Tag Archives: Thriller

High and Low (1963) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): A top-notch police procedural from Kurosawa

On the surface, Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film “High and Low” simply follows one kidnapping case from the beginning to the end. While the overall result works as a dry but undeniably compelling police procedural, the movie also gives us some … Continue reading

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Jaws (1975) ☆☆☆☆(4/4): Still on the top of the field

If there had not been any shark movie at all after Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film “Jaws” came out, we would not complain that much in my humble opinion. After all, this great film tried and then succeeded in nearly everything … Continue reading

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Misericordia (2024) ☆☆☆1/2(3.5/4): Stuck in absurd predicament

Alain Guiraudie’s latest film “Misericordia” is a wry comedy thriller which has some naughty fun behind its back as steadily maintaining its deadpan attitude to its hero’s absurd predicament. No matter how much he tries in one way or another, … Continue reading

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The Balconettes (2024) ☆☆(2/4): An uneven and messy female genre mix

Noémie Merlant’s second feature film “The Balconettes” is uneven at best and messy at worst. The movie tries really hard to balance itself among comedy, drama, thriller, and horror, but the overall result is often too jarring and incoherent to … Continue reading

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Shiri (1999) ☆☆(2/4): A seriously dated South Korean blockbuster

I wonder how I would have responded to the 1999 South Korean film “Shiri” if I had watched it 26 years ago. I did not feel any particular need to watch it mainly because I was unfortunately exposed to its … Continue reading

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Drop (2025) ☆☆☆(3/4): A tough date, shall we say

“Drop” works best when it stays along with its heroine within its limited main background for a while. Although it is instantly reminiscent of many other similar thriller flicks ranging from “Nick of Time” (1995) to “Carry-On” (2024), the movie … Continue reading

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Last Bullet (2025) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): The last chapter with some improvement

French Netflix film “Last Bullet”, which was released early in this month, shows welcoming improvement compared to its two predecessors. While it attempts to bring some extra depth to the story and characters, the movie also provides several well-made fast … Continue reading

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Lost Bullet 2 (2022) ☆☆(2/4): A bit more warm-up – with some bangs and crashes

French Netflix film “Lost Bullet 2”, the sequel to “Lost Bullet” (2020), wants to drive further than its predecessor, but it ends up doing a bit more warm-up with some bangs and crashes while mostly sticking to its previously establishes … Continue reading

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Lost Bullet (2020) ☆☆(2/4): A warm-up before the next sequels

French Netflix film “Lost Bullet” is so typical and predictable in many aspects that you can easily guess everything even before watching it. First, we have a criminal hero who is pretty good in his profession, and you surely know … Continue reading

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Drive (2024) ☆☆1/2(2.5/4): A kidnapping on live 

South Korean film “Drive” drives along a rather predictable course without surprising me that much. While reminiscent of many other similar thriller films out there, the movie is frequently hampered by thin characterization and contrived plot, and I can only … Continue reading

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