Pusher: Do You Have My Money?

Pusher is a Danish crime thriller film directed by Nicolas Winding-Refn. The plot centres around Frank (Kim Bodina), a drug dealer who falls into desperation after a few of his deals go bad, and his growing debt put him on the wrong side of a local local drug lord.

This film oozes style, however, unlike some of Winding-Refn’s other films, this film manages to perfectly nail the balance between style and substance. The world of Danish crime this film sets up feels very visceral and real, it is also refreshing to watch a film about organised crime that exists outside of the North America (Mexico and The US for these purposes)/ Italy sector.
Bodina and a young Mads Mickelson are terrific in the lead roles and present their characters with hidden depths beyond just the usual thuggish stereotype. We see these characters as essentially desperate characters forced into a bleak and violent world by circumstances outside their control, and to a degree we sympathies with them.

The ending is incredibly bleak, but also open ended enough to not feel depressing, we are left to draw our own conclusions and reflect on the choices made.

Overall, one of the best crime film I have ever seen. Incredibly strong.

Pros.

Bodina

Mickelson

A new focus and perspective on organised crime

The ending

The style

Cons.

It may be a bit too bleak for some

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Escape Room: More Than That Thing Your Friends Drag You To

Escape Room is a horror film directed by Adam Robitel. The plot sees a group of people participate in an escape room with a grand prize of ten thousand dollars cash. However, as the experience progresses they soon start to realise that the danger is far too real and that each of them has been chosen for a reason.

I missed this when it was originally released and have since had a vague desire to check it out when I could, so as I was settling down on New Year’s Day and scrolling through Netflix I decided to put it on. This was my first film of 2021.

I am pleased to tell you that it did not disappoint me. At first I thought it was going to just be a blatant rip-off of Saw, but as it went along I found that there was quite a bit more too it. The ending is especially interesting as it implies something much larger and much more sinister (think Cabin In The Woods), that I can’t wait to see explored in the sequel.

Though I did not find it scary, I did find it to be suitably tense throughout. As such I was often glued to the screen trying to see how the characters were going to get out of this latest death trap. In that regard the escape room puzzles and traps themselves were all very original and creative and I enjoyed how the tied in character backstory into the design.

I would say that the performances for the most part were very average, no one really stood out to me in any way and they all just seemed like fodder; if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be Deborah Ann Woll’s Amanda as she had the most personality and character development throughout the film.

Overall, a very worthy horror film with a great ending that really wets your whistle for the sequel, hurry up Sony!

Pros.

The originality

The tension

The escape rooms themselves

The ending

Cons.

The characters were quite generic

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

Get The Gringo: Bringing Hand-Grenades To Office Meetings

Get The Gringo (Or as it is known in other territories How I Spent My Summer Vacation), is an action film directed by Adrian Grunberg. The plot sees an unnamed heister (Mel Gibson), become imprisoned in a corrupt Mexican prison, he must fight for his own survival as well as to protect a child who he has befriended.

So, yes none of my Mel Gibson action film reviews would be complete with me condemning his personal life and views, take that as a given here as always.

However, that said I really enjoyed this film and Gibson was a big part of the reason I did. He is magnetic in this film, despite being unnamed and undeveloped, in a few different ways, he has enough action hero charm that you don’t question it and instead get swept up in the adventure. As the film ends you can’t help but cheer for his character.

The plot of the film is quite smart, it is simple and self-contained enough to not be overly complicated, whilst also having enough twists to keep you constantly engaged and asking what is going to happen next. The third act is particularly well done in this respect, it has some great action set pieces, but also an almost Soderbergh level of suave to the final tie up.

Overall, I enjoyed this film a lot and I thought it was terrific.

Pros.

Gibson

The action

The twists and turns

The ending

Cons.

Some of the characters feel underdeveloped to the point of becoming stereotypes.

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Sweeny: No One Needs To See Ray Winstone Like This

The Sweeny is a crime film directed by Nick Love, the film acts as a reinvention of the classic 70s series made for a new generation. Veteran inspector Jack Regan (Ray Winstone) is brought into a world of pain after he becomes caught up in a series of crimes that cost him his job and his new love.

I did not like this film. Sometimes crime films are bleak and gritty, but this film takes it to a whole new level, everything is unpleasant and there is not an inch of joy to be found anywhere throughout.

None of the characters are in any way likable, with Winstone in particular being extremely vile and in an era of police violence under a new intensity the idea to make a violent officer a lead is beyond comprehending. You do not root for the lead characters at all, really you are left thinking at the end of the film it would probably be better if they were shut down.

The actual plot of the film is very generic and has been done better before. I could guess right from the off where the plot was going, and it did not surprise me in anyway. This is nothing you have not seen before.

Overall, this is a deeply off-putting film for several reasons.

Pros.

It is watchable

Cons.

Winstone

The insensitivity

It is incredibly predictable

The characters are loathsome

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Black Water, Abyss: Rooting For The Crocodiles

Black Water, Abyss is an Australian thriller film directed by Andrew Traucki. The plot sees a group of adventure seekers/ divers become trapped in a uncharted underground cave filled with vicious crocodiles.

Why do I keep coming back to the shark attack, crocodile attack, creature feature sub-genre? There is nothing left of interest in this sub-genre at all. Sometimes these sort of films can be good for a bit of low engagement, mindless viewing, but I found that was too much of an ask for this film.

Though this film is on for under 2 hours it feels much, much longer. I don’t know how you can make man vs crocodile boring, but this film finds a way. Honestly by the midpoint of the film I was completely checked out and bored; if I was not reviewing the film I would have turned it off.

The characters are exactly what you would expect, if you have seen any film like this before. It is the same collection of cliches and stereotypes that leave absolutely no impression on you at all, even as they are eaten by the crocodile.

The kills themselves are fine, probably the highlight of the film, but even then they are just average.

Overall, give this one a hard pass unless you need something to both infuriate you and send you to sleep.

Pros.

The kills are okay

Cons.

The characters are generic

The kills have no real impact as you don’t care about the characters

It is not scary or thrilling

It is tedious and hard to get through

0.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Archenemy: Never Doubt A Story Told To You By A Homeless Man Punching A Wall

Archenemy is a superhero mystery thriller film directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer. The plot follows Max Fist (Joe Manganiello), a superpowered being from another plane of reality who is thrust into our world after an attempt to save his world. Once waking up in out world Max realises he can’t get back, he also realises that no one believes him about who he is, apart from a young budding journalist called Hamster (Skylan Brooks).

I loved this film far, far more than I thought I was going to. I am a big fan of Manganiello already, but he was perfect here unlike some of his other roles he did not just play the brawn here, yes that is a part of his character, but he so much more complex with that. Until the end of the film you are never quite sure whether Max is who he claims to be or whether he is mentally ill, the emotional delivery of his performance goes from charming and gruffly likeable, to cold and chilling and back again Manganiello really delivers on the range.

Moreover, Glenn Howerton of Always Sunny fame is also in this film as a sub antagonist and he too is really strong. I have only really seen Howerton in comedic roles for the most part, but this showed me that he can do drama too.

I also liked the aesthetic of the film as well, I thought the transitions between comic book, animated flashbacks and live action was beautifully done and implemented well throughout.

My one complaint of the film would be that Hamster and his sister are dull, they really are. Whenever they are on-screen you immediately want to get back to Manganiello, which is a shame for them as they are trying their best, but they are outacted here for sure.

Overall, one of the best and most surprising films I have seen this year, definitely check it out.

Pros.

Manganiello

Howerton

The blending of animation and live action

The story and the ending

Cons.

The siblings were a weak link

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Fatman: Santa Claus Will Put A Bullet Right Between Your Eyes, Go On, Test Him

Fatman is a Christmas based action film directed by Eshom Nelms and Ian Nelms. The plot sees a budding young sociopath put a hit out on Santa Clause (Mel Gibson), after he receives a deserved lump of coal for Christmas. What follows is a battle to the death between not so jolly Old Saint Nick and hitman Johnathan Miller (Walton Goggins), who has his own axe to grind against ‘the fatman’.

Though I don’t like Mel Gibson, because he is a vile human being, I managed to separate my personal feelings from this film and ended up really enjoying it. I like the inherent silliness in the concept, a hit man trying to kill Santa Claus, I think the film deals with its absurdity well and plays it up to great effect.

The action scenes where nicely done as well and I enjoyed the final fight as well, the ending was unexpected, I thought that the fight was clearly going to end one way, it did not. I always enjoy it when a film deviates from where I think it is going especially so if they do it in a clever way. I thought the final scene, when Santa pays a visit to the kid that put a hit on him was the best scene of the entire film, not only was it incredibly tense, but it knew how to play off Gibson as an actor; the role really does feel tailor made for him.

Overall, though reviews have been mixed on this one, I personally really enjoyed it. I thought it was silly and fun but also a really well thought out action film that capitalised on its star.

Pros.

The role was tailor made for Gibson

The tone is just right

The action

The premise

Cons.

The elf cgi is not good

4/5

Reviewed by Luke

The Burnt Orange Heresy: If You See A Fly On A Picture Of You Throw It Away

The Burnt Orange Heresy is a crime thriller film directed by Giuseppe Capotondi. The plot follows art critic James (Claes Bang), who is tasked by an elusive art deal (Mick Jagger), with acquiring a rare painting by a once great artist (Donald Sutherland).

I was enjoying this film for a time. I think the first act where you aren’t quite sure what is going on and what James and Berenice’s (Elizabeth Debicki) motivation are is well done. The film doesn’t let you in on the mystery right away and allows you to speculate, teasing you with the prospect of something more sinister.

Then as the film continues on it becomes more and more farfetched. As we descend into a tiresome, driven by greed to murder plotline I was left saddened by what the film had left behind, namely all its subtly and personality.

The ending for me felt like a damp squid, yes it left a few things unresolved to keep you thinking, but for the most part it is far to clear cut where more abstract was needed. If this film had been more like what the Neon Demon was for the fashion world, then it would have been perfect; a cerebral experience, but no it ends as a bog-standard crime thriller.

Overall, this film left me with the question that maybe the art world just doesn’t translate well to film, as this and The Velvet Buzzsaw just feel lacking and have to resort to more and more absurd notions to try and keep interest which ruins the film as a whole.

Pros.

The cast are great

The first act has a lot of promise

I enjoyed some of the imagery and themes

Cons.

The ending lets it down

There is something lacking that I can’t quite but my finger on

2/5

Reviewed by Luke

Girl: Never Get Between A Girl And Her Hatchet, Good Advise For Life

Girl is a thriller film directed by Chad Faust. The plot sees a girl (Bella Throne), return home to find and kill her abusive father, however, once she returns home she finds him already dead and is filled with mixed emotions. Shortly there after she decides to investigate who killed him.

So, I have been on some what of a Bella Throne binge this week, I also have a review of Chick Fight coming up. I went from knowing next to nothing about her, to being intrigued by her talent for conveying real, raw emotion so well as this film shows. It is safe to say I am a convert now.

Throne owns this film, and anchors it well. Her character is conflicted, and we can see that in Throne’s performance we can see that unknowing, that need for answers. Throne is also boosted by a strong supporting from Mickey Rourke, who plays the town sheriff serving as the antagonist for the film. Rourke is genuinely quiet menacing here and plays the villain with some form of twisted glee; this makes for a number of strong scenes between him and Throne.

There are some twists and turns in the plot in the later stage, that are strangely just blurted out in the early part of the film, but hey maybe the film thinks that you and I didn’t notice that. Regardless, when the twist does come it is delivered and executed with proper emotional weight and you do feel something, the final fifteen minutes is when this film is at its prime.

Overall, one I think a lot of people will overlook, but you need to check this one out it is a very good, very well acted, intriguing thriller.

Pros.

Throne

Rourke

The twist

The tension and the maliciousness of Rourke’s performance

Cons.

Blurting out the reveal half an hour into the film

4.5/5

Reviewed by Luke

Run: Sarah Paulson Plays Sarah Paulson Yet Again

Run is a thriller film directed by Aneesh Chaganty. The plot follows Chloe (Kiera Allen), a young girl who has been sheltered and kept in doors for most of her life. However, one day she starts to notice odd changes in her mum’s (Sarah Paulson) behaviour so decides to investigate and what she finds is far more sinister then she could ever have imagined.

This is a lame duck, this is dull, uninspired, and has been done better before. The twist serves to demonise women who go through a particularly traumatic event, I won’t spoil it here, and then once the twist is out there this just becomes like any number of other movies. Though, I won’t say what the twist is I will say that it is blindingly obvious from the start of the film, and yes, it does play out exactly how you would expect it to.

Furthermore, I am deeply unimpressed with Paulson’s performance here. It is fine but nothing out of the ordinary for her. I have come to realise that with Paulson it is the same performance in every role, this is no exception. She has as much range as a park bench and is a poor choice for a leading role.

The film also has pacing issues it makes the 90-minute runtime feel like double or even triple that and you are lured away by your phone because nothing on the screen can keep your attention.

Overall, deeply uninspired.

Pros.

Allen

A few well executed scenes

Cons.

Pacing issues make it a bore

Paulson is not a good lead

You have seen this film before

1/5

Reviewed by Luke