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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Rock Paper Scissors in Books
Sep 16, 2021
An excellent twisty thriller
Adam and Amelia Wright win a weekend away to Scotland--and this romantic getaway might be the only thing to save their rocky marriage. Screenwriter Adam spends most of his time working, much to the frustration of Amelia. Adam also suffers from prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, and sometimes Amelia wonders if he'd even recognize his own wife in a crowd. They know this weekend could make a huge difference in their marriage, but what they don't know: they didn't win this trip. And someone really doesn't want them to save their marriage.
"We both know this weekend away is a last chance to fix things. Or at least to try. He hasn't forgotten that."
This was a really fun thriller, honestly! Just one of those creepy and mysterious reads that kept me guessing most of the entire time. It's told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia and interspersed with Amelia's letters that she writes to Adam each year on their anniversary (but does not let him read). We also have a third point of view, from a mysterious other character. How does everyone fit together? Enjoy trying to figure it out!
"My husband doesn't cheat on me with other women, or men, he has love affairs with their words."
Everyone is keeping secrets in this mystery, leading to a wild ride. The setting is amazing, a cold, dark, and snowy atmospheric Scotland that serves as another character in our twisty thriller. Every thing seems ominous and foreboding, as Adam and Amelia traverse the snowy countryside and mysterious house they are staying in.
Overall, this is a great and thrilling mystery, which keeps you guessing. It's a surprising page-turner, that also delves into the themes of marriage and writing. 4+ stars.
I received a free ARC of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
"We both know this weekend away is a last chance to fix things. Or at least to try. He hasn't forgotten that."
This was a really fun thriller, honestly! Just one of those creepy and mysterious reads that kept me guessing most of the entire time. It's told from the point of view of both Adam and Amelia and interspersed with Amelia's letters that she writes to Adam each year on their anniversary (but does not let him read). We also have a third point of view, from a mysterious other character. How does everyone fit together? Enjoy trying to figure it out!
"My husband doesn't cheat on me with other women, or men, he has love affairs with their words."
Everyone is keeping secrets in this mystery, leading to a wild ride. The setting is amazing, a cold, dark, and snowy atmospheric Scotland that serves as another character in our twisty thriller. Every thing seems ominous and foreboding, as Adam and Amelia traverse the snowy countryside and mysterious house they are staying in.
Overall, this is a great and thrilling mystery, which keeps you guessing. It's a surprising page-turner, that also delves into the themes of marriage and writing. 4+ stars.
I received a free ARC of this book from Macmillan in exchange for an honest review.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated All I See Is You (2017) in Movies
Feb 3, 2019
Decent acting (1 more)
Beautiful visuals
Confusing storyline (3 more)
Doesn't deliver
A lot is implied
Weird sexual parts that make no sense
A Poor Attempt at a Romantic Thriller
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'd never heard of this until it popped up on my Stan account. The summary sounded like it was going to be a gritty romantic thriller - boy was I wrong! While the acting was decent and the 'blind' effects were gorgeous, the storyline left something to be desired. Their marriage was clearly a disaster, the husband is needy and posessive and her complete personality change when she was able to see with one eye was jarring to say the least. The doctor was able to restore her sight in her right eye, but not once did they touch on how difficult it is to just see with one eye. Your balance is off, your perception is off - it's a complete disaster until you become used to it, yet they gave her the ease and impression that she could see with both eyes again. A lot is heavily implied (him messing with her eyedrops to cause blindness again, him staging a break in to get rid of her dog Ginger, her cheating on him with Daniel, her lying about being able to see etc.), there is never a confrontation between the pair about any of it. At the end you get the impression he's dead and she has the baby, but none of it is actually confirmed. It's just an utter mess. Nothing comes together and the story falls flat. There's also a lot of very unsettling sexual overtones from the get go which are never explained or understood. It feels like these were added as part of the story that was never revealed - maybe left on the editing floor - so they don't make much sense. The movie could have easily happened without them so why have them there when they didn't serve an actual purpose? Overall, it was a confusing, slightly disturbing mess that just - didn't work. It had a lot of potential but just didn't deliver. I wouldn't bother with it if you're looking for something good to watch, it just isn't there with this one.
Such a Pretty Girl
Book
In a gripping romantic thriller from Tess Diamond, an FBI profiler becomes a killer's deadly...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Witness (1985) in Movies
Feb 21, 2021
Very classy romantic drama-thriller. When a young Amish boy witnesses a brutal murder, it leads to detective John Book uncovering widespread corruption in his own department. He is forced to hide out amongst the Amish, and finds he is drawn to their way of life almost despite himself.
This is a classic movie, but also one of those films which looks deceptively simple and straightforward: there are no staggering plot twists, no big set pieces (except for the one where some people build a barn) - it's one of those very brave films with the confidence to take its time and let the characters and story grow and breathe. The contrast between the ugliness of the big city and the quiet consolations of the Amish lifestyle is carefully achieved; Harrison Ford seizes the chance to lead the movie and give a proper acting performance (this got him his Oscar nomination). A great film; didn't quite make me want to go and live on a farm, but a close thing.
This is a classic movie, but also one of those films which looks deceptively simple and straightforward: there are no staggering plot twists, no big set pieces (except for the one where some people build a barn) - it's one of those very brave films with the confidence to take its time and let the characters and story grow and breathe. The contrast between the ugliness of the big city and the quiet consolations of the Amish lifestyle is carefully achieved; Harrison Ford seizes the chance to lead the movie and give a proper acting performance (this got him his Oscar nomination). A great film; didn't quite make me want to go and live on a farm, but a close thing.
A Favor For a Favor
8.0
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"Forget favors given; remember those received." - John Wooden A time for love can't be more...
Crime Thriller Romantic Suspense
The Suicide Princess
4.0
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"Not your mother's romance, this is an erotic thriller that will leave you breathless and have you...
Darren (1599 KP) rated Traffik (2018) in Movies
Nov 23, 2019
Verdict: Shock Filled Thriller
Story: Traffik starts when the ambitious reporter Brea (Patton) loses her big story and potential her job right on the eve of her birthday, her boyfriend John (Epps) wants to surprise her and with his friend Darren (Alonso) he gets a romantic weekend planned.
Heading up to the mountain location the couple find themselves in a gas station where confrontation is quick to find them with help stranger Red (Goss) along with gangs, showing a potential large group of different enemies. The romantic weekend takes a turn, first with the appearance of Darren and his girlfriend Malia (Sanchez), but again by a deadly gang of human traffickers led by Red, who will kill to keep their secret.
Thoughts on Traffik
Characters – Brea is an ambitious reporter always taking her time researching a story before throwing it to her editor, this has seen her get herself into trouble, losing stories and potentially her job. In her personal life it is her birthday celebrating among friends with a romantic getaway being part of it. This getaway will give her the biggest story of her career, when she finds herself targeted by human traffickers who want her in their collection. John is the boyfriend that is getting nervous about the getaway as he is about to propose to Brea, he gets hooked up by the friend that will give them the location and will need to help Brea fight back against the people after them. Red is the leader of the human traffickers, he can charm, but he will show his deadly side if anybody gets in his way.
Performances – Paula Patton is the star of the show here, she gives us a strong performance that shows us just how determined she is to survive. Omar Epps, Luke Goss and the rest of the cast all do a great job letting Paula shine through in this film.
Story – The story here follows a couple on a romantic getaway that get targeted by human traffickers who want to keep their secret safe. This is a story that is designed the highlight the horrific crimes of human trafficking, not just in America, but worldwide. Away from the message behind everything, we do see the mix of a home invasion, chase and fightback elements of story telling putting a firm light on the idea that women will fight back, in this case Brea. The way everything unfolds is mostly predictable which is fine, nothing really hits the intensity levels wanted from the film.
Action/Crime – The action is a mix of chases and fight between victim and captures, they are quick instead of being over the top. The crime side of the film does show us just how easily this operation can happen to the victims and how organised it can be run.
Settings – The film is set in the mountain range outside California where the people can pick and choose who they take.
Scene of the Movie – Escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – One of the main twists is too predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a generic action thriller that does highlight an important message of the horrors of the human trafficking world that leaves Paula Patton to shine.
Overall: Important, but Generic.
Story: Traffik starts when the ambitious reporter Brea (Patton) loses her big story and potential her job right on the eve of her birthday, her boyfriend John (Epps) wants to surprise her and with his friend Darren (Alonso) he gets a romantic weekend planned.
Heading up to the mountain location the couple find themselves in a gas station where confrontation is quick to find them with help stranger Red (Goss) along with gangs, showing a potential large group of different enemies. The romantic weekend takes a turn, first with the appearance of Darren and his girlfriend Malia (Sanchez), but again by a deadly gang of human traffickers led by Red, who will kill to keep their secret.
Thoughts on Traffik
Characters – Brea is an ambitious reporter always taking her time researching a story before throwing it to her editor, this has seen her get herself into trouble, losing stories and potentially her job. In her personal life it is her birthday celebrating among friends with a romantic getaway being part of it. This getaway will give her the biggest story of her career, when she finds herself targeted by human traffickers who want her in their collection. John is the boyfriend that is getting nervous about the getaway as he is about to propose to Brea, he gets hooked up by the friend that will give them the location and will need to help Brea fight back against the people after them. Red is the leader of the human traffickers, he can charm, but he will show his deadly side if anybody gets in his way.
Performances – Paula Patton is the star of the show here, she gives us a strong performance that shows us just how determined she is to survive. Omar Epps, Luke Goss and the rest of the cast all do a great job letting Paula shine through in this film.
Story – The story here follows a couple on a romantic getaway that get targeted by human traffickers who want to keep their secret safe. This is a story that is designed the highlight the horrific crimes of human trafficking, not just in America, but worldwide. Away from the message behind everything, we do see the mix of a home invasion, chase and fightback elements of story telling putting a firm light on the idea that women will fight back, in this case Brea. The way everything unfolds is mostly predictable which is fine, nothing really hits the intensity levels wanted from the film.
Action/Crime – The action is a mix of chases and fight between victim and captures, they are quick instead of being over the top. The crime side of the film does show us just how easily this operation can happen to the victims and how organised it can be run.
Settings – The film is set in the mountain range outside California where the people can pick and choose who they take.
Scene of the Movie – Escape.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – One of the main twists is too predictable.
Final Thoughts – This is a generic action thriller that does highlight an important message of the horrors of the human trafficking world that leaves Paula Patton to shine.
Overall: Important, but Generic.
Vanished in the Sun (Carlos & Mia #2)
4.0
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VANISHED in the SUN, second edition of this exhilarating romance thriller series by powerfully...
Best Day Ever
8.7
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Paul Strom has the perfect life: a glittering career as an advertising executive, a beautiful wife,...
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Murder Worth the Weight
8.0
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Whenever Terry Mangel's body acceptance revival meeting rolls into town, local diet execs and "fat...
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