• No Time to Die (2021)

    No Time to Die is the twenty-fifth movie in the James Bond series created by Eon Productions. This is also the longest of these movies. It's the fifth and final movie with Daniel Craig and concludes the more emotional and personal sequence of films on a very high note.

    This film convinces on several levels. Without revealing too much, this movie brings the person James Bond to life more authentically than most other films except for On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Casino Royale and Skyfall. The movie has a dramatic depth that might make quite a few viewers shed a few tears towards the end.

    The movie introduces several interesting side characters. Lashana Lynch convinces as new agent with cool, resilient and tough charisma. Ana de Armas has an impressive cameo as bubbly agent who seems nervous at first contact but focused when put in danger.

    The locations have been chosen with care before the madness of the pandemic occurred. The film moves from the snow-covered landscapes of Norway over isolated islands in the Pacific to heated soils of Italy. In this regard, the film certainly offers something for every taste.

    The plot is a spy thriller by the numbers which means that those who don't like the genre won't change their minds with this movie while genre enthusiasts get exactly what they could expect which is a relief in troubled times like these.

    There are few negative things to mention. Even though Rami Malek is doing a decent job at portraying a tormented villain, his character could have benefitted from some additional background information and further scenes.

    Another thing that hasn't impacted the rating but that needs to be pointed out is that the release strategy of this movie has been absolutely dreadful which cannot just be excused by the pandemic. It's great that a movie that was so difficult to make turned out to be so amazing but it should have already been released more than two years ago as I'm writing these lines. I hope that the next entry in the series will come around much faster.

    At the end of the day, No Time to Die is in the top section of James Bond movies and a rewarding conclusion to the sequence of films starring Daniel Craig that have featured a more emotional, personal and vulnerable agent. The mixture of action, crime and drama is balanced, captivating and entertaining. So far, in a year that hasn't had many cinematic highlights, No Time to Die qualifies as the greatest movie of the year.

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  • Old (2021)

    Old is the most recent mystery thriller by controversial director M. Night Shyamalan. It is loosely based upon a Swiss graphic novel that was offered as a gift by one of his daughters. The story revolves around a group of tourists that rapidly age on an isolated beach they cannot escape.

    The premise of the movie with its intriguing story is quite promising and will keep you watching until the very end. This film doesn't leave any questions unanswered. The atmosphere of the film is tense and gripping. The cinematography is great as Shyamalan can experiment with interesting camera angles and rotations.

    However, the story itself is rather predictable and the twist in this story isn't a surprising one. The acting performances are at times wooden as this is especially the case for Abbey Lee and Aaron Pierre. Some dialogues are grammatically incorrect and would have requested some proof-reading.

    At the end of the day, Old is worth to be watched once at your local cinema but it's overall an average film that will soon be forgotten. It's neither among Shyamalan's greatest nor his worst movies. I would neither watch it again nor recommend this film.

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  • Unknown Caller (2014)

    Unknown Caller is a decent psychological thriller that should please genre fans as it deserves more acclaim and attention than it has gotten so far. The story revolves around a successful lobbyist who has some personal issues. One night, he has to help out his estranged ex-wife and take care of their daughter for one night. Things take a sinister turn when an unknown caller menaces the lobbyist by telling him that he must solve a series of riddles or else his whole mansion is going to be destroyed by a bomb placed underneath it. The lobbyist essentially needs to find out who is calling him and what the perpetrator's intentions are.

    This film convinces on multiple levels. First of all, the story might not be innovative but is executed convincingly with a few twists and turns leading to a spectacular finale in a memorable location.

    Up next, the movie's atmosphere is tense from start to finish as it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The mansion looks bleak and cold, the movie takes place at dusk and at night and the few locations outside the mansion look isolated and sinister. The pace accelerates as the film progresses and ends on a particularly high note.

    The acting performances are the movie's only significant issue aside a few exaggerated elements in the plot. It's difficult to empathize with the different characters since they are either antipathic or unspectacular. David Chisum plays a protagonist who only cares about influence and wealth and comes across as terrible father and unfaithful former husband. The mysterious antagonist played by Henri Lubatti simply comes across as desperate psychopath without any relevant purposes. The only actor that is remotely interesting is played by Assaf Cohen who plays a resilient man who risks his life to protect the lives of others around him even though he ends up getting caught up in a deadly game that doesn't even remotely concern him.

    In the end, Unknown Caller has more positive than negative elements to showcase. Despite a few exaggerated plot elements and antipathic characters, this film convinces with intriguing twists and turns and gripping atmosphere from start to finish. It's not mandatory to watch this flick but genre fans should certainly appreciate it for what it is.

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  • Inheritance (2020)

    Inheritance is a very decent psychological thriller that is much better than its reputation and deserves your attention and acclaim. The story revolves around the mysterious death of a powerful, selfish and wealthy family patriarch. His daughter is an ambitious attorney who feels offended when she inherits much less than her brother who is a corrupt politician. Instead of offering her a significant share of his wealth, the patriarch reveals a terrifying secret to his daughter via a posthumous video message. The secret revealed in this message is going to change the lives of all family members forever.

    This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the film oozes with atmosphere. It takes place in a cold mansion, dark forests and sinister bunker. Even the flashbacks take mostly place at night. Numerous scenes will send shivers down your spine.

    Up next, this movie has an intelligent story. The initial surprise is already highly efficient. The movie however comes around with a few clever twists and turns that gradually lead to a gripping finale.

    Finally, Inheritance convinces with strong acting performances. Lily Collins shines as self-confident attorney whose life slowly falls apart and leaves her in bleak despair. Simon Pegg convinces as mysterious character with multiple extreme facets. Patrick Warburton leaves his mark as pitiless patriarch whose dark side comes alive in multiple clever flashbacks.

    In the end, Inheritance is a very good psychological thriller with gripping atmosphere, intelligent plot and strong acting performances. The movie entertains from start to finish and especially its intense finale leaves a lasting impression. Inheritance certainly deserves more acclaim and attention than it has gotten upon release.

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  • The Little Things (2021)

    The Little Things is an excellent neo-noir crime thriller that takes place in California during the nineties. The movie follows Joe Deacon, a sheriff that retired from the Los Angeles Police Department under controversial circumstances and now works in a rural county. However, the county isn't as peaceful as one might expect since there have been a series of grisly femicides that suggest that a serial killer might be on the loose. Joe Deacon is sent to Los Angeles for a routine job but he gets entangled with a grisly femicide. When he learns that similar crimes have been committed in the area in the past, Joe Deacon gets convinced that the cases in his county and the murders in Los Angeles might be related. This suspicion soon becomes an obsession. Joe Deacon is met with criticism and even hostility by some former colleagues but young detective Jim Baxter appreciates his dedication, experience and instinct. The two men soon realize that they have more things in common than they initially believed as their investigation finally gets a break. Repair store worker Albert Sparma is a crime buff living in the area of the crime scenes in Los Angeles and turns out to be a sociopath who taunts the police. Joe Deacon and Jim Baxter start getting convinced that he is the serial killer they are both looking for but they don't have any solid proofs. Things take a sinister turn when the two partners want to arrest the suspect by any means necessary while the potential culprit willingly manipulates and provokes them.

    This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the film oozes with sinister atmosphere from start to finish. This slow burn intensifies in its second half and leads to a stunning finale that will still haunt you long after the movie has ended. The three main characters are very intriguing and portrayed splendidly by talented veteran actors Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto. The dialogues have depth and the scriptwriting is quite profound. This movie would also work very well as a novel. The gloomy settings bring the early nineties to life in an authentic way. The camera work is calm and precise like most crime dramas from that era. The light and sound effects are employed with care and especially the night shots and crime scenes are haunting.

    In the end, The Little Things if one of the greatest neo-noir movies in recent memory. This movie finds the perfect balance between profound dramatic parts and gloomy thriller elements. This film has been crafted very professionally. Especially the three charismatic lead actors stand out and make a very good movie excellent. Anyone who appreciates dark crime movies should give The Little Things a shot.

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