Plot: After the death of her sister, a woman is visited by a man looking to solve a series of murders by a motorcycle maniac. As their shared fear grows, the killer’s rampage continues, leaving them both questioning who the real monster is.
Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Death Cycle starts in the aftermath of a drink driving murder, Caterina (Ormond) believes her family is in danger. They call in Luca (Ninaber) to investigate the connections with the sole survivor Abby (Kaster) who might have more answers.
As Luca begins his investigation, he ends up working with Abby to understand who the mysterious motorcycle killer is. There are not many clues, but the question about their motivation becomes clear. It becomes a race to discover their identity before it is too late.
Verdict on Death Cycle
Recap
The movie follows a journalist investigating a string of murders around a family. They have secrets, which have caused massive pain to the victims and used their position of power to stay away from crime. However, the connection to the sole survivor makes it looks like someone close to her has been on a killing spree.
Best Parts
The style the movie tells the story is more unique, with the reporting checking in on what has happened. Rather than having each person getting picked off one by one. It keeps the concept to the basics, despite having a darker tone to what happens. The performances drive the film, as it is easier to side with the original victim and how the world covered everything up.
Worst Parts
It doesn’t create much of a mystery, we can hold it back. There is a chaotic feel which can make it feel a lot more rushed. It feels like we could have seen a couple more sequence in our journey to the final outcome.
Final Thoughts – Death Cycle is an all-out assault on the revenge journey.
Plot: A couple’s vacation at a secluded estate is upended when they’re forced to share the mansion with a mysterious couple. A dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, triggering a battle for survival.
Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Bone Lake starts when Diego (Pigossi) and Sage (Hasson) go on a romantic getaway. However, their trip is interrupted when another couple Will (Roe) and Cin (Nechita) arrive at the mansion too. The couple agree to share the home and get to know each other.
As the weekend unfolds, the awkward interactions occur, as Diego and Sage begin to address their problems. However, the situation becomes more complicated the more they discover in the home.
Verdict on Bone Lake
Recap
The movie follows a romantic getaway which turns into a nightmare when two couple clash in a luxury getaway. It sees how a chance to get someone new spirals into something far more sinister as the weekend unfolds.
Best Parts
The concept about the events of the weekend is interesting and keeps us wondering where things will go. It has plenty of tension throughout the weekend and the performances are fun for the bigger picture.
Worst Parts
The twists and turns are based on a lot of variables which don’t always make as much sense. Elsewhere, it shows the overall weaknesses humans have for trust and how easily people can have their lives fall apart.
Final Thoughts – Bone Lake takes on a new meaning to a nightmare weekend.
Plot: When a traveling stamp dealer gives a ride to a woman on the run from her abusive boyfriend, he soon discovers that their dark pasts are inextricably linked, and that she isn’t just after a ride – she’s after revenge.
Runtime: 1 Hour 23 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Cover starts when stamp collector Trevor (Francis) is travelling across the country. However, he comes across Macy (Lozon) trying to escape her abusive boyfriend. He reluctantly gives her a ride to safety.
Their journey together reveals bigger secrets about each other as they plan on what to do next. However, the secrets reveal the dangers they have stepped into.
Verdict on Cover
Recap
The movie follows a stamp dealer who is travelling across America for the next sale. However, he runs into a woman escaping her abusive boyfriend. But not everything is going to plan on the journey.
Best Parts
The bigger conspiracy about the stamps Trevor is interesting because it is something which could be true. Meanwhile, the bigger story about what is going on is interesting too and keeps us on edge. It is an achievement in tiny budget keeping us a story with plenty of twists and strong performances throughout.
Worst Parts
This has plenty of twists and turn but sometimes it goes for too many and despite the budget, certain moments struggle to have the impact.
Final Thoughts –Cover is a tense thriller with plenty of twist.
Plot: After surviving an assassination attempt, a ruthless criminal hunts for his attacker.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: In a Cold Vein starts when a man, Steve (Gamble) escapes his assassination try by two bumbling hitmen. Injured and on the run, he looks to find s safe place to regroup. However, the hitmen are not the only ones who want him dead, and he must figure out who to trust.
As the night unfolds, Steve shows a much more skilled criminal side, as he fights off the people targeting him. However, the question about why he was targeted begins to take over as he searches for answers.
Verdict on In a Cold Vein
Recap
The movie follows a criminal escaping the hitmen assign to kill him. He must find safety and understand who put the hit out on him. However, he doesn’t know to trust anymore in his life.
Best Parts
This thriller keeps us on edge wondering what has happened to the criminal. Wondering who wanted them dead and why. His story keeps us wondering how bad he is, but most importantly how far he will go for revenge. The performances are great and keep us on edge throughout. However, it is the mystery which keeps this sizzling along nicely.
Worst Parts
This gives us a more traditional criminal fighting back against assassination attempt idea. However, it doesn’t do very much to standout from the crowd of countless movies with the same concept.
Final Thoughts –In a Cold Vein is an entertaining action thriller.
Plot: Described by Deadline Hollywood as the “tragic true story” of Chris Gueffroy, it follows one of the last daring attempts to escape across the infamous Berlin Wall.
Runtime: 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Whispers of Freedom
Recap
The short movie follows Chris Gueffroy as he looks to escape the Berlin Wall and chase his dreams. His parents are against his decision and want him to remain safe. However, his ambitious to see more of the world drive his plans to escape. We follow his plans to escape and how much he risked escaping, but at what cost?
Best Parts
The story of another victim in the bigger picture of a world being held back is always interesting. It shows a small chapter in history which many might not know about and shows how important the changes needed to be. These windows into history and how the world changed in the aftermath are always important and interesting to watch. We get great performances as they show the struggles the characters are going through.
Worst Parts
This is a story which could have been extended, sure the message it shows is important, but it could have been nice to see more of the motivation building up. There is more to the world created to, which could have shown a lot more too.
Final Thoughts – Whispers of Freedom is an important story, with a big message.
Plot: Follows Heather and Carla, who meet after having not spoken in years. Heather is about to present a very unexpected proposition that could change their lives forever.
Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Wasp starts when Heather (Harris) turns to an old classmate Carla (Dormer). She has a proposition for her to kill her abusive husband. When the two meet up to discuss the final plan, things take an unexpected twist.
The two explore their school relationship and how it affected their lives. However, the truth has pushed them to the limits and now they are tested with how far they will go.
Verdict on The Wasp
Recap
The movie follows two former classmates who reunite for an unusual proposal. However, things take a dramatic twist when the truth comes out and the two battle for control of the situation.
Best Parts
The movie uses the idea of two people discussing a plan and what they want. Naomie Harris and Natalie Dormer are both fantastic, with their performances carrying the story perfectly. It has an excellent series of twists in the plans which leave us shocked with where the story goes. This is an excellent example of a tight hour-and-a-half thriller that breaks the mould. It uses the suburban setting to elevate things, too.
Final Thoughts –The Wasp is a perfect example of a great thriller in a tight time frame.
Plot: Risking everything to secure a future for herself and her brother, Lynette sets out on a dangerous odyssey, confronting her own dark past over the course of one propulsive night.
Runtime: 1 Hour 48 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Night Always Comes starts when Lynette (Kirby) is struggling to hold her life together, while supporting her bother Kenny (Gottsagen). However, her mother Doreen (Leigh) is causing problems with money, leading to her turn to desperate measures to make ends meet.
Lynette turns to the people she trusts to help her with monetary problems. However, it means stepping over the law and into a criminal underworld to give her family a future.
Verdict on Night Always Comes
Recap
The movie follows a desperate woman who turns to a life of crime to keep a roof over her and her brothers’ heads. However, things spiral out of control, and she is pushed to the limit about how far she will go.
Best Parts
The performances in the movie are good, we see the levels of desperation the characters are going through. Once things get going it is very tense and shows how far the people will go.
Worst Parts
The problems start with how slow the first half an hour is, and it takes a long time before we get into anything tense. It holds too much back too early, and often leaves us wondering what could have been with a tidier trimmed down introduction.
Final Thoughts – Night Always Comes is a painfully slow thriller.
Plot: A family that has been haunted by an evil spirit for years. Their safety and their surroundings come into question when one of the children questions if the evil is real.
Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Never Let Go starts as we meet Momma (Berry) and her two boys Nolan (Daggs IV) and Samuel (Jenkins). They live in a world where evil roams the surrounding area and they must remain in the home to survive. If they leave, they must stay tied to a rope that protects them.
When they begin to question her methods, they begin to wonder if other people have survived. It leads to a series of morale dilemmas and shocking revelations.
Verdict on Never Let Go
Recap
The movie follows a family living in isolation in the aftermath of an event. They are the only survivors and know that evil will attack them if they go further from their home. However, when they begin questioning their mother’s story, their lives change forever.
Best Parts
The movie does an excellent job of creating the creepy, isolated fear. It makes you believe a bigger danger is coming and has some disturbing encounters. The performances are strong though, as the two young stars shine in the world.
Worst Parts
The movie hints heavily at one outcome, and it never feels like it could go in a different direction. Because of this, things don’t feel as frightening, as it suggests something more serious and disturbing going on, rather than monsters and evil. It never feels like it wants to commit to an ending and wants to add too many twists to the creation.
Final Thoughts –Never Let Go over-complicates a simple story.
Plot: Two lone strangers trekking on the road – a retired Australian policeman with a dog as his only company and widowed English nurse – meet each other and embark on an epic odyssey in the outback of northern Australia.
Runtime: 45 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Darby and Joan Series 2
Episode 1
We return with former detective Jack Darby (Brown) and widowed nurse Joan Kirkhope (Scacchi) return on to their travels. Jack is still trying to prove his innocence in the death on the job and goes in search for the only person who can clear his name. However, on route, the pair stumble into a new mystery surrounding two brothers.
This returns with the bigger story having a few more hints to where things will go. It shows Jack needing to discover the truth before it is too late. However, the mystery the pair find themselves in feels a little lacklustre. The main focus storyline is the best part of the returning episode and keeps us wanting to return to the next episode. (3/5)
Episode 2
Jack and Joan go in search of a missing person who can clear his name. However, a rival cop has followed him. On their journey they discover a woman involved in car crash and investigate the accident. However, they discover a reputation she has and must understand who might have attack her. It takes them through the hospital staff and locals who spread a rumour about the victim.
This gives a new mystery which has plenty of suspects and keeps things about incidents, rather than a murder. It keeps us guessing and most importantly we keep the bigger story about Jack and his past. (4/5)
Episode 3
Joan arranges to meet up with her estranged sister Maxine. The pair travel to a luxury island for a getaway but things take a drastic turn. Elsewhere, Lizzy (Anderson) continues investigate the case against her father, as she notices a bigger cover up in play. Meanwhile, when one of the hosts is kidnaped, Jack and Joan investigate the case and make a discover about the other guests.
This gives us another fun mystery to solve and the building romantic tension between the two continues to grow. It shows more personal growth for Joan as each episode continues to offer this. As well as the bigger story around Jack’s case. It is coming together nicely with light-hearted mystery, that continue to step away from murder mystery. (4/5)
Episode 4
In the aftermath of the shocking events in the last episode, Jack and Joan face a difficult decision on where to go next. The pair visit a local vineyard for an event. However, an unexpected fire breaks out in the vines leading the pair to investigate what caused it. Jack begins investigating the bigger case, as the vines crime creates a bigger mystery.
We continue the bigger mystery about Jack’s former case. It has opened to a new direction which keeps us wanting to know how this will unfold. Meanwhile, the episode case is interesting and has a few twists and turns to make things click together nicely. Even if it isn’t the biggest one in the series. (3/5)
Episode 5
Joan receives an unexpected call from Maxine who reveals she has got engaged. However, her new fiancée is unknown to most and he collapses. Joan and Jack investigate what could have caused it and discover Maxine’s new life is more complicated.
This slows down the bigger story and puts more focus on Joan’s journey. We only get a small glimpse into Jack’s bigger case. However, the mystery has plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep us full invested. (3/5)
Episode 6
This episode begins with the location of the person who can clear Jack’s name. However, she reveals the bigger truth about how she survived and avoided capture. Only for the case to begin hitting closer to home, but the new clue could finally clear Jack’s name.
This brings the biggest case full circle as the clues could finally solve the bigger mystery. It intensifies the suspect pool, as Jack is more known to the potential killer or killers. This is a great conclusion to the series, which has kept us wanting more through every episode. (4/5)
Overall
The series maintains the quirky friendship between Jack and Joan as they travel around Australia. It does something different than most mysteries shows, where we rarely touch a murder case outside of the biggest one around Jack’s case. This keeps it refreshing for a mystery show. The chemistry between Bryan Brown and Greta Scacchi is excellent and it keeps us wanting to return for more.
Final Thoughts – Darby and Joan Series 2 is a delightful road trip mysteries series.
