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Mothergamer (1511 KP) rated Counterpart - Season 1 in TV
Mar 5, 2018
Great Dramatic Science Fiction Thriller
I like J.K. Simmons so I was intrigued by this new show and decided to check it out. It is quite interesting in the fact that it tells you right away that there is a parallel Earth that is similar to ours and everyone has an other that looks just like them with the same name similar memories to a point, but certain paths in their lives diverge so there are slight differences between the prime person and their other. J.K. Simmons really shines in this playing the main characters Howard Silk and Other Howard Silk. There are differences in the parallel world compared to the prime world as well. The story is great with interesting characters, intense drama, and the cast is great as well. It always keeps you guessing and it's really well done.
Christi Saunders Fortson (1 KP) rated Morgan (2016) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018
Sometimes science goes a little too far
Morgan is a psychological thriller about a secret program to develop bio-engineered "humans" for use as thinking, problem solving weapons. When things go wrong, they go very wrong, and it's up to the risk management team to determine if the project should continue.
I enjoyed the movie, though I think a longer film would have allowed for more character development. Just as I was really getting drawn into the story, the movie was over. With so many psychological thrillers, the ending is spoiled by being a little too obvious. This movie definately kept me guessing til the very end.
The cast was excellent, they just needed more story to really flesh-out the characters.
Would definately recommend.
I enjoyed the movie, though I think a longer film would have allowed for more character development. Just as I was really getting drawn into the story, the movie was over. With so many psychological thrillers, the ending is spoiled by being a little too obvious. This movie definately kept me guessing til the very end.
The cast was excellent, they just needed more story to really flesh-out the characters.
Would definately recommend.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Murder by Decree (1979) in Movies
Feb 27, 2018 (Updated Feb 27, 2018)
Ah, nothing says 'fun' like a movie based on the activities of a brutal real-life misogynistic serial killer. Classy Sherlock Holmes pastiche is as much a vehicle to disseminate one particular Jack the Ripper theory as it is entertainment; fortunately it works very well as the later.
Not really a very good Sherlock Holmes movie - Holmes and Watson are clearly twenty years apart in age, weirdly, and Holmes' fearsome intellect is not much on display; his main method here seems to be to wander about until he stumbles over the solution to a mystery. But a distinguished cast and nice production values make up for the all-over-the-shop script, and the action at the end of the movie is well-staged. Hardly an ideal Holmes, but an entertaining mystery-thriller in a post-Hammer horror sort of style, issues of taste excepted.
Not really a very good Sherlock Holmes movie - Holmes and Watson are clearly twenty years apart in age, weirdly, and Holmes' fearsome intellect is not much on display; his main method here seems to be to wander about until he stumbles over the solution to a mystery. But a distinguished cast and nice production values make up for the all-over-the-shop script, and the action at the end of the movie is well-staged. Hardly an ideal Holmes, but an entertaining mystery-thriller in a post-Hammer horror sort of style, issues of taste excepted.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Casino Royale (2006) in Movies
Feb 21, 2018 (Updated Feb 21, 2018)
Urbane Legend XXI
Bold hard reboot of the Bond series that took it closer to the novels than it had been in generations. Newly-licensed 007 uncovers terrorist financier, beats him at cards, takes a terrible belting in the gentleman's department (emotionally and physically).
Very refreshing (at least at the time) for blowing the barnacles off Bond and going back to source, more or less; Daniel Craig seems to be the first replacement Bond not to on some level be constantly thinking about Sean Connery. Unusually tough and naturalistic, but with the expected (high quality) fights and chases grafted onto Fleming's story. Even at the time one wondered just where this new take on Bond could possibly go next (not terribly far, as it turned out: at least not while staying interesting), but on its own terms this is a thrilling reinvention and a great, credible thriller.
Very refreshing (at least at the time) for blowing the barnacles off Bond and going back to source, more or less; Daniel Craig seems to be the first replacement Bond not to on some level be constantly thinking about Sean Connery. Unusually tough and naturalistic, but with the expected (high quality) fights and chases grafted onto Fleming's story. Even at the time one wondered just where this new take on Bond could possibly go next (not terribly far, as it turned out: at least not while staying interesting), but on its own terms this is a thrilling reinvention and a great, credible thriller.
Ross (3282 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Like "Black Mirror" does "Cocoon"
This film sees Chris visiting his girlfriend's parents for the first time, on what turns out to be their annual get-together with friends and neighbours. Chris is somewhat taken aback by everyone's positive, curious reaction to his African-American heritage and becomes increasingly unnerved by the odd behaviour of the family's black servants.
I have to admit, I saw the twist coming from very early on but this didn't ruin the journey for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere building throughout the film and Chris' increasingly awkward interactions with his few fellow people of colour at the party.
This is not a normal horror film, except for the final half hour, instead it is an intense psychological thriller with the added social awkwardness around people's inherent racism and need to talk/not talk about it.
An excellent film with a brilliant cast.
I have to admit, I saw the twist coming from very early on but this didn't ruin the journey for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the creepy atmosphere building throughout the film and Chris' increasingly awkward interactions with his few fellow people of colour at the party.
This is not a normal horror film, except for the final half hour, instead it is an intense psychological thriller with the added social awkwardness around people's inherent racism and need to talk/not talk about it.
An excellent film with a brilliant cast.
ClareR (5561 KP) rated Watching You in Books
Jul 21, 2018
Well, this had me guessing right up to the end!
This has all the ingredients for a good thriller or mystery: a teenaged voyeur, a potentially unreliable witness with mental health issues, teenaged girls with a crush, career driven men, unfaithful spouses. Quite a lot for a book that's under 500 pages long!
An unspecified dead body appears in the first chapter, and the book then goes on to tell us the sequence of events that lead up to that moment. There are some interesting police interviews tucked in now and again too, that help to clarify (or sometimes obfuscate!) what is actually going on.
This was really good. There was no way that I was going to guess who was murdered and by whom, until the end - I liked that touch. The end was a proper bombshell moment. Great writing from Lisa Jewell!
An unspecified dead body appears in the first chapter, and the book then goes on to tell us the sequence of events that lead up to that moment. There are some interesting police interviews tucked in now and again too, that help to clarify (or sometimes obfuscate!) what is actually going on.
This was really good. There was no way that I was going to guess who was murdered and by whom, until the end - I liked that touch. The end was a proper bombshell moment. Great writing from Lisa Jewell!
ClareR (5561 KP) rated The Dark Lake in Books
Sep 5, 2018
One to watch for.
A debut thriller that really kept me on the edge of my seat. Rosalind Ryan, a local Drama and English teacher, is found dead in the lake at a local nature reserve. Gemma Woodstock, a local Detective Sergeant, is put on the case. Except Gemma has a history with Rosalind, and she has a lot of other personal baggage.
I enjoyed this. They're all very human characters with lots of faults, sometimes unpleasant ones: but I liked that. I liked that the murderer wasn't at all obvious (to me, anyway!) and had me guessing right up to the end, and the whole reason for the murder was a shock, and at the same time, understandable.
I will keep an eye out for future novels by this author, particularly in this series. I really do think that she'll be one to watch out for in the future.
I enjoyed this. They're all very human characters with lots of faults, sometimes unpleasant ones: but I liked that. I liked that the murderer wasn't at all obvious (to me, anyway!) and had me guessing right up to the end, and the whole reason for the murder was a shock, and at the same time, understandable.
I will keep an eye out for future novels by this author, particularly in this series. I really do think that she'll be one to watch out for in the future.
MoMoBookDiary (20 KP) rated Perfect Liars: Perfect for fans of HBO’s hit TV series Big Little Lies in Books
Oct 1, 2018
I enjoyed Rebecca Reid’s compelling debut novel Perfect Liars.
Perfect Liars is a thoroughly satisfying character driven psychological thriller. It’s cleverly plotted and clear from the beginning, despite being paced on the slow side, that it is a compelling tale.
The characters are somewhat unlikeable in that they are typical stereotypical pretentious, entitled, self-centered women. The story is told using a dual timeline, past and present. Whilst they display a close friendship to the world it is deeply flawed.
There are certain parts of the storyline that I felt were a little too unbelievable and that is why this does not get a full five stars from me.
A fantastic debut by Rebecca Reid and I very much look forward to whatever she comes up with next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel at this time.
Perfect Liars is a thoroughly satisfying character driven psychological thriller. It’s cleverly plotted and clear from the beginning, despite being paced on the slow side, that it is a compelling tale.
The characters are somewhat unlikeable in that they are typical stereotypical pretentious, entitled, self-centered women. The story is told using a dual timeline, past and present. Whilst they display a close friendship to the world it is deeply flawed.
There are certain parts of the storyline that I felt were a little too unbelievable and that is why this does not get a full five stars from me.
A fantastic debut by Rebecca Reid and I very much look forward to whatever she comes up with next.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this novel at this time.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Oct 11, 2018
Competently made and very well-cast suspense drama (kind of). 'Ordinary person' single mother and vlogger Stephanie (Kendrick) ends up becoming besties with dangerously glamorous and enigmatic fellow parent (Lively); when her new pal vanishes, Stephanie decides that something suspicious may have taken place...
Very very much in the same vein as Gone Girl, to the extent that people would probably have been screaming knock-off had this film not also functioned as a rather effective black comedy - you may be wondering what a light comedian like Kendrick is doing fronting a thriller directed by a comedy specialist like Paul Feig; well, this is the reason why. This may also be the reason why the film is cheerily up-front about how far-fetched its own plot is. Not the kind of movie that really lingers in the memory, but nicely put-together and fun while you're watching it.
Very very much in the same vein as Gone Girl, to the extent that people would probably have been screaming knock-off had this film not also functioned as a rather effective black comedy - you may be wondering what a light comedian like Kendrick is doing fronting a thriller directed by a comedy specialist like Paul Feig; well, this is the reason why. This may also be the reason why the film is cheerily up-front about how far-fetched its own plot is. Not the kind of movie that really lingers in the memory, but nicely put-together and fun while you're watching it.
This outstanding novel covers Adolf HitlerÕs meeting with Neville Chamberlain in 1938. The grave shadow of Chamberlain, deeply opposed to another conflict only twenty years after the Great War that had killed a generation of men. Against Hitler, 'the madman' ready to 'smash the Czechs' and blaze through new territories. This meeting in Munich is the focal point of the novel and Harris rewrites real events using two bystanders, one German, one English. Based on fact, Harris skilfully interweaves the lives of Hugh Legat and his English wife, rich, beautiful and unfaithful. Paul Von Hartmann and his lover, a secretary in the German foreign ministry, someone he may not entirely trust. It's Harris' attention to detail that makes this version of history so credible, right down to the description of the swastikas on the taps. A tightly woven thriller mixed with historical fact that will appeal to a lot of readers.