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The Tunnel - Season 3

10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

TV Season Watch

Karl Roebuck and Elise Wassermann reunite to investigate one more cross-Channel case in the third...

thriller crime

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Jolt (2021) in Movies

Aug 3, 2021

Jolt (2021)

2021 | Action, Comedy

5.6

(5 Ratings)

Movie Rating

The main thing that Jolt has going for it is Kate Beckinsale. Her protagonist is likable enough to just about carry the finished product through the finish line, and into vaguely entertaining territory. The rest of the cast ain't to shabby either - Bobby Cannavale, Stanley Tucci, Laverne Cox, David Bradley - all do pretty well with a patchy script (patchy sure, but I will admit that it made me laugh a few times...)
Other than that though, Jolt feels so familiar. It doesn't do anything new, which wouldn't be such an issue if it was exciting, but it just isn't. The action scenes are underwhelming, and it leans too heavily into the humorous side of things to be a serious thriller, whilst simultaneously trying too hard at the serious thriller aspect to be overly funny. The twist during the films finale is dumb as well - the whole thing would have worked better as a straightforward revenge flick. I also found the obvious sound stage set completely distracting. The scenery looked like and episode of Friends pretty frequently!
Got to admire the ambition to include a blatant set up for a sequel thats probably never going to happen though (complete with a mid credits scene...)

Jolt is a movie that thinks is smarter than it actually is, but it's entertaining enough (thanks in no small part to Kate Beckinsale) to justify a one time watch.

Kudos

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Saw (2004) in Movies

Sep 26, 2020

Saw (2004)

2004 | Horror

8.1

(56 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

The first Saw film has become tarnished over the years, due to the relentless shit filled wave of increasingly torturous (both for the audience and the characters) sequels, when really, Saw is a relatively low budget but super tight thriller.

The premise of a serial killer who kidnaps people who don't appreciate life itself, puts them in a dire situation, but gives them a chance to escape if they fight hard enough for it, is one that is intriguing, and captured the imagination of thousands - Jigsaw has since become an iconic horror antagonist.
The unlucky victims first time around are played by Cary Elwes and writer Leigh Whannell.
The two of them are situated in a very minimalist setting. It's grimy and nasty. Director James Wan works wonders with what little he has in that respect.
The cast also includes Danny Glover, which is always a win in my book.

The gore on show in Saw is pretty minimal compared to what's to come, but what we do see is effective and was just right - coupled with a plot that keeps the audience guessing until the final minute, it was enough to get everyone talking back in 2004.
And that ending absolutely shattered me on first watch. An iconic 'Gotcha!' moment for the ages.

Saw is a genuinely decent horror thriller and a rewarding experience for those that like a good twist. Just a shame about those sequels!

Kudos

Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated In the Tall Grass (2019) in Movies

Oct 5, 2019

In the Tall Grass (2019)

2019 | Drama, Horror, Thriller

5.4

(30 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Contains spoilers, click to show

When Becky and her brother Cal hear a cry for help coming from a field of tall grass they go in to help. It soon becomes apparent that things are not what they seem in the tall grass.
In The Tall Grass is a Netflix film based on a novella written by Stephen King & Joe Hill. The film is a horror/suspense/thriller with a main cast only six people and only seven actors credited. The six main characters all become trapped in the grass and, like any good thriller it soon becomes apparent that at least one of them cannot be trusted as they get picked off one by one. However, Stephen King had a hand it writing this so you know it’s not going to be a normal film, there are no monsters in this, no killer Clowns and, surprisingly, no scarecrows although I guess that would have been too obvious for anything written by Mr King. There is a dog. The strangeness comes from the way the film plays with time, it soon becomes apparent that something is playing with time and space which leads to some interesting time loops.
In the Tall Grass is an interesting film which does a lot with a very small cast and a field and isn’t a mega long film like some of the other King films. If you can get your head around time loops, then I think it’s well worth a watch.

Kudos

Christine A. (965 KP) rated Labyrinth (FBI Thriller #23) in Books

Oct 11, 2019

Book 23 of the FBI Thriller series

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

Back in 1996, The Cove, the 1st story in Catherine Coulter's FBI Thriller series was published. The 23rd book, Labyrinth was recently published. In the series, readers have been introduced to FBI thrillers with recurring characters. From what I have read about the series, the main characters are Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock, a husband and wife team who are FBI agents.

Although the series has been on my "want to read" list for many years, I have never read any books from the series. When given the opportunity to review Labyrinth, I jumped at the chance. I usually read the rest of the series before reviewing a book, but Labyrinth is the 23rd book in the series, so I decided to forgo my usual routine and read just the one book.

Labyrinth could stand alone as a novel. The story was interesting and easy to follow. The characters were likable and well developed. Reading the earlier novels would help with understanding some of the references but it is not necessary.

I will continue reading the series with the next book but will keep the earlier books on my "to read" list and try to catch up on the series.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 10/11/19.