Category: Crime

“The Continental: From the World of John Wick” – The Teaser Trailer is Here!

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Deal me in.

The three-part event series will explore the origin behind the iconic hotel-for-assassins centerpiece of the John Wick universe through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott, as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970’s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind. Winston charts a deadly course through the hotel’s mysterious underworld in a harrowing attempt to seize the hotel where he will eventually take his future throne.

“The Night Agent”: Season 1 (2023) starring Gabriel Basso & Luciane Buchanan / Z-View

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The Night Agent: Season 1 (2023)

Teleplay by: Shawn Ryan (ep. 1 & 2); Munis Rashid & Shawn Ryan (ep. 3); Seth Fisher (ep. 4 & 10); Corey Deshon (ep. 5); Imogen Browder (ep. 6); Tiffany Shaw Ho (ep. 7); Rachel Wolf (ep. 8); Munis Rashid (ep. 9)

Directed by: Seth Gordon (ep. 1 & 2); Guy Ferland (ep. 3 & 5); Ramaa Mosley (ep. 4 & 6); Adam Arkin (ep. 7 & 8); Millicent Shelton (ep. 9 & 10)

Stars: Gabriel Basso, Luciane Buchanan, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei, Enrique Murciano, D.B. Woodside, Hong Chau, Christopher Shyer, Kari Matchett, Jessie Liang, Andres Collantes, Philip Prajoux, Greyston Holt, Robert Patrick, Tim Kelleher and Paolina van Kleef

Tagline:  Heroes Aren’t Born. They Answer the Call.

The Plot…

After FBI Agent Peter Sutherland (Basso) thwarts a terrorist bombing, he is offered a low-level position in the White House.  Sutherland is given the 8pm – 4am shift manning a phone that never rings.  The phone is a last-ditch safety line for agents in trouble.  The job is tedious and boring.  The phone never rings.

Until one night it does.

Rose Larkin (Buchanan) is a civilian who says she was given the number by her Aunt and Uncle after someone broke into their house.  She escaped to a neighbor’s place, but someone is coming after her.  She thinks her Aunt and Uncle may have been murdered.

With that call Peter Sutherland finds himself in the middle of a conspiracy.  Nothing is what it seems.  Someone in the White House could be planning the murder of the President.  In way over his head, Sutherland doesn’t know who to trust as the conspiracy grows and his superiors begin to distrust him.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I loved The Night Agent.  It’s fast moving, full of action, plays with the troupes of the genre, has twists, likeable leads, and unlikable (but interesting) villains.

Gabriel Basso and Luciane Buchanan are the leads.  They have chemistry but don’t (as you might expect) immediately fall for each other.  I liked that Buchanan wasn’t just a damsel in distress.  Both Basso and Buchanan get many opportunities to display their prowess with action scenes.

The Night Agent is well cast.  Supporting the leads are Robert Patrick, Fola Evans-Akingbola, Sarah Desjardins, Eve Harlow, Phoenix Raei and D.B. Woodside.  They’re all perfect for their roles. There are two additional actresses stole that deserve special mention.  Eve Harlow and Hong Chau owned every scene that they were in.

Part of the fun of The Night Agent is trying to figure out who is behind the conspiracy and why. If you’re a fan of 24, Reacher, Jack Ryan and the like, then this one is for you.

The Night Agent: Season 1 (2023) earns 5 of 5 stars.

“Watcher” (2022) starring Maika Monroe / Z-View

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Watcher (2022)

Director:  Chloe Okuno

Writer: Chloe Okuno based on the screenplay by Zack Ford

Stars: Maika Monroe, Karl Glusman, Burn Gorman

Tagline:  Evil Wants to be Seen.

The Plot…

Julia (Monroe) and Francis (Glusman) are newlyweds. They’ve just moved to Bucharest, Romania for Francis’ job,  While Francis is at work, Julia is alone.  She doesn’t know anyone and isn’t able to speak the language.  When Julia sees a man in the apartment across the street constantly staring into her apartment, it begins to creep her out.  Then she notices a man following her.  Julia tells her husband but he thinks it’s just her nerves.

When Julia learns that a serial killer known as The Spider is torturing and beheading women in Bucharest, she is sure that the killer is planning for her to be his next victim.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Maika Monroe is very good in this role.  I look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

Chloe Okuno adapted Zack Ford’s screenplay.  Ford had originally set the story in Brooklyn.  It was a smart move to change the location to Bucharest.  It made Julia even more isolated and increased the probability that her nerves were playing tricks on her.

Burn Gorman was excellent as the creepy neighbor.

Watcher is a slow burn.  The ending plays with the viewer.  Overall there’s a Hitchcock feel to the film and that’s never a bad thing.

Watcher (2022) rates 3 of 5 stars.

 “Spiral: From the Book of Saw” (2021) starring Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson & Max Minghella / Z-View

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 Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)

Director:  Darren Lynn Bousman

Writer: Josh Stolberg, Peter Goldfinger

Stars: Chris Rock, Samuel L. Jackson, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Richard Zeppieri, Ali Johnson, Edie Inksetter, Nazneen Contractor and Chad Camilleri.

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

When an off-duty cop is found murdered in a subway, clues indicate the killer is a fan of Jigsaw, the deceased serial killer.  Jigsaw would trap, incapacitate his victims and then kill them using elaborate methods causing pain and disfigurement.  Detective Zeke Banks (Rock) and rookie Detective William Schenk (Minghella) are assigned to the case.

As Banks and Schenk follow leads, more cops are found murdered by Spiral.  Each murder strikes closer to Banks’ circle of fellow officers,,, and now Banks’ father is missing.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

I was a fan of the original Saw.  The sequels that I watched (I haven’t seen them all) put more emphasis on gory, bizarre methods of murder.  I realize that is part of the appeal of these movies, but I prefer to see the set-up and let my imagination do the rest.  I was hoping that Spiral would be more of a serial killer mystery with less emphasis on gore.

There’s a twist at the end that for my money works.

Darren Lynn Bousman directed Saw sequels 2, 3 and 4.  I liked the choices he made in Spiral (well, except for some of the torture scenes),

Chris Rock impressed me in Fargo and I enjoyed him here.  Samuel L. Jackson elevates any movie.  I’d never seen anything with Max Minghella before.  He does an excellent job, especially in the film’s final set piece.

Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021) rates 3 of 5 stars.

“Transmission” – Amazing One Take Short by Mikhail Parkhomenko!

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Transmission is a short created by Mikhail Parkhomenko.  It’s less than a minute long, tells a story in dramatic fashion in one take all filmed with a drone.  After the video, there is a link to see how Transmission was done.  It’s also worth a look.  I’d love to see Parkhomenko given a big budget action film!

Transmission — a short looped thriller shot in one long take entirely on a fpv drone. Shot on GoPro 11. Part of “Impossible Shot” series.

“Luther: The Fallen Sun” (2023) starring Idris Elba / Z-View

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Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Director:  Jamie Payne

Writer:  Neil Cross (based on characters Cross created for the BBC Television series)

Stars: Idris Elba, Cynthia Erivo, Andy Serkis, Dermot Crowley, Vincent Regan, Ross Waiton and Carl Spencer

Tagline:  None.

The Plot…

Detective Chief Inspector John Luther (Elba) is on the case of a serial killer who first kidnaps and blackmails his victims. When the serial killer, David Robey (Serkis) learns that Luther is closing in, Robey uses his use wealth and technology to learn of illegal steps that Luther took in the past to bring criminals to justice.  Luther stands trial and is sentenced to prison.

While in prison, Robey taunts Luther with a video showing Robey committing a recent murder.  Luther works with friends to set up a prison break so that he can track down Robey.  With the police on his trail, Luther closes in on the killer.  Robey knows Luther is coming and has a plan to make Luther his next victim.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

It’s great to see Elba return to the character that made him famous.  I’d love to see more Luther movies.  There was talk that Elba would make a great 007.  The ending of Luther: Fallen Sun makes that unnecessary.

Kudos to Jamie Payne for his direction.  I look forward to seeing what Payne does next.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023) rates 4 of 5 stars.