns occur that shake up their plans. Will they pull off the heist or will they get more than they bargained for?

On the surface, many would say this is very similar to Ocean’s 8 released earlier in 2018. But while that was a female counterpart to the Ocean’s 11 films, this feels like the female cast is incidental. This honestly feels like it would’ve more or less been the same no matter who was cast, male or female. For me, this is the right way to cast this film, focusing less on gender and more on talent. Speaking of, every single cast member brings their A-game here, all giving Oscar-worthy performances that will stick with you. Viola Davis is phenomenal in the lead role, and Michelle Rodriguez and Elizabeth Debicki work great alongside her. Brian Tyree Henry is effectively threatening and intimidating, and Daniel Kaluuya is just as menacing even if slightly over-the-top. Performance-wise, there really are no false notes and any one of them deserves tons of critical acclaim.

Given McQueen’s work on his last film 12 Years A Slave, he’s effectively shown he can do really gritty material. Here, not only is the grit on display, but he shows that he can also effectively do intense action. There’s a car chase/shootout with the police early on that’s on par with a similar scene from Robocop. Granted, this isn’t necessarily a nonstop action thrill ride, but the few action scenes here are done amazingly well. Of course, it helps that we care about the characters and want to see them make it out alive. At its heart, this is a film about women who’ve lost their loved ones trying to take their lives back. Sure, it may seem like a product of the #MeToo movement, but that shouldn’t detract from this movie’s high quality. Overall, Widows is an effective thriller and character drama, and one of 2018’s best.

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Paul Feig is a filmmaker that has certainly had an interesting career, both behind and in front of the camera. Feig first got his start in small roles in TV and movies, most notably the cult comedy Heavyweights. However, Feig truly took off with the cult TV series Freaks and Geeks, which has since found critical praise. He made his directorial debut with 2003’s I Am David, followed by 2006’s Unaccompanied Minors, neither of which were hits. But then, he directed 2011’s Bridesmaids, which was not only financially successful, but it even received two Oscar nominations. This led to him collaborating with Melissa McCarthy with 2013’s The Heat, 2015’s Spy, and the controversial 2016 Ghostbusters remake. After that film’s critical and financial failure, Feig returns with a somewhat smaller film. That film, based on the novel of the same name, is the newly released thriller, A Simple Favor.

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Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is a stay-at-home mom who runs her own vlog series where she shares recipes and advice. Things are relatively normal for her until she meets Emily Nelson (Blake Lively), who’s almost the polar opposite of Stephanie. The two become best friends, sharing some of their deepest secrets and talking about their frustrations. as they’re sipping martinis. One day, Stephanie gets a call from Emily, where she’s asked to watch Emily’s son while she’s gone on business. Days pass without a word from Emily, and both her husband Sean Townsend (Henry Golding) and Stephanie fear the worst. Stephanie starts sharing the details about Emily’s disappearance on her vlog, which unexpectedly gets her more attention and support. Eventually, Stephanie starts learning that all is not as it seems, prompting her to investigate further. What follows are several twists and turns as Stephanie goes further down the rabbit hole.

Going into this, I had somewhat mixed expectations given that I really didn’t like the Ghostbusters remake. However, once I saw the critical buzz it was getting, I was more than a little intrigued. Having seen it, I can really see why this film is getting so much acclaim, as it’s a well-crafted thriller. From the opening credits, the movie has the stylings of a 50s/60s thriller with the music and color scheme. The style definitely carries throughout, evoking Hitchcock thrillers like North by Northwest and Rear Window, mixing suspense with comedy. While nowhere near as good as those, this film does balance both genres well without it feeling like tonal whiplash. What also helps the film is the strength of its cast, especially leads Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively. They work off each other really well and do a great job in their roles.

I will say that while I was engaged throughout and able to follow along, some might be a bit lost. This is a film that rewards its viewers for paying attention to details and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Admittedly, some of the plot twists are pretty easy to see coming, especially if you’re familiar with the tropes. Also, the plot can be somewhat convoluted and there are some elements that don’t seem to go together. Even still, this is a fun and suspenseful ride that will leave you guessing throughout and leave you on edge. This certainly has made me think differently of Paul Feig, and I’m curious to see what comes next. With great performances, a stylish look, and a captivating story, A Simple Favor is both suspenseful and fun to watch.

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Born on July 19, 1860, Lizzie Borden was a simple girl living in Massachusetts with her father, stepmother, and sister. The family was well off, thanks to Andrew Borden (Lizzie’s father) having success in real estate and manufacturing. However, the relationship between the daughters and Abby Borden (their stepmother) were tenuous at best, believing her intentions were impure. Lizzie and Emma believed that Abby’s family was after the family fortune, so they worked to protect their father’s properties. Then, on August 4, 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were found murdered, having been mutilated by a hatchet. Lizzie was indicted for the murders in December 1892, and was brought to trial in June the following year. However, without a conclusive testimony from witnesses or substantial evidence, Lizzie was acquitted on June 20, 1893. Over the next century, many adaptations of these events were made, including a 2018 movie simply called Lizzie.

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Taking place six months before the murders, the film focuses on Lizzie Borden (Chloë Sevigny), a social outcast and recluse. She lives with her father Andrew (Jamey Sheridan), her stepmother Abby (Fiona Shaw), and her sister Emma (Kim Dickens). One day, a young Irish woman named Bridget (Kristen Stewart) comes to the Borden house wanting a housemaid job. As time goes on, we see the relationships in the Borden family start to deteriorate. Lizzie is a recluse who finds solace in her pet pigeons, but is constantly arguing with her father. Eventually, Lizzie and Bridget start becoming close, leading to a relationship that the father objects to. At the same time, Lizzie’s Uncle John (Denis O’Hare) is clearly after her father’s money despite her stepmother’s objections. The abuse Lizzie is subjected to, combined with Bridget being sexually abused by Andrew Borden, ultimately culminates in the murders.

Of course, there’s more to the plot than what I went over, but I don’t want to spoil everything. At around an hour and 45 minutes, this movie is packed with tons of plot points. That being said, the first 20-30 minutes of the movie can be pretty slow and drag for a while. However, just as the movie has you in a lull, it hits you over the head and gets you hooked. Even knowing the full story and how it ends, it’s still an intriguing story seeing what led to the murders. From my understanding, the movie does follow the historical events fairly accurately, but I’m sure they changed some elements. Some will certainly be upset if this movie isn’t 100% accurate, but regardless, this film is still a good watch. Given the society we live in currently, this movie definitely appeals to the #MeToo movement.

What really makes this movie work is its stellar cast, especially Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart. Given this was something of a passion project for Sevigny, it shouldn’t come as a surprise her performance is outstanding. At times, she’s sympathetic and afraid, but at other times, she’s very chilling and unfeeling. Stewart also does a good job, playing the more rational one who care for Lizzie, but objects to her actions. Sheridan does a great job at playing a detestable character, and Shaw also delivers as an awful person. Craig William Macneill’s direction is great, effectively capturing the mood and tension one would expect. Bryce Kass’s writing is also spot-on, with some sharp dialogue and great material to flesh the characters out. Overall, Lizzie is a solid character piece of one of history’s most infamous murders and those behind the murders.

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In 2004, Pierre Morel made his directorial debut with the action film District 13, which got some positive attention. However, it was in 2008 when he made probably the biggest movie of his career, the action-thriller Taken. Starring Liam Neeson as a retired CIA agent with a certain set of skills, the movie was a commercial hit. The film helped reinvent Neeson as an action hero, and it spawned two sequels, though without any involvement from Morel. He followed that up with 2010’s From Paris with Love starring John Travolta, then 2015’s The Gunman starring Sean Penn. Unfortunately, unlike Taken, neither film did very well financially and were mostly lambasted by critics. Flash forward to 2018, where Morel returns with a new action thriller starring Jennifer Garner called Peppermint. While not known for action, this is Garner’s first leading action role since 2005’s Elektra, so how does it fare?

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The film stars Garner as Riley North, a typical middle-age soccer mom not unlike ones you’d find at the supermarket. She lives with her mechanic husband Chris (Jeff Hephner) and daughter Carly (Cailey Fleming). While working, Chris gets an offer to be the getaway driver for a guy trying to ripoff a drug dealer. Chris ends up declining, but the head of the cartel Diego Garcia (Juan Pablo Raba) catches wind and takes action. Garcia kills the friend and sends his guys to kill Chris, finding him, Riley, and Carly at a carnival. Chris and Carly are killed while Riley is left critically injured and taken to a hospital. Once recovered, she identifies the guys responsible, but their attorney tries bribing her and the guys end up going free. Riley ends up disappearing for five years as she hones her skills and systematically taking out the guys responsible.

On the surface, this movie sounds pretty basic: person’s attacked, they’re left for dead, get back up and get revenge. Before I get into a lot of what drags this movie down, I’ll get into the positives. Right off the bat, the best thing about this is Jennifer Garner, who clearly put tons of work into this. She definitely gives it her all, and she does have some more dramatic moments to show off her acting abilities. When it comes to the action, it’s mindless and excessive, but it gets the job done and can be entertaining. Also, it seems like the filmmakers were trying to show us how mentally unstable a vigilante is. They don’t do much with it, but I can see what they’re trying to do. Also, it’s got some actors in it that I like, such as John Gallagher Jr. and John Ortiz.

Unfortunately, that’s where my positives with this movie end, as this is a pretty below-average revenge thriller. For starters, it feels like there’s footage missing as there are scenes explained to us that we’re never shown. The characters talk about what Riley’s been doing in the interim five years, but we’re only shown YouTube videos. Also, this movie relies probably too much on social media, especially in scenes where characters say Twitter really likes Riley. On a filmmaking level, the editing is a mess, with tons of shaky cam and choppy quick cuts throughout. There’s also an odd tonal dissonance, like the movie doesn’t know if it wants to be serious or over-the-top. Between the cartoonishly corrupt lawyers and the stereotypically evil cartel members, this should be a fun and ridiculous action film. However, Peppermint is a dreary and derivative film that reminds you of better revenge movies to watch.

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