Tag Archives: Kidnapping

The Black Phone (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): A familiar but solid genre mix

“The Black Phone” did not surprise me much, but I was entertained nonetheless. As your average seasoned moviegoer, I clearly discerned what I was going to get from this effective genre piece, and it did not exceed my expectation much … Continue reading

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Girl in the Picture (2022) ☆☆☆(3/4): Who is she?

Netflix documentary film “Girl in the Picture”, which was released in last week, looks into one infamous criminal case which will unnerve you a lot as the documentary doles out those disturbing details of the case step by step. Although … Continue reading

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Tallulah (2016) ☆☆☆(3/4): Her problem with a baby

The heroine of Netflix film “Tallulah” is probably one of the messiest movie characters I have ever encountered. She is often quite impulsive and unwise to our annoyance and frustration, but the movie lets us have more understanding and empathy … Continue reading

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Nightbooks (2021) ☆☆☆(3/4): Now he must write scary stories to survive

Netflix movie “Nightbooks”, which was released in last week, is a familiar but solid dark fantasy tale decorated with a number of darkly enjoyable moments to be savored. While mostly unfolded within its rather limited fantasy background, the movie puts … Continue reading

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Gunpodwer Milkshake (2021) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): It could have more spunk and substance

Netflix film “Gunpowder Milkshake” is drenched in style and mood, but it seriously deficient in terms of spunk and substance to distinguish itself from other similar genre flicks such as “John Wick” (2014) and its recent sequels. While there are … Continue reading

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Voice of Silence (2020) ☆☆(2/4): Voice of incompetence

What an inane and messy bore South Korean film “Voice of Silence” is. Often dreary and unpleasant in its casual depiction of human evil and violence, the movie attempts to be not only an absurd crime noir drama but also … Continue reading

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Deliver Us From Evil (2019) ☆☆(2/4): Deliver Me From Mediocrity

South Korean film “Deliver Us From Evil” brings almost nothing to its genre territory without enough sense of fun or entertainment. Despite lots of efforts put into the screen, the overall result is so flat and pedestrian that I quickly … Continue reading

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Extraction (2020) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tense and brutal action flick as good as intended

When I saw the trailer of Netflix film “Extraction” a few weeks ago, I immediately had a pretty good idea on what and how it would be in terms of story and characters, and it turns out that my guess … Continue reading

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Everybody Knows (2018) ☆☆☆(3/4): An engaging letdown by Asghar Farhadi

The opening scene of Asghar Farhadi’s new film “Everybody Knows”, which opened the Cannes Film Festival early in last year, summarizes well what I felt during my viewing. In the inner space of a church clock tower, the camera looks … Continue reading

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All the Money in the World (2017) ☆☆☆(3/4): All he cares about is money

What a piece of work J. Paul Getty is. While being the richest man in the world, he was also probably the cheapest guy in the world, and Ridley Scott’s new film “All the Money in the World” is compelling … Continue reading

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