Tag Archives: Thriller

The Purge (2013) ☆☆(2/4) : A suburban night of legalized killings

Posted on November 2, 2013 by kaist455

“The Purge” starts with an outrageous but intriguing premise: what if the society temporarily allows killings as a way of ventilating the social anger/resentment pressed inside its individuals? I can think of at least five or six implausible aspects of … Continue reading →

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Captain Phillips (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A taut, intense hostage situation on the sea

Posted on October 21, 2013 by kaist455

 “Captain Phillips” is a gripping thriller tightly holding our attention as it is relentlessly sailing on its tumultuous course. Rigorously maintaining its realistic approach to the story and the characters based on a real-life hijacking incident, the movie forcefully accumulates … Continue reading →

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Prisoners (2013) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4) : Good cop, Bad citizen

Posted on October 3, 2013 by kaist455

 “Prisoners” tries to roll two things at once to create bigger dramatic impacts. The one is about the grief and subsequent anger caused by a terrible incident, and the other one is about an increasingly frustrating investigation process for finding … Continue reading →

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The Flu (2013) ☆☆(2/4) : Its symptoms are depressing rather than alarming

Posted on August 14, 2013 by kaist455

 The symptoms shown at the beginning of South Korean action thriller film “The Flu” are depressing rather than alarming. The symptoms are 1) flat characterization full of bland or annoying characters we do not give a damn about, and 2) … Continue reading →

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Arbitrage (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A crook stuck between multiple crises

Posted on August 13, 2013 by kaist455

Some of the most engaging movies I have seen tell their stories through unlikable characters I can hardly identity with or care about, and these movies remind me that we do not always have to like or identify with the … Continue reading →

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Passion (2012) ☆☆☆(3/4) : A kinky thriller from Brian De Palma(you guess it)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by kaist455

“Passion” is the latest kinky thriller from Brian De Palma, the first-class master of trashy guilty pleasure. He is back in his sensational territory again with his usual bag of tricks, and the result is as much as what we … Continue reading →

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Love Crime (2010) ☆☆☆(3/4) : Her horrible boss

Posted on August 8, 2013 by kaist455

I initially thought I should not tell you about a crucial turning point in the plot of French thriller film “Love Crime”, but, on the second thought, it does not matter much. Although it begins with one thing and then … Continue reading →

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Drug War (2012) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A treacherous game amidst cops and criminals

Posted on August 3, 2013 by kaist455

Good thrillers grip my attention at some point around the beginning and never let it go until the end credit. In case of Johnnie To’s crime noir thriller “Drug War”, it was one of its early scenes. A cop chases … Continue reading →

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Snowpiercer (2013) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4) : A dark journey on the New Ice Age Express

Posted on August 1, 2013 by kaist455

I know it is a cliché, but I must say this; “Snowpiercer” is something we do not come across often in the movie theaters nowadays. This is a smart, compelling science fiction film which can intrigue us with its futuristic … Continue reading →

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Eye in the Sky (2007) ☆☆☆(3/4) : See everything – remember everything

Posted on July 30, 2013 by kaist455

Early in this month, I watched South Korean thriller film “Cold Eyes”, and I was excited by its thrilling story about the secret surveillance police team and the professional criminals they chase after. While being a well-made genre film with … Continue reading →

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