Search
Search results
Darren (1599 KP) rated Taking Lives (2004) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Taking Lives starts as we see a young man kill another young man to steal his identity, years later a body is discovered in Canada which leads to the local French-Canadian police to call in FBI profiler Illeana (Jolie) to help with the new mystery body. Things take a turn when a man Costa (Hawke) believes he interrupted the next attempted murder before the killer is finished dealing with the body.
When the police learn this killer has been killing and stealing identities the case takes a turn and now they must figure out who the latest victim is and who he has become.
Thoughts on Taking Lives
Characters – Illeane Scott is an FBI Profiler bought in to help with the case of a killer that is stealing identities of the people he is murdering, she gets the profile correct and wants to had home after starting to become interested in one of the key witnesses. Costa is a key witness who interrupts one of the murders before the killer can complete his plan, he gives the information to track the killer. Hart is a man that soon enters Costa’s life after the incident making him the prime suspect as the killer.
Performances – Angelina Jolie is solid enough in this leading role which disappoints because we know she can be a fantastic cop figure. Ethan Hawke struggles with his role too which is only really filled with disappointment as he never convinces in his witness role. Kiefer Sutherland disappoints because we know how good he can be and want to see him more often in a film.
Story – The story is a FBI agent needing to help track down a serial killer who steals identity, yeah these are usually entertaining to watch but this just doesn’t reach the levels of mystery it needs, this might be because this is a repeat viewing and I know the ending, but there are never really any hints or suspects to work with through the film. the film lacks the true tension needed in a film that is filled with twisted crimes going on.
Crime/Mystery – The crime is interesting for a killer to be acting the way they do, the weakest part is the mystery as we just don’t meet enough potential suspects.
Settings – The film is sent in a big city which plays into the idea that someone could steal and identity and kill someone without people noticing someone going missing.
Special Effects – The effects are good because we get to see practical effects when it comes to the kills and aftermath from them.
Scene of the Movie – The lift opening.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough suspects.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime thriller that lacks the punch to make it stand out from the crowded market, we always need a large group of suspects, but this didn’t give us enough, while it did create a great killer.
Overall: Lacklustre crime thriller
When the police learn this killer has been killing and stealing identities the case takes a turn and now they must figure out who the latest victim is and who he has become.
Thoughts on Taking Lives
Characters – Illeane Scott is an FBI Profiler bought in to help with the case of a killer that is stealing identities of the people he is murdering, she gets the profile correct and wants to had home after starting to become interested in one of the key witnesses. Costa is a key witness who interrupts one of the murders before the killer can complete his plan, he gives the information to track the killer. Hart is a man that soon enters Costa’s life after the incident making him the prime suspect as the killer.
Performances – Angelina Jolie is solid enough in this leading role which disappoints because we know she can be a fantastic cop figure. Ethan Hawke struggles with his role too which is only really filled with disappointment as he never convinces in his witness role. Kiefer Sutherland disappoints because we know how good he can be and want to see him more often in a film.
Story – The story is a FBI agent needing to help track down a serial killer who steals identity, yeah these are usually entertaining to watch but this just doesn’t reach the levels of mystery it needs, this might be because this is a repeat viewing and I know the ending, but there are never really any hints or suspects to work with through the film. the film lacks the true tension needed in a film that is filled with twisted crimes going on.
Crime/Mystery – The crime is interesting for a killer to be acting the way they do, the weakest part is the mystery as we just don’t meet enough potential suspects.
Settings – The film is sent in a big city which plays into the idea that someone could steal and identity and kill someone without people noticing someone going missing.
Special Effects – The effects are good because we get to see practical effects when it comes to the kills and aftermath from them.
Scene of the Movie – The lift opening.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not enough suspects.
Final Thoughts – This is a crime thriller that lacks the punch to make it stand out from the crowded market, we always need a large group of suspects, but this didn’t give us enough, while it did create a great killer.
Overall: Lacklustre crime thriller
Fragments of the Lost
7.0
Rate It
Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Perfect Stranger comes a...
thriller
Our Little Lies
9.3
Rate It
Book
How far would you go to protect your perfect life? Marianne has a life others dream of. A...
Psychological Thriller Fiction Mystery Suspense stand alone novel female lead
The Next to Die
8.5
Rate It
Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Monogram Murders and Woman with a Secret returns with a...
Fiction Mystery Thriller Psychological
They Stay (They Stay #1)
8.0
Rate It
Book
For fans of Stranger Things comes a suspenseful YA mystery about a missing kid, a girl who can see...
Supernatural Mystery Young Adult Thriller
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Silent Patient in Books
Sep 2, 2023
118 of 235
Book
The Silent Patient
By Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
This was so so good!! It kept you completely sucked and and that ending was a WTF moment for me I did not see that coming at all! Brilliant!
Book
The Silent Patient
By Alex Michaelides
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a woman’s act of violence against her husband—and of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations—a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
This was so so good!! It kept you completely sucked and and that ending was a WTF moment for me I did not see that coming at all! Brilliant!
Darren (1599 KP) rated Numb (2015) in Movies
Nov 7, 2019
Characters – Will is the out of work man, desperately trying to get a job to keep his family home with his wife after financial hardships, he takes part in the search in a hope to keep the lack of job a secret and his skills come in to help against the elements in nature. Dawn is his wife that believes they are getting to the turning around their lives, she does overcome her fears to make it. Lee is one of the strangers met on the road, he talks everyone into completing the search while protecting his sister along the way. Cheryl is the sister of Lee, she is clearly a loose cannon of the four. These are our main characters, while I do understand Lee and Cheryl being the we will do anything for the money, it is the married couple which confused me because they seem to be leaving a life above their pay checks as it seems clear they should be able to afford the basics of a home with the jobs they could do.
Performances – The performances from the four leads are good through the film, they make each character feel individual from one another, we understand the struggles their characters are going through too.
Story – The story here shows how four people can be driven by greed when it comes to getting rich quickly, we have an air of tension between the two couples as they don’t know who to trust when it comes to searching for the gold. The story does focus too much on Will’s side of things even though we learn in the opening scene that he survives, leaving us not having any belief in the peril he is in. the story keeps everything serious which is strange because of the decision-making process the characters are making.
Mystery – The movie does have a mystery about whether the gold is real and who can be trusted which does try to keep us guessing along the way.
Settings – The film does keep the film in the wilderness of the Canadian snow covered mountain range as the search for the gold does one.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We know Will survives, so watching his solo peril adventure seems almost pointless.
Final Thoughts – This is a good mystery thriller, it keeps everything against the weather which is good while the human nature takes over through the film too.
Overall: Solid thriller worth watching.
Performances – The performances from the four leads are good through the film, they make each character feel individual from one another, we understand the struggles their characters are going through too.
Story – The story here shows how four people can be driven by greed when it comes to getting rich quickly, we have an air of tension between the two couples as they don’t know who to trust when it comes to searching for the gold. The story does focus too much on Will’s side of things even though we learn in the opening scene that he survives, leaving us not having any belief in the peril he is in. the story keeps everything serious which is strange because of the decision-making process the characters are making.
Mystery – The movie does have a mystery about whether the gold is real and who can be trusted which does try to keep us guessing along the way.
Settings – The film does keep the film in the wilderness of the Canadian snow covered mountain range as the search for the gold does one.
Scene of the Movie – The escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We know Will survives, so watching his solo peril adventure seems almost pointless.
Final Thoughts – This is a good mystery thriller, it keeps everything against the weather which is good while the human nature takes over through the film too.
Overall: Solid thriller worth watching.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Pretty Little Wife in Books
Jan 7, 2021
Slow to start, but ultimately an intriguing and unique thriller
Lila Ridgefield's husband is missing. A beloved high school teacher, his boss, colleagues, and brother cannot believe that Aaron Payne would just disappear. He's certainly not the type to simply not show up for work one day. As for his wife, Lila is known more for her cold and quiet demeanor (and, let's be honest, her beauty). She's also pretty confused, because the last time she saw Aaron, she was rather convinced she was looking at his dead body. So where's his car she left behind--and the body? Investigator Ginny Davis is called to look into Aaron's disappearance. At first it seems unrelated to that of a missing local student. But the more Ginny digs, the more she starts to wonder. And the more Lila digs, the more she fears her husband is still alive.
"Despite all her careful planning, he was gone. She had to find Aaron before he found her."
Well, this was quite a book. The beginning was a bit slow for me--it took too long to get to the exciting part, and it was repetitive. It felt like bits and pieces were rehashed over and over. I wanted to shake Lila and tell her to get on with it!
But, once everything gets moving, this is quite an exciting thriller. The last fourth of the story especially is incredibly electrifying and, for the most part, keeps you guessing. (I had a decent idea about whodunnit, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment at all.) I loved the concept of a mystery where the woman kills her husband, yet the main story is, surprise: he disappears anyway. The dynamic between cunning Lila, whom you're never sure you can trust, and Ginny, who is a straightforward and honest investigator, is excellent. I enjoy a book with strong female protagonists and these two are excellent.
Overall, even though this dragged for a bit, it's certainly worth a read. For one thing, it's different, which is so refreshing in the thriller genre. It's also dark, intriguing, and surprising. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Lila Ridgefield's husband is missing. A beloved high school teacher, his boss, colleagues, and brother cannot believe that Aaron Payne would just disappear. He's certainly not the type to simply not show up for work one day. As for his wife, Lila is known more for her cold and quiet demeanor (and, let's be honest, her beauty). She's also pretty confused, because the last time she saw Aaron, she was rather convinced she was looking at his dead body. So where's his car she left behind--and the body? Investigator Ginny Davis is called to look into Aaron's disappearance. At first it seems unrelated to that of a missing local student. But the more Ginny digs, the more she starts to wonder. And the more Lila digs, the more she fears her husband is still alive.
"Despite all her careful planning, he was gone. She had to find Aaron before he found her."
Well, this was quite a book. The beginning was a bit slow for me--it took too long to get to the exciting part, and it was repetitive. It felt like bits and pieces were rehashed over and over. I wanted to shake Lila and tell her to get on with it!
But, once everything gets moving, this is quite an exciting thriller. The last fourth of the story especially is incredibly electrifying and, for the most part, keeps you guessing. (I had a decent idea about whodunnit, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment at all.) I loved the concept of a mystery where the woman kills her husband, yet the main story is, surprise: he disappears anyway. The dynamic between cunning Lila, whom you're never sure you can trust, and Ginny, who is a straightforward and honest investigator, is excellent. I enjoy a book with strong female protagonists and these two are excellent.
Overall, even though this dragged for a bit, it's certainly worth a read. For one thing, it's different, which is so refreshing in the thriller genre. It's also dark, intriguing, and surprising. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.