Tag: 2018

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Movie Review

Black Water (2018) Movie Review

Black Water – Movie Review

Read our review of the movie Black Water. Discover a thrilling story of espionage, betrayal, and escape on a CIA submarine.

Director: Pasha Patriki

Writer: Chad Law, Tyler W Konney, Richard Switzer (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A deep-cover operative awakens to find himself imprisoned in a CIA black site on a submarine.

Runtime: 1 Hour 44 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Black Water starts when undercover operative Wheeler (Van Damme) is captured and thrown to a CIA black site. He is contained in a submarine as Ferris (Kilpatrick) wants answers for a missing item. However, Wheeler gets double-crossed and must fend for himself.

Wheeler joins forces with inmate Marco (Lundgren) as they plan an escape. The pair team up with guard Cass (Waltz) as they must fight their way off the submarine. However, they are now seen as a threat to everyone on board, leading to them getting hunted down. Can they escape before it is too late?

Verdict on Black Water

Black Water is an action thriller following a doubled-crossed undercover operative. He gets captured and turned on by his handlers and thrown in a black site. Once captured, he must learn who to trust as he searches for a way to clear his name.

This movie takes us on a corrupt mission which sees an expert agent turned on. It creates a contained environment to keep the action tight and with limitations. Even if most of the action is similar throughout each scene with more shooting than fighting sequences. It is a fun little late-night action movie, but never lives up to the potential the lead stars could unleash on the movie.

Where to Watch

a
JustWatch

Final Thoughts –Black Water is an entertaining late-night action movie.

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Movie Review

The Row (2018) Movie Review

The Row – Movie Review

Read our review of The Row, a thrilling horror film that follows a college freshman as she uncovers dark secrets within her sorority house.

ABC Film Challenge – Horror – Y (Narali Yura)

Director: Matty Beckerman (Alien Abduction)

Writer: Sarah Scougal (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A college freshman discovers a dark secret about the sorority house she’s pledging for after a series of murders terrorize the campus.

Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Row starts when Riley Cole (Kent) starts college and along with her best friend Becks (Frampton) looks to join a sorority. However, her overprotective detective father (Couture) warns her about what is expected. Soon after she joins the college a serial killer starts operating around campus picking of the sorority sisters.

When Riley starts diving into the history of the sorority, she learns her mother was involved in one of the most notorious incidents. However, her father is keeping the truth from her, even if it could be connected to the killer’s motive.

Verdict on The Row

The Row is a horror thriller following a sorority girl learning more about her late mother’s past. However, a killer has arrived on campus and starts picking off the girls. Her father must learn the truth before it is too late.

This is a largely forgettable horror movie that uses the sorority stalking killer. It dives into what could have happened in the past and how dumb college students are. When it comes to motivation, it works well and is the strength of the movie. The performances don’t impress and by the end of the movie, you will be happy it is over.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – The Row is a lifeless horror slasher.

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Movie Review

The Toybox (2018) Movie Review

The Toybox – Movie Review

Toybox

Director: Tom Nagel

Writer: Jeff Denton, Jeff Miller, Brian Nagel (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: An estranged family take a trip to the desert in their used RV but become stranded and isolated in the scorching terrain. They soon learn their RV holds terrible, haunting secrets, and it starts killing them off one by one.

Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Toybox starts when a family, Charles (Wioland), Steve (Denton), Jennifer (Richards), Jay (Nagel) and Olivia (Michelle) set out on an RV vacation. They have come together after a painful year to try and reconnect and move on after a loss in the family. Along the way, they pick up two stranded people Samantha (Barton) and Mark (Mercer).

However, after an incident sees the RV get trapped in the desert, people start getting killed. This leads to a series of strange events happening around the family, as they learn the RV has a much darker history.

Verdict on The Toybox

The Toybox is a horror thriller following a family that finds themselves stranded in the desert after their RV breaks down. However, that isn’t the worst part of their story, they find out the RV is haunted and is looking to kill anyone inside.

On paper, this is an interesting concept by having the travellers struggle to battle an unseen presence. However, it does a few things that are confusing, that lead us down a strange path. First, it doesn’t seem to know whether it is committing to one presence or not. Like, we see others, but they don’t seem to have any impact on what we see unfolding. It seems to set up one type of presence and then never use it.

The movie doesn’t hold back in everything we see as the family deals with their own personal problems. However, it seems to leave us in a strange position by the end. The performances are strong and help with the personal and horrific nature of everything.

Final Thoughts – The Toybox is a solid late-night horror movie.

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Movie Review

Night Hunter (2018) Movie Review

Night Hunter – Movie Review

Discover the gripping plot of Night Hunter, a suspenseful crime film featuring Henry Cavill, Ben Kingsley, and Alexandra Daddario in lead roles.

Director: David Raymond

Writer: David Raymond (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A weathered Lieutenant, his police force, and a local vigilante are all caught up in a dangerous scheme involving a troubled, recently-arrested man who’s linked to years of female abductions and murders.

Runtime: 1 Hour 38 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Night Hunter starts when a young woman dies trying to escape a serial killer. Weathered Lieutenant Marshall (Cavill) picks up the case and must work with Commissioner Harper (Tucci) and Rachel (Daddario) to solve the case. However, they stumble across something far more dangerous in a serial killer.

Meanwhile, Cooper (Kingsley) has been hunting down paedophiles with a young woman and teaching them a lesson. However, his latest target escapes and he is captured. Marshall must lead the hunt with Cooper to save the latest victim and any potential victims the killer has. However, the mystery has a lot more left for the detectives to solve.

Verdict on Night Hunter

Night Hunter is a dark action thriller following a Lieutenant leading an investigation into a serial killer. However, his investigation gets compromised by a vigilante targeting paedophiles and a killer who knows how to stay out of the limelight.

This movie brings us an excellent mystery in hunting a serial killer. It goes against many of the normal in the game to stay ahead, along with the vigilante side story. This brings a personal connection to what is going on and leads us down a dangerous path to uncover the truth. It brings plenty of shocks in how the story unfolds and isn’t afraid to bring a disturbing nature to everything. We get a great cast who bring a level of intensity to the movie and by the end, it will have kept you wondering what could happen next.

Where to Watch

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JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Night Hunter is an intense thriller which constantly keeps you guessing.

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Movie Review

The Wedding Guest (2018) Movie Review

The Wedding Guest – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – W – The Wedding Guest – Movie Review

The Wedding Guest – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – W – The Wedding Guest - Movie Review

Director: Michael Winterbottom

Writer: Michael Winterbottom (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A story centered on a mysterious British Muslim man on his journey across Pakistan and India.

Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Wedding Guest starts when Jay (Patel) arrives in Pakistan to do a certain job. His job involves taking Samira (Apte) from her impending wedding and giving her an option she hasn’t faced before. After Jay abducts Samira, he gives her the options and takes her to India.

However, once the journey starts, the plans change, and Jay is forced to think on his feet. Although, his new relationship with Samira could change everything, as the case starts to make the headlines.

Verdict on The Wedding Guest

The Wedding Guest is a thriller following a man who has been paid to save a woman from a marriage she doesn’t want. However, the plan goes astray and now the two are on the run as she starts to fall in love with her.

This is a thriller that highlights how people might not always be prepared to marry in some cultures. It shows the importance of free choice while creating the tension of a couple on the run. This shows people wanting their own lives and doing everything to achieve it.

Final Thoughts – The Wedding Guest is a nice thriller about finding the life you want.

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Movie Review

Pimped (2018) Movie Review

Pimped – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – P – Pimped – Movie Review

Pimped – ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – P – Pimped - Movie Review

Director: David Barker

Writer: David Barker, Lou Mentor (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Two twisted housemates lure an unbalanced woman into a sexual trap, with murderous results.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Pimped starts when Lewis (Samuel) and his friend Kenneth (Goldsworthy) go in search of women. When the pair return home with Sarah (Lynch), they trick her into a sexual trap. However, the tables get turned on the guys and now the women have control.

As the night unfolds, Lewis and Sarah must look to keep things covered up as they both have their own plans. However, the night starts to become even more deadly for the pair as they look to maintain control of the situation.

Verdict on Pimped

Pimped is a crime thriller following a man who conducts a con with women, only to find the latest victim to have their own plan for him. It sees them needing to stay ahead of each other’s plans if they are going to get control of the situation.

This is an interesting thriller that touches on sensitive subjects. It has a twisted concept that keeps us guessing as to where it might go next. However, the unlikely friendship angle only makes things uncomfortable to watch when you know what has happened already. This gets the message of revenge over entitled people done but it goes about it in a strange direction.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – Pimped creates an uncomfortable viewing experience.

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Movie Review

The Dark Red (2018) Movie Review

The Dark Red: Dan Bush’s Supernatural Thriller Movie Review

ABC Film Challenge – Thriller – D

The Dark Red: Dan Bush's Supernatural Thriller Movie Review

Director: Dan Bush (The Vault)

Writer: Dan Bush, Conal Byrne (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A young woman is committed to a psychiatric hospital and claims her newborn was stolen by a secret society to harvest its supernatural blood.

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Dark Red starts when Sybil (Billingsley) finds herself in a psychiatric hospital. Dr Deluce (Scott) is trying to understand how she ended up there and listens to her story. Sybil claims to have had her child stolen by a secret society and can read people’s minds.

As the story unfolds, Dr Deluce becomes conflicted about what to believe. This is because one side of the story becomes incredibly convincing. However, she doesn’t know where to stand, as the story takes many unexpected turns along the way.

Verdict on The Dark Red

The Dark Red is a mystery thriller following a woman is a psychiatric hospital. She is being treated for mental health problems but believes her newborn child was taken from her. Now, she must prove it if she is to be released. However, her story is difficult for the medical team to believe.

This is an interesting thriller that dives into deeper conspiracies which keeps you guessing throughout the movie. It does an excellent job of balancing reality and mental illness before letting everything unfold. There are strong performances throughout the movie where April Billingsley shines in the leading role.

Where to Watch

JustWatch

Final Thoughts – The Dark Red is filled with a conspiracy waiting to be explored.

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Movie Review

Alive (2018) Movie Review

Alive – Movie Review

Alive

Director: Rob Grant

Writer: Chuck McCue, Jules Vincent (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A severely injured man and woman awake in an abandoned sanitarium only to discover that a sadistic caretaker holds the keys to their freedom and the horrific answers as to their real identity.

Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Alive starts when a man (Cocquerel) and woman (Stopps) wake up in an injured state. A man (Macfadyen) claiming to be caring for them, is trying to bring them back to health. However, he starts putting them through a gruelling series of trials to prove they are ready to recover.

The two patients try to figure out how they got there and who they are. However, each clue only leads them down a path without any answers. As they search, they get to learn a much more disturbing truth.

Verdict on Alive

Alive is a horror thriller following two strangers who wake up injured and under the care of a man. They don’t know what happened to them and find themselves dealing with a series of tests to see if they can recover. However, they start to believe they are being controlled enough to remain injured and heal.

This does create an interesting mystery as to why they are there. While also including the shock of what the man has been doing to the victims. There doesn’t seem to be much behind the body horror it is suggesting, and it is the final act that brings the biggest shock to the story.

Final Thoughts – Alive takes its time getting going but is saved by a shock ending.

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Movie Review

King of Thieves (2018) Movie Review

King of Thieves – ABC Film Challenge – Set in England – K – King of Thieves – Movie Review

King of Thieves

Director: James Marsh

Writer: Joe Penhall (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: A true crime movie about a crew of retired crooks who pull off a major heist in London’s jewellery district. What starts off as their last criminal hurrah, quickly turns into a brutal nightmare due to greed.

Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: King of Thieves starts when a seasoned veteran thief Brian Reader (Caine) sees his wife pass away. He decides to bring his most trusted team Terry (Broadbent), Kenny (Courtenay), Danny (Winstone) and Carl (Whitehouse) together for another job. Basil (Cox) introduces them to the idea of the job in the Hatten Garden district.

The team put their plan together to commit one of the biggest robberies in history. They use each other’s skills and deal with their own problems until the robbery turns into a nightmare for the former friends.

Verdict on King of Thieves

King of Thieves is a crime thriller following the real robbery of the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit Company. It follows the experienced crew that comes together for the job and ends up showing how it caused a bigger rift between them.

This being based on the real robbery helps us know the bigger picture going on. However, the way the team completely fall apart only makes this confusing, as it makes zero sense why they fell out so quickly. On the heist side of things, it is everything you would have come to expect through the years. This could have been a lot more entertaining if we had followed more of the investigation behind them, instead of a montage.

The movie gets the most out of the English cast, whom all get to have a lot of fun with their roles. There may well be one or two more than required old people jokes, but it works for the basic idea of the heist team.

Final Thoughts – King of Thieves starts in style but fizzles out by the end.