Category Archives: Thriller

04.24.24
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Civil War

A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.

Alex Garland is often not one to shy away from dark images as they unfold, but there’s something particular about the violence in Civil War, as if you’re peeking at something you’re not supposed to, only it’s happening in your own yard. Garland seems to have something to say with the “action” here that’s proven itself in reality too much not to struck a chord when it’s depicted way — Americans being just a few disagreements (and arms) away from completely tearing each other apart. What began this second civil war in America is none of our concern, rather the ease at which we’ve turned on the very fabric of democracy. Bloodthirsty militias and anarchists seem too familiar a sight, though we’re following this dystopian war through a group of journalists. Kirsten Dunst gives a powerful performance, as she reveals the most about her character in the quietest of moments. Wagner Moura also gives the film a lot with his charismatic, knowledgeable, and authoritative presence among the protagonists. Cailee Spaeny is notably wonderful as the ambitious younger photographer on the journey who’s horrified responses to what unfolds in front of her are probably how we’d react to, let’s face it. Stephen McKinley Henderson is a fantastic presence as well who adds a lot with his wisdom and charm to each of Garland’s projects that he’s in.

Though Civil War is minimal on exposition as to the larger politics of this war — rather we get an idea of the state of the nation through smaller moments and remarks — the action is incredibly harrowing and graphic. The sounds of gunfire and combat roar through the speakers, and blood is a “loud” reality and consequence. It all plays out without the “cool” sort of filter many Hollywood action movies have, rather it’s an unfolding of sheer chaos and carnage through intentionally amassed manpower, in the way that Children of Men and Sicario throw you into uncontained, senseless warfare. Best of all, the climactic battle at the center of the third act is exhilarating and ends in the most Alex Garland rug-pulling way possible for a film with this subject matter. Fans of Garland’s daring and mature work be interested in the punch he packs here, but for anyone who’s simply looking for an action film — this one’s singular and profound but does not hold back, and when it’s untamed, it’s at its most engrossing.

11.25.23
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Saltburn

Oliver, a student at Oxford University, finds himself drawn into the world of charming and aristocratic classmate Felix, who invites him to his eccentric family’s sprawling estate for the summer, where lust, infatuation, and envy ensue.

Emerald Fennell’s new film may not be as socially relevant as Promising Young Woman, but it’s even more daring as it presents a world in which everything is just a little crazier than our own. The world of Saltburn is drenched in beautiful colors thanks to the remarkable cinematography, and Barry Keoghan gives a psychopathic performance — not his first of the sort, but it feels like everything his acting career has built up to. The production design subtly symbolizes Oliver’s journey in the film into becoming something he’s not, but soon you may believe he’s really shedding his skin and showing his true self. Jacob Elordi gives a charismatic performance that dominates the screen just as his character Felix is made to feel like he owns every room he enters. The chemistry between the two men treads the line between friendship, adoration, and unhealthy obsession. Rosamund Pike also gives a highlight performance as Felix’s mother, who’s caring yet eccentric and even stuck-up, and Archie Madekwe and Richard E. Grant round out the rest of this great cast.

Fennell has created a truly unique experience here that never quite tells you if it’s a college party film, a social satire, a psychosexual thriller, or something completely new. The depths Keoghan’s character goes to and the twists and turns you’ll embark on in this fever dream won’t be for everyone, but those who will welcome a film that surprises you, gets under your skin, and makes you not want to look away, Saltburn delivers on the unexpected fronts in a darkly flashy, twisted, and expertly directed and filmed movie.

09.21.23
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A Haunting in Venice

Hercule Poirot attends a seance at the suggestion of his friend, mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver, who wants to expose a medium as a fraud, but a murder occurs and Poirot must get to the bottom of what seems to be an impossible deadly truth.

Though Kenneth Branagh has seemed to find a formula that works in his slew of Agatha Christie-based films in which he directs himself as the iconic detective, he also wisely ditches the CGI-heavy look of the last two films for a more intimate setting within a darkly lit Venice palazzo one stormy Halloween night in 1947. Though the cast has more weak links this time, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Jude Hill, Michelle Yeoh and others deliver interesting performances, with Tina Fey being as cocky and entertaining as you’d expect her to be as a writer in the 1940s who’s friends with the Hercule Poirot. It embraces some of the visual and tonal aspects of gothic horror but cleverly doesn’t fully indulge in the genre and remains a solid Whodunit murder mystery, although the pacing still has its slow moments. As I said before, the less “obnoxious” or massively cinematic style helps it better establish a darker mood and a murder mystery that feels contained and believable, and delving just enough into the concept of spirits to feel unique compared to the last two, without throwing too many supernatural elements at you. In other words, it’s another delightful Poirot mystery that never quite surpasses the description of satisfactory, but still fun enough for a watch.

02.08.23
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Knock at the Cabin

Eric, Andrew, and their daughter Wen are vacationing in a remote cabin in the woods when four strangers arrive, requesting an unimaginable ultimatum — sacrifice one of their own or the world will end.

M. Night Shyamalan’s dark and stylish filmmaking make this one another win, and his best since Split. The inventive cinematography knows exactly how to make you anxious about what’s about to happen and when or when not to show what matters most, and his unpredictable style keeps this one-location movie exciting and unnerving. The atmosphere makes you attached to the main family within moments but questioning whether anyone here is truly a bad guy. Dave Bautista delivers his best on-screen work as a man who’s empathetic and understanding but also bringing forth a horrific choice for the protagonists to make, though all the “antagonists” show humanity and remorse, besides Rupert Grint’s character who feels the most like a caricature. Jonathan Groff and Ben Aldridge deliver exceptional performances having to endure panic, pain and disbelief while counting on each other’s love to make it through the situation. The tension escalates in jaw-dropping ways that’ll have you questioning the sides and genuinely fearing for the characters. Shyamalan gets rid of the unintentional humor or ludicrous plot turns of Old for a thriller that shows the character’s emotions and behavior much more realistically and makes a contained but chilling film that teeters between the line of humanity and insanity. A strong watch for fans of the horror and thriller genres that’s as emotionally gripping as it is edge-of-your-seat level intense.

11.23.22
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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Famed detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece, where tech billionaire Miles Bron has invited his friends for a getaway on his private island, but Blanc soon finds himself in the midst of another murder mystery he must solve.

After turning one of the most beloved films of the last few years into a whodunit franchise, Rian Johnson has delivered the rare movie that not only surpasses the original but elevates it and its entire genre. He also proves himself as a modern auteur, completely in control of his creative field and having built credibility and excitement based on his name alone. After reinventing the wheel when it comes to murder mysteries with Knives Out, he decides to reinvent the reinvention, with plot twists and dramatic irony where you’d least expect it — all without becoming unbelievable, overwhelming, or twisty for the sake of it. But credit must also be awarded to Daniel Craig, who, over these two films, has created a new fan favorite character who’s an absolute joy to have on screen, whether he’s actively solving the mystery or simply commenting on the absurdities he observes throughout the film. Speaking of which, is it possible to assemble an ensemble cast as talented and hysterical as in the first film? Well, the cast here rivals that in the original film and every performance is effortless. Janelle Monae proves herself a superstar in a performance too good to spoil, not to mention an extravagant performance from Kate Hudson as a celebrity model/influencer. Edward Norton does a great job as Bron, who’s a spoof of the eccentric billionaires we see today who can’t seem to stop feeding their egos and wallets such as Zuckerberg and Musk. But there really isn’t a weak link in the cast, whether it be Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, or Dave Bautista (the latter of which is absolutely perfect as a parody of today’s “alpha male” YouTubers such as Andrew Tate).

The movie’s themes about the oddities and shadiness of the top 1% and the toxic effects of wealth networks are anything but subtle, but Rian Johnson lets us laugh at some of the characters and the parallels to today’s pop culture, creating commentary that’s as strong as in the last film, but never annoying and best of all, entertaining to reflect on. The humor comes at you from all cast members and angles, whether it be visual, lines, or moments of performance that will make you laugh out loud. The scale expands from a winter-absorbed mansion in the last movie to a gorgeous luxurious island worth billions, while Nathan Johnson’s score is commanding and memorable. Best of all, the mystery keeps you guessing, feeding you information in the order you’d never expect and not letting go of your attention throughout the entire exuberant ride. Rian Johnson’s made a mystery as grand as it is goofy, as spectacular as it as silly, and as nail-bitingly intense as it is even more stylistically satisfying than the first film. Movies like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery are what sequels and the cinematic experience are just right for, especially when the mystery has evolved into a meta high-stakes extravaganza, the cast is at the top of their game, and only a director like this one could’ve done it so right — who will likely shock and please us many more times again.

11.22.22
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The Menu

A couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef (Ralph Fiennes) has prepared a lavish menu for the affluent guests, with some shocking surprises.

The Menu is an original, tense, and hilarious time at the movies with Ralph Fiennes’ best work in years. Fiennes absolutely kills it as a man who’s controlling and intimidating yet vulnerable and easily provoked. Anya Taylor-Joy is commanding as possibly the only character you may find likable, but that’s completely intentional from the end of the script. All the other actors, like Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau, Janet McTeer and John Leguizamo are all integral and sneak up on you with moments that are key to the film’s themes and attitudes. Mark Mylod’s stellar direction alludes to his time on Succession with the themes about the snobby and incredibly rich, caught in their pretentious attitudes that they shove onto everyone. Combined with the suspense and occasional bursts of violence, as well as the lavish production design and structure of the high-end kitchen that parodies itself more and more, this movie has one of the most hysterical screenplays of the year. The style feels modern yet sophisticated, irreverent yet deep, and has something for those looking for an eerie and fresh thriller or a sophisticated dark comedy-drama with something to say about the world of art, as well as artists and critics who take themselves way too damn seriously — which gives it a meta angle that boosts the fun even more, and ultimately makes this one of the year’s best moviegoing experiences.

08.16.22
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Nope

OJ and Emerald Haywood are siblings who own a ranch in a lonely gulch of inland California, where they train and handle horses for movie and TV productions. Soon, they bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. 

To call Jordan Peele a unique filmmaker of our time would be an understatement — he’s blended genres and used them to incorporate thoughtful social commentary into the most mainstream popcorn entertainment, all while giving audiences films that can satisfy, challenge, and entertain. Nope is no different. It’s a science fiction-horror-thriller-comedy with a modern infusion of likable characters and borderline surrealist world-building, and Peele’s filmmaking is at the level of the most respected auteurs like Stanley Kubrick. It’s got moments of shock, laughter, brutality, and terrifying humanity that adds so much astonishment to a film that starts with what could’ve been an overused premise in anyone’s else hands. Daniel Kaluuya has evolved into a modern film star of his generation — though he’s starred in Black Panther and won an Oscar for Judas and the Black Messiah, it was Peele’s debut Get Out that guaranteed his stardom. He’s a master at being funny but showing a character confront with real and inner “demons” in a silent way but always being a fun character too. Keke Palmer has a contagious, bubbly energy and I’m sure the entire cast and crew had plenty of laughs due to her fantastic delivery of her lines that often sneaks up on you in hysterical ways. But she’s also a genuine hero, not to mention Steven Yeun and Brandon Perea who are scene stealers.

Peele’s style always challenges genre, structure, and how the audience expects to react to things. His stylistic energy in Nope invokes eyes staring in awe, jaws dropping, and mouths smiling all at once. Due to this, Nope transcends accessibility for fans of horror, and is a top-notch film for all fans of big-screen spectacle, because it never settles for just being a horror movie. In it’s own way, Nope is a piece of art, that’s not meant to give you easy answers or leave you comfortable. Like Peele’s last movie Us, there’s so much to debunk as the thematic elements often drive the filmmaking in his movies. This one addresses many things, but among it, humanity’s flocking to images chaos and danger, and our obsession with getting as close to death and trauma as we can while wanting to arrogantly cheat the effects they may have on us, should our endeavors to harness danger go wrong. The movie is also a tribute to filmmakers and crew members in positions we don’t often acknowledge, and the achievements of black contributions to cinema that aren’t always celebrated. In a way, Peele uses this movie to celebrate the invention of cinema but also warn about our roles as audience members and monetizers of content that’s both real and adapted from truth. With it, he creates the most daring and awe-inspiring summer blockbuster possible that I’m sure will inspire many to create and challenge the world of films the way he has.

03.05.22
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The Batman

This reboot of one of the most beloved movie characters focuses on a dark, crime-ridden Gotham City. When the Riddler, a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.

Despite already having a magnificent trilogy for the character in the Nolan Dark Knight films, Matt Reeves’ reboot is unpredictable, fascinating, and masterful — even reaching the heights of Nolan’s films. Robert Pattinson delivers an incredible performance as a man who fights crime but also finds himself as Batman due to his own misery and demons, and the film explores Batman as a sign of fear towards criminals, as well as a detective and antihero. But gone is the glamor of Bruce Wayne’s rich life — Pattinson portrays a lonely, depressed man who can only find meaning for himself by going out and finding a fight. He gives off the vibe of Ryan Gosling’s reserved, morally ambiguous performance in Drive, and I’d also compare this most to Pattinson’s role in The Lighthouse. Zoe Kravitz surpasses past portrayals of Catwoman from actresses like Anne Hathaway and Michelle Pfeiffer by making Selina Kyle feel incredibly human and as interesting of a character as Batman, instead of being part of the story just for him. Paul Dano is menacing and terrifying as the Riddler, but Colin Farrell is unrecognizable as the Penguin, under so much convincing makeup but still delivering a scene-stealing performance. Andy Serkis is also great as Alfred and Jeffrey Wright is another standout, wonderfully cast as Gordon and his relationship with Batman is very interesting to watch grow.

But this movie isn’t only packed with great stars. Reeves’ direction, as well as award-worthy cinematography and score (Michael Giacchino — known for The Incredibles, Inside Out, Up, Spider-Man, and more — delivering his best live-action score yet), brings to life a riveting, nail-biting crime mystery noir atmosphere reminiscent of cynical murder mystery thrillers like Se7en and Zodiac — even more grounded than The Dark Knight, which feels like a crime epic but still had a larger scale than this. This dark, mysterious atmosphere makes the film nail-biting and never slow, even at 3 hours. The conspiracies and mysteries that unravel are intriguing and the fights are gritty for a PG-13 superhero movie. By the last hour, it genuinely becomes difficult to tell what is going to happen next, which feels rare for blockbusters of this size today, due to the darkness that envelops the characters and their world.

The Batman is more than up to the task of delivering a mind-blowing reboot that surpasses expectations and earns every minute of its runtime. It’s packed with memorable performances, a meticulous atmosphere, and edge-of-your-seat tension, ultimately making one of the best superhero films of recent years that has to be seen on the big screen.

02.15.22
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Death on the Nile

During the honeymoon cruise of the Doyles and their wedding party on the Nile, a murder occurs and a detective onboard, the iconic Hercule Poirot — played once again by Kenneth Branagh, who also directs –must dig through the motives of the passengers to find the killer and bring them to justice.

Death on the Nile embraces the thrilling aspects of the Whodunnit murder mystery genre, with a case that keeps you guessing. Kenneth Branagh leans more into the vain, larger-than-life portrayal of Poirot. However, the performances of some of the cast, especially Branagh and Gal Gadot, can get over-the-top and distractingly humorous, possibly unintentionally. They also try too often to give Poirot a tragic backstory, which can be appreciated but it’s far inferior to the story involving the other characters. However, Letitia Wright and Emma Mackey are standouts whose acting turns are actually able to shine. The buildup to the titular murder mystery is too long, as the title and marketing clearly tells you what kind of movie this is but takes too long to actually become that film. Once it does, however, I was actually engaged and following along as new details, motives, and alibis were presented. Though the costume design is stellar, the visuals have lots of moments of obvious green screen and CGI and the movie could’ve benefitted from a more practical look. Though it isn’t a must-watch, Death on the Nile is an improvement over its predecessor but doesn’t manage to necessarily be shocking or rewatchable — it doesn’t also help that Rian Johnson’s 2019 caper Knives Out set the bar so high for murder mysteries and that it has a sequel coming out later this year, or that Branagh just released the best film of his career, Belfast, only a few months ago. If you know what you’re in for, the ride is fun, but keep your expectations light and reasonable for an interesting and edge-of-your-seat second and third acts.

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06.06.21
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A Quiet Place Part II

Following the events of the predecessor, the Abbott family now face the terrors of the outside world. With both A Quiet Place and its sequel that’s now playing in theaters everywhere, John Krasinski has proven himself to be not only an awesome actor but a master filmmaker. It worries me whenever a studio greenlights a sequel to a great film that stands alone perfectly, but A Quiet Place Part II is one of the rare occasions where the sequel lives up the original, and not only that, but along with that 2018 film, is one of the best horror/thrillers of recent years. A lot of it is thanks to Krasinski’s direction and the style which made the concept and storytelling of the first film so memorable. The opening sequence is nail-biting and even though the violence is kept at a PG-13 level, the film knows where and how to scare most effectively with showing and not showing certain things. For example, we see scenes from characters’ perspectives so the aliens and action aren’t always in the frame but sometimes in the background. The cinematography and editing are great as well, but it’s the sound editing that makes the movie. It’s the small noises that make you terrified for the characters as they try to survive among creatures who can track them based on any small noise from a distance, and the sound creates its own tension without a single jump scare. The loud sound effects of the monsters contrast this excellently and make this a terrific theater experience.

Emily Blunt may be at her best in this series as a mother trying to protect her kids, including a newborn, from otherworldly threats that are a family’s worst nightmare. Cillian Murphy is also excellent as a new addition to the cast, a cynical, hopeless survivor who is changed by his time with the Abbott family. Millicent Simmonds, the deaf actress who plays the deaf daughter in the film, may be the film’s heroine as she takes on challenges courageously and delivers a stellar performance, with not only some of the most positive deaf representation I’ve ever seen in film but all around a brilliant actor and lead role. Noah Jupe, who plays the son/brother, is again excellent, and he’s proven himself with these films as well as his magnificent roles in 2019’s Ford v Ferrari and Honey Boy. And even with just a cameo, Krasinski himself makes his presence felt throughout the film, passing the courage and good-ness of his character from the last film into his children and the world of the movie. Beyond the brilliant scares, which are only strengthened by techniques such as cross-cutting that Krasinski marvelously uses to make scenes more powerful and symbolic, the film retains the heart that made its predecessor so emotional — in every frame and line, this is a movie about a monster apocalypse, but also about parenthood, family, human survival, and hope. And one can’t help but think that with a family taking back their world by venturing back into the unknown and fighting back against the apocalypse, it’s a perfect film to represent our return to theaters. I, for one, had not been to the theaters since Tenet last August, when some screens briefly reopened, and this is an impeccable choice to return to the big screen with for the thrills, sound, and amazing effects and story that will more than satisfy those who know what they’re in for, and for the shared experience we’ve been longing to have back and can finally experience for a new blockbuster once again.

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