Jeremy Saulnier’s low-budget revenge thriller, Blue Ruin is a masterclass in suspense, visceral action and dark melodrama. With expressive performances and a stripped-down style, it’s an intelligent vigilante story. Macon Blair stars as Dwight Evans, an emotionally damaged vagrant, who lives out of his car and scavenges for food and money. He is seemingly so […]
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The first John Wick is the definition of a sleeper hit. When it dropped in 2015, it looked like another generic revenge movie, but it turned out to be a terrific, action blast. John Wick: Chapter 2 is bigger, bloodier and builds on everything that happened in its predecessor. You better believe it: the second chapter is […]
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Inherent Vice has a rambled plot which is secondary to characters, incidents and drug-fueled comedy. How do I even begin to review a movie that’s so chaotic? It’s a detective tale and it’s completely riveting in its manic storytelling. It has a one-of-kind style and it’s all about mood and vibe. This is a big […]
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Imagine you lose your memory and forget your past. Everyone becomes a stranger… What would you do? Would you reinvent yourself or try to find your identity? Memory loss is a key feature in Memento and The Bourne Identity. I’m looking into both films in one article. Memento (2000) Leonard (Guy Pearce) looks at a photograph of a dead guy when Memento starts. The […]
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What happens to a good cop in a rotten system? Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) found out the hard way. Serpico is a classic 1970s film dealing with police corruption and it’s based on a true story. Beyond his hippy looks and rogue street tactics, Frank Serpico represents justice. He epitomises a brave and law-abiding person, standing up […]
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Sweet Virginia has a slow, menacing burn, which harks back to the classic street-wise films of the 1970s. I really enjoy these type of movies. They might come across as very straight forward, but hyper-realism is their style. Sweet Virginia is soaked in gritty realism. Its Alaskan setting is a brooding place, where Sam (Jon […]
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There are crime films and then there are TRUE crime films. Zodiac falls into the latter category. It’s based on California’s notorious Zodiac killings, in which the killer in question took great pride in giving clues by sending letters to the press. Yet still, the cops hit brick wall after brick wall in their pursuit. “The Zodiac” was […]
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Taxi Driver: Travis Bickle (Robert DiNero) is a lonely cab driver working a night shift. He’s an insomniac. Cruising through the streets of NY City, he’s disgusted by the sleaze he finds. It drives him over the edge and so he goes wild as a nutty vigilante. 41 years later and this timeless film still has […]
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Who in their right mind would spend 150 million on a sequel to Blade Runner, released in 1982? Sequels are notoriously disappointing and we all know it’s impossible to recreate a classic, especially one as experiential as the original Blade Runner. Its legacy makes it a tough act to follow. So, it feels like an impressive feat that Blade […]
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What more is there to say about Blade Runner that hasn’t already been covered in the past three decades? The first thing I’ll point out is, it requires deep thinking to understand and appreciate. It’s philosophical and thematic. So, its quality will be lost on those who draw a blank at anything a bit “out there”. That’s […]
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Seedy underbellies, anti-heroes, plot twists and moral corruption: you can’t have a film noir without these can you? These highly-stylised crime dramas, which grew out of the 1940s “classic period”, are still alive today, thanks to some creative directors. To clear up any misconceptions, neo-noir is contemporary film noir, with updated themes and content, but […]
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Pure black comedy mixed with crime, murder and mayhem: welcome to Fargo. This film is another winner by the Coen Brothers, two directors that I love. Masters of offbeat, low-key cinema, they always know how to reinvent the wheel. Set in 80s Minnesota, Fargo starts off by telling the audience that what you’re about to see is based […]
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