Tag: Thriller

Categories
Movie Review

Swing Bout (2024) Movie Review

Swing Bout – Movie Review

Swing Bout offers an intense behind-the-scenes look at a boxing event, highlighting chaos and personal dilemmas faced by a young boxer.

First Reaction – Swing Bout is an intense glimpse into the chaos behind the scenes of a boxing event.

Where to Watch

Swing Bout will be available on Digital Download from 12th May and can be pre-ordered.

Director: Maurice O’Carroll

Writer: Maurice O’Carroll (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Ciara Berkeley (Normal People)
  • Chrissie Cronin
  • Sinead O’Riordan
  • Ben Condron (Bully)
  • Frank Prendergast

Plot: Set backstage at a major boxing event, a young boxer is plunged into a tumultuous journey from the dressing room to her ring walk in a night of deceit, betrayal, and life-altering decisions.

Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Swing Bout starts on the night of a big boxing event. The promoter Micko (Prendergast) isn’t pleased with how the card is shaping up and wants to shake it up. However, Micko runs a promotion that throws fights. The latest card sees young boxer Tony (Berkeley) getting the shot of a lifetime against Vicki (Cronin).

Tony sees this as her chance to make a name for herself, but her trainer, Emma (O’Riordan), must break the news of her role in the fight. As the night rolls on, Micko finds his past catching up with him, and Tony must make a decision that will defy her future.

Verdict on Swing Bout

Recap

The movie follows the behind-the-scenes events of a boxing event. A young boxer is given a massive opportunity but must follow instructions. Elsewhere, the tension flies, and the promoter’s past begins to catch up with him.

Best Parts

The movie does an excellent job of showing the tension behind the scenes at a boxing event. It uses the chaos behind preparing for the big night and shows the ups and downs which can come their way. What takes this another step ahead of the game is not showing the boxing, just the hype behind the fights and the aftermath of others. The performances are fantastic and bring the colourful characters of this world to life.

Worst Parts

This is more about expectations, as people who go in wanting to see a boxing in-ring action movie, they will not get any of that.

Final Thoughts –Swing Bout is an intense, chaotic movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Dimension Slip (2024) Movie Review

Dimension Slip – Movie Review

Dimension Slip is a captivating film featuring a woman navigating parallel dimensions to solve a murder while grappling with her dual identity.

First Reaction – Dimension Slip brings a fresh spin to dimensional travel.

Where to Watch

Dimension Slip released On digital 28 April from Miracle Media

Director: Barbara Toschi

Writer: Jason Fite (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Sophie Craig (A Working Man)
  • Andrew Norman
  • Derek Nelson
  • Kierath Jandoo (Shades of Desires)
  • Perry Mavrides (EastEnders)

Plot: Kate, a troubled young women wakes up in a parallel dimension and assumes her double’s identity in order to solve her attempted murder.

Runtime: 1 Hour 39 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Dimension Slip starts when Kate (Craig) wakes up in a parallel dimension where her other identity, Hannah (Craig), has been murdered. She must learn about Hannah’s life and adapt to the people she has never met. However, the danger and killer are still there, and she must figure out who is behind it.

However, the people in Hannah’s life begin to notice the changes in her life. This puts a race against time to solve the murder and return to her original timeline.

Verdict on Dimension Slip

Recap

The movie follows a woman who finds herself transported between dimensions. However, the other world gives her a better life, but she must figure out who is trying to kill her. Meanwhile, the suspect must be someone in the life, and the connection seems to be broken.

Best Parts

The concept is very interesting, showing the two different lives Hannah and Kate live through. It has a nice mystery of someone entering a world needing to solve a murder. Sophie Craig is great in the leading role, as she plays the dual roles wonderfully.

Worst Parts

The different lives are very different, but have too many of the same people in. It doesn’t seem to bring enough to show how life could be different with people you meet.

Final Thoughts –Dimension Slip is an interesting spin on dimensional travel.

Categories
Movie Review

Jewel Thief: THe Heist Begins (2025) Movie Review

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins – Movie Review

Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is a thrilling heist film featuring double-crosses, love triangles, and a gripping mission for redemption.

First Reaction – Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is fun, over-the-top and easy to watch.

Watch the movie on Netflix now.

Director: Robbie Grewal, Kookie Gulati

Writer: Sumit Arora (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Nikita Dutta (Haasil)
  • Saif Ali Khan
  • Jaideep Ahlawat (Jaane Jaan)
  • Kunal Kapoor
  • Ujjawal Gauraha

Plot: A master thief accepts a mission to steal the legendary African Red Sun diamond. What begins as a meticulously planned heist spirals into a dangerous game of double-crosses and shifting loyalties.

Runtime: 1 Hour 56 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins starts when ruthless gangster Rajan (Ahlawat) recruits master thief Rehan Roy (Khan) on his latest heist. Rehan takes a liking to Rajan’s wife Farah (Dutta), as he plans to do one final job to get his father to accept him again. However, when the heist begins coming together, Rehan discovers he might be in over his head.

The heist is about stealing the African Red Sun Diamond. However, the heist becomes more complicated when the authorities understand the diamond is in danger.

Verdict on Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins

Recap

The movie follows a ruthless gangster who hires a master thief to complete a job for him. However, the thief is trying to clean up his act, and the gangster isn’t willing to take no for an answer. We follow the heist that takes the characters across the world.

Best Parts

The movie gives us a fun heist movie, where we have characters from different worlds coming together for a heist. We have a thief trying to redeem themselves and a ruthless gangster who uses his power to get what he wants. Add in a love triangle and an international twist of a series of locations.

Worst Parts

The police side of the story feels like an afterthought, as most elite heist movies have a detective hot on the heels. It can go a little bit too over the top, which is more of a positive and negative throughout the film.

Final Thoughts –Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins is a fun heist movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Healing Towers (2025) Movie Review

Healing Towers – Movie Review

Healing Towers follows a detective and journalist investigating a psychiatrist's disturbing therapy program, revealing dark secrets and failed potential for deeper storytelling.

First Reaction – Healing Towers doesn’t hit the extremes presented.

Where to Watch

HEALING TOWERS ON DIGITAL AND ON DEMAND APRIL 22

Director: Shuja Paul

Writer: Shuja Paul (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: The detective’s search for his missing daughter reveals a link to a brilliant psychiatrist’s twisted treatment program, which forces his deranged patients to act out their dark fantasies on innocent victims.

Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Healing Towers begins when disgraced detective Joe Coolridge (Keegan) continues his search for his daughter. His previous hunts have tarnished his career, and he has yet to find any answers. Elsewhere, journalist Julia (Leigh) is investigating missing people, including her best friend.

When the two begin working together, they discover Dr Mark Healer (McNamara) has been conducting dream therapy. However, what they discover is far more disturbing and his experiments go much further than anyone expected.

Verdict on Healing Towers

Recap

The movie follows a detective and a journalist teaming up to investigate the strange goings-on in a hospital. However, they discover a much darker series of events happening in the hospital and must bring an end to the torture.

Best Parts

The movie uses an interesting concept of the victims being selected and how a doctor believes they are helping others. It shows how easily it can go on in secret and how people can become victims.

Worst Parts

It wants to push things to the extreme but ends up holding things back. There seems to be a sub-plot happening in the same, which is far darker but doesn’t get enough attention. If we had focused solely on the doctor’s experiments, we could see are far darker story. The performances are not the strongest either, as it never feels as intense as the presented scenes.

Final Thoughts –Healing Towers takes a disturbing walk into extreme therapy.

Categories
Movie Review

iHostage (2025) Movie Review

iHostage – Movie Review

iHostage is a hostage thriller set in an Amsterdam Apple Store, focusing on a gunman’s demands and police negotiations based on true events.

First Reaction – iHostage is a by-the-book hostage movie.

Watch iHostage on Netflix now.

Director: Bobby Boermans

Writer: Simon de Waal (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Soufiane Moussouli
  • Admir Sehovic
  • Emmanuel Ohene Boafo
  • Fockeline Ouwerkerk

Plot: When a gunman enters an Apple Store in the heart of Amsterdam, the police face a delicate challenge to resolve the standoff. Based on true events.

Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: iHostage starts when a lone gunman takes over an Apple Store in the middle of Amsterdam. The police quickly lock the area down and he keeps one hostage. Other workers and shoppers hide in the building as a negotiator tries to solve the situation.

As the team work on the solution, the gunman makes his demands, and the negotiator keeps the situation calm. However, things begin to reveal the bigger motivations behind the hostage situation. It becomes a race to solve the standoff before anyone gets hurt.

Verdict on iHostage

Recap

The movie follows a lone gunman who takes over an Apple store. He makes strict demands as a negotiator tries to calm the situation. However, the motivation remains unclear, and it becomes a battle to solve the problem.

Best Parts

When it comes to any hostage movie, we need a good hook, strong performances, and interesting conversation in the standoff. It balances the tension nicely without feeling overly threatening. Because this is based on real events, we don’t need things to become too cinematic either.

Worst Parts

This might not be for everyone who is expecting a cinematic movie. It is more thriller than action and struggles to develop any characters into larger than life. Again, this weakness is because it is based on a true story.

Final Thoughts – iHostage is a solid, entertaining thriller.

Categories
Movie Review

Karaganda: Red Mafia (2025) Movie Review

Karaganda: Red Mafia- Movie Review

Karaganda: Red Mafia is a conventional gangster film about reputation, revenge, and family ensnared in mafia conflict.

First Reaction – Karaganda: Red Mafia is a by-the-book gangster movie.

Watch Karaganda: Red Mafia on Streaming from 22nd April

Director: Max Weissberg

Writer: Nina Gortinski, Max Weissberg (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Konstantin Lavysh
  • Irina Dubova (Abigail)
  • Nikita Bogolyubov
  • Ilia Volok (Gemini Man)
  • Martin Harris (Voice of Shadows)
  • Richie Stephens

Plot: After destroying a Russian airbase in a botched arms deal, Vladimir, a Brighton Beach gangster, must survive the ensuing mafia war and keep his family safe.

Runtime: 1 Hour 51 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Karaganda: The Red Mafia starts when Vladimir (Lavysh) sees his latest deal go horribly wrong. He finds himself in the middle of a Mafia War and needs to recover his reputation. However, he must rebuild from prison as he has been captured for his part in the deal.

Vladimir must use his connections to regain favour with the gang and reunite with his family. However, it comes at a cost he isn’t prepared for.

Verdict on Karaganda: Red Mafia

Recap

The movie follows a gangster whose deal goes wrong, leading him to take on a series of problems. He ends up locked up and must rebuild his reputation while getting revenge on the people who took advantage of the situation.

Best Parts

It plays out like the basic revenge mobster movie with how Vladimir plans to recover. The performances are strong throughout despite some of the story’s flaws.

Worst Parts

This doesn’t bring too much freshness to the gangster story. It doesn’t invest us into their world enough and seems to jump around a timeline, too. There is a big lack of focus in the storytelling process here.

Final Thoughts –Karaganda: Red Mafia is a by-the-book gangster movie.

Categories
Movie Review

Q & A (1990) Movie Review

Q & A – Movie Review

Discover the intense corruption thriller Q & A. Read our review and get a first reaction to this gripping movie.

First Reaction – Q & A is a tense corruption thriller.

Watch Q & A Here

a
JustWatch

ABC Film Challenge – Action – Q

Director: Sidney Lumet

Writer: Sidney Lumet (Screenplay)

Writer: Edwin Torres (Book)

Cast

Plot: Dirty cop Mike Brennan thinks he got away with murder. But during a routine Q&A, the righteous assistant DA finds a clue that sets them both on a collision course.

Runtime: 2 Hours 12 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Q & A starts when dirty cop Mike Brennan (Nolte) murders an innocent person. He claims self-defence and most of the force believe his story. However, young DA Al Reilly (Hutton) is assigned to investigate the case and starts questioning Mike’s story.

Al must risk his reputation to take on Mike, who has most of the force behind him and can push people to do whatever he wants. However, could he go too far and leave too many clues to his murder or continue in his dirty operations?

Verdict on Q & A

Recap

The movie follows a dirty cop who has been getting away with murders for years. However, his latest one finds him under investigation from the District Attorney. It becomes a battle between the two, with one wanting to do the right thing and the other wishing to continue their corrupt ways.

Best Parts

This movie doesn’t shy away from the corrupt cop’s actions; in fact, he tends to flaunt his behaviour. It shows just how ruthless they are and how much needs to be cleaned up by the DA. This creates a battle that shows how corrupt the system has become and how much needs cleaning before it is too late. The performances are fantastic too, with Nick Nolte and Timothy Hutton shining in their roles.

Worst Parts

This is a movie that pushes the boundaries of the era, it can push people the wrong way with how the corrupt cop operates. It falls into the typical racial stereotypes that can be seen to upset people.

Final Thoughts –Q & A is a great thriller which keeps you guessing.

Categories
Movie Review

Den of Thieves: Pantera (2025) Movie Review

Gerard Butler as 'Big Nick' O'Brien in DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA. Photo Credit: Rico Torres for Lionsgate

Den of Thieves: Pantera – Movie Review

Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien in DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA. Photo Credit: Rico Torres for Lionsgate

First Reaction – Den of Thieves: Pantera has an intense heist but is a bit slow getting to it.

Where to Watch

Den of Thieves: Pantera is streaming exclusively on Prime Video 25 April.

Director: Christian Gudegast

Writer: Christian Gudegast (Screenplay)

Cast

Plot: Big Nick is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie, who is embroiled in the treacherous world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.

Runtime: 2 Hours 24 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Den of Thieves: Pantera starts when Big Nick (Butler) learns that Donnie (Jackson Jr) is on a new job. He tracks him down discovering him in the middle of a diamond heist from the Panther Mafia. The pair must work together to complete the job.

However, the Mafia have other plans and the two face a bigger threat. Meanwhile, their past difference cause a strain, despite knowing how gifted the other is. Can they complete the job before it is too late?

Verdict on Den of Thieves: Pantera

Recap

The movie follows Big Nick and Donnie teaming up for a daring diamond heist. However, they have tangled with the Panther Mafia and find themselves facing bigger challenges than expected.

Best Parts

The heist is an intense sequence and worth waiting for. We get great performances and Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr work extremely well together. If you enjoyed the first one, this works as a more intense heist movie.

Worst Parts

The movie overstays its welcome, with the buildup to the heist dragging along at times. This is seen from the near 2 and half hour runtime. It also tones down the violence the first movie had, which made it feel edgy, becoming more of a by-the-book heist movie.

Final Thoughts –Den of Thieves: Pantera is more fun but too long.

Categories
Movie Review

Night Call (2024) Movie Review

Night Call – Movie Review

"Night Call is an intense thriller about a locksmith, Mady, facing danger after a seemingly routine job leads to chaos."

First Reaction – Night Call is a tense thriller.

Where to Watch

Night Call will be available on Digital Download from 28th April.

Director: Michiel Blanchart

Writer: Michiel Blanchart (Screenplay)

Cast

  • Jonathan Feltre (Les Rascals)
  • Natacha Krief
  • Jonas Bloquet (The Nun)
  • Thomas Mustin (Raw)
  • Romain Duris (Final Cut)

Plot: This night is like all the others for Mady, student by day, locksmith by night. But Claire, the enigmatic young girl he helps out that night, is not who she claims to be. Mady has only one night to prove his innocence in a city in turmoil.

Runtime: 1 Hour 37 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Night Call starts when Mady (Feltre) takes a call for his locksmith skills. However, he has been set up, and the door he opens leads to a series of problems. He finds himself mixed up with criminals and must fight to escape. Meanwhile, he searches for the person who made the call, Claire (Krief), who might hold more answers.

As the night unfolds, Mady finds himself dealing with a series of challenges thrown his way. However, the truth will hit harder than he expected, leaving him to decide whether to do the right thing or not.

Verdict on Night Call

Recap

The movie follows a student, and a locksmith recruited for a job. However, it turns out the job is tackling a criminal, and he is forced to go on the run. He must figure out what he has got himself into before it is too late.

Best Parts

This uses the concept of one night to keep things feeling contained for the action. It keeps us guessing about what Mady will encounter next and reveals the ruthless nature of the world. The performances are strong, and the chase sequences are intense.

Worst Parts

The movie has a style we have seen before, it is still entertaining, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the table.

Final Thoughts –Night Call is an entertaining, intense thriller.