Tag Archives: Crime

The Life Ahead (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): Sophia Loren still rules

Posted on November 17, 2020 by

Italian Netflix film “The Life Ahead” is a sentimental melodrama which is considerably elevated by the indelible screen presence of Sophia Loren, who is one of the legendary movie stars of the 20th Century. Even though the movie does not … Continue reading →

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Charm City Kings (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A rough but electrifying coming-of-age drama set in Baltimore

Posted on November 2, 2020 by

It is hard not to be impressed by what is so vividly and palpably presented in “Charm City Kings”, a rough but electrifying mix of typical coming-of-age tale and gritty crime drama. While its story and characters are familiar to … Continue reading →

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Cut Throat City (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Colorful but jumbled

Posted on November 2, 2020 by

“Cut Throat City” is a colorful but uneven crime drama which alternatively engaged and frustrated me. While it is mostly watchable thanks to its diverse array of cast members and a palpable sense of locations and people, it is frequently … Continue reading →

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Time (2020) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Her time without her husband

Posted on October 25, 2020 by

Documentary film “Time”, which was released on Amazon Prime several days ago, gives us a somber but powerful presentation of the personal reflections from one seemingly ordinary but remarkably resilient American woman. As freely alternating between her past and present, … Continue reading →

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American Murder: The Family Next Door (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): Direct but superficial

Posted on October 3, 2020 by

I could not help but feel uncomfortable as watching Netflix documentary film “American Murder: The Family Next Door”, which was released on this Wednesday. The people behind the documentary want to present to us a close and direct glimpse into … Continue reading →

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The Terrorizers (1986) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Coincidence followed by tension

Posted on September 19, 2020 by

Taiwanese filmmaker Edward Yang’s “The Terrorizers”, which is currently being in shown in South Korean theaters, is a haunting urban drama which is subtle and deceptive in its gradual accumulation of anxiety and tension around its main characters. Because I … Continue reading →

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The Devil All the Time (2020) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The Devil Is Never Gone

Posted on September 18, 2020 by

Netflix movie “The Devil All the Time”, which was released on this Wednesday, feels rather rote and shallow despite all those interesting elements mixed into its decidedly grim and lurid narrative. Although I was not bored at all during its … Continue reading →

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Calm with Horses (2019) ☆☆☆(3/4): A fatalistic Irish crime drama about one ex-boxer

Posted on September 7, 2020 by

“Calm with Horses”, which was released in US as “The Shadow of Violence”, is a fatalistic crime drama which virtually announces its ill-fated hero’s doom to us right from the beginning. No matter how much he tries, he is bound … Continue reading →

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Mississippi Burning (1988) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Flawed but incendiary

Posted on August 20, 2020 by

One of my friends often mentions the last places he wants to visit in US, which are usually the ones reported on the media for infuriating cases of blatant racism. I felt same about Mississippi when I revisited Alan Parker’s … Continue reading →

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Project Power (2020) ☆☆(2/4): A flat genre piece without much power

Posted on August 17, 2020 by

Netflix film “Project Power” does not have much power and imagination to boost its supposedly intriguing story premise, and that is a big letdown to say the least. While initially beginning with considerable potentials, the movie eventually gets devolved into … Continue reading →

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