#thriller crime review

[hannahwatcheshorror]

HANNIBAL (2001)

So this is a very lackluster follow-up to Silence of the Lambs, a movie with a very strong cast, script, and plot. This movie does not have those things, the book was not nearly as boring as this movie but without a Buffalo Bill or Tooth Fairy character to tie everyone together the film just dragged.

⭐⭐

The first ten minutes are really special because Starling (now Julianne Moore) is part of a sting gone wrong and shoots a woman holding the fakest baby ever. Then Starling takes a real baby and cleans it with a HOSE on an ice bath for fish (wack). This is all after Barney is giving secrets about what he and Hannibal talked about during their late night prison gab sessions to a guy with a really abnormal face. The first hour is just Hannibal fucking around in Florence. 

The FBI are trying to get Hannibal but so is the guy with the abnormal face, and Hanni is just being Hanni and killing those trying to wrong him (or just being rude). When he realizes he is being pursued he comes back to the USA to creep on Clarice and ultimately get caught by Abnormal Face’s goons. Starling says Fuck No to that and storms the castle for her man, causes a ruckus, gets shot, and Hannibal ends up rescuing her. Also the dude with the abnormal face is like that because of Hanni but now he is being eaten by pigs (also because of Hanni).

Yo, it was brutal as fuck when Hannibal straight up took the top of that guys head off like a hat, fried part of his brain and fed it to him. Starling gagged, I gagged, the world gagged. Cannibalism is one of my biggest fears and this is a prime example of it being super freaky. The man was never going to be okay again and he was commenting on the taste of his own brain meat… Barf! This totally turns Starling off which I completely understand but then she can’t fall for Hanni like she is supposed to but we learned from MISERY and CUJO that we are NOT following the book to the letter so… “Ta-ta, H.”

[lifesarchive]

OUT THERE SCREAMING edited by JORDAN PEELE (REVIEW)

quickly: the ‘horrors’ of blackness have its natural and supernatural roots revealed (bad cop with a third eye / grandma’s love is deadly / wandering man running from nothing / in vivo alien invasion / unstable ex’s / sea siren with your sister’s face / dead man’s swamp revenge / serial killer targeting black robots / white men ruining the atmosphere / daddy’s secret / chaos in the dark / part woman part fish-devil / black magic as an HOA / grief and its blindness / games that ghosts play / negro folk tales as an american requiem / prison industrial complex goes A.I. / black magic as an addiction / whiteness as psyche and psychosis)

A fantastically original collection of short horror stories that span quite a range of horror sub-genres (sci-fi, thriller, romance, and even americana). All unapologetically Black. A superb addition to the limited number of Black horror anthologies (Tales from the Hood, anyone?).

My favorites were Wandering Devil (loverboy with wandering feet can outrun everyone but himself), The Rider (a dead man intervenes on behalf of two black women traveling alone), Flicker (an intermittent darkness unleashes chaos from the shadows), The Norwood Trouble (a group of black ‘practitioners’ will be damned if white rioters try to destroy their town), A Grief of The Dead (grief separates and reunites a pair of twin brothers), Your Happy Place (an incarcerated man must decide his reality after having it stolen from him), Hide & Seek (brothers learn to protect themselves with the same magic that wants to harm them).

★★★★★ Superb.

[fly-boy-in-the-sky]

Banana Fish & Films PART 1

Recommendations based on aesthetics, themes, decade etc…

These are just my personal recommendations for movies similar to Banana Fish. Most of these films from 1960-90s revolving around some sort of street culture gangs, prostitution, trafficking, drugs all that good stuff…also a few of these I haven’t watched in years so the description may be a little off LOL

TAXI DRIVER 1976

“All the animals come out at night. Whores, skunk-pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies. Sick and venal.”

Taxi Driver follows a former Vietnam solider insomniac 26-year-old Travis (Robert De Niro) who takes night shifts as a cab driver in NYC. The story is mostly told through his inner monologue, where he talks about his his loneliness and depression along with telling stories of his interactions with his customers. He crosses paths with a 12-year-old prostitute Iris, (Jodie Foster) whom he tries rescuing from her situation.

This film was recommended by Yoshida.

THE WARRIORS 1979

“Since when the fuck are you a diplomat?”

After being blamed for the killing of a rival gang leader in the Bronx, the Warriors have dozens of New York City street gangs are out for revenge battling over turf that ranges from Bronx to Coney Island where the Warriors reside.

STREETWISE 1984

“No one to tell you where to go or what to do.”

A documentary on Street Kids in Seattle Washington 1984. Many of the teenagers do dangerous hustling gigs to survive on the streets.

There’s a story about a girl who is a prostitute with her mother’s knowledge, though her mother is against the idea she doesn’t stop her since it brings in money. Similar situation with Ash and his father..I have seen people say “I can’t believe his father would do that!” or that it’s totally unrealistic. Unfortunately these terrible things do happen, and even though Banana Fish is fictional and exaggerated, the crimes featured are really not far off for the time. Child exploitation human trafficking was huge, that’s one of the reasons how the milk carton missing persons started back in the eighties, especially through mafia/politicians in Europe.

PLATOON 1986

“Any way you cut it, Barnes is a fucking murderer.”

This movie was recommended by Yoshida.

Chris Taylor (Charlie Seen) leaves university to enlist in the Vietnam war. His experiences in combat fades his idealisms of what war is really about and what the troops are fighting this war for. His two Sargents, Barnes (Tom Berneger) and Elias (Williem Dafoe) are constantly arguing together over their morals. Barnes has violent approaches and believes the villagers are harboring Vietcong, while Elias has a more sympathetic view of the villagers and the war. Their disagreements began putting soldiers up against each other, as well as the enemies.

CRUISING 1980

“They told me that there was some... special assignment... and that I was right for it.”

Steve Burns (Al Pacino) is tasked to go undercover cop as a gay man infiltrating New York’s S&M clubs for a psychopath who’s been violently killing homosexuals. Steve begins immersing himself in the subculture and club hopping. While this is going down, he becomes increasingly distant with his girlfriend and the police forces homophobia becomes more apparent as the case goes on.

KING OF NEW YORK 1990

“ I spent half my life in prison. I never got away with anything, and I never killed anybody that didn't deserve it.”

The biggest Kingpin of the underground Frank White (Christopher Walken) just got released from prison. He’s different from most gangsters though. He shares his benefits with the poor, opening children’s hospitals and protecting the wellbeing of underprivileged citizens. Though the streets are much tougher than before. The mafia, Chinatown and Colombian gangs are running the streets partaking in child human trafficking and prostitution, unnecessary killings and racketeering. Frank’s not a fan of how they do business, and puts an end to it.

One of my favorites..the ending even ends similar to Banana Fish and there’s these two gay ass cop partners that the one kisses him towards the end (no spoilerrr) Frank is a super morally grey gangster and very similar to Ash in his beliefs. Film features many famous 90s actors. Must watch.

THE OUTSIDERS 1983

“I used to talk about killing myself all the time, man. But I don't wanna die now. It ain't long enough. Sixteen years ain't gonna be long enough.”

Based on the novel of the same name, an American classic most of us had to read in middle school.

A teenage gang in 1960s Oklahoma, the Greasers have constant clashes with another rival gang the Socs. When Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny (Ralph Macchio) get into a brawl that leads to the death of a Soc member, they are forced to run away into hiding. With help from their friend Dally (Matt Dillon) he tells them a place out in the rural part of town they can hide until the situation dies down. They are eventually forced to return back to their town after a tragic incident with Johnny happens, and they’re subjected to the consequences of their violent lives once again.

[rlbookreviews]

What book are you currently reading now? I need to add some more books to my TBR list.

[zisuniverse]

Jean Reno and young Natalie Portman in Léon the Professional (1994)

[mishhty-reviews]

i have come to the realisation that i don’t like the same kinda books i used to like few years ago, i liked to read fantasy and fiction (i still like fiction but not the fantasy type of fiction) or maybe i never really did, i always felt like i was forcing myself to like them because well everyone else would read them and find it fascinating. it’s not like i hate them, no i don’t. i still read it, but i prefer fictional books that have a touch of reality or history in it and books that are based on real or made up incidences and tragedies perhaps are my favourite right now.

i can read them on and on for hours without getting bored and think about finishing it when im doing something else. i have never felt the same for fictional fantasies, i have tried really hard to bring that same interest for them too, but i just can’t, i get bored after a chapter or so, which would make me think that i have fallen out of love with reading which was quite disappointing and shocking for me at first, i felt like my purpose of life was taken away from me, because ever since i remember from one my earliest memories, it was my most awaited and best part of my day- when i would read a story or book.

when i started gaining any sense of self, reading and a bit of writing was my most passionate interest and in a way a defining trait for me. i loved books, libraries and bookstores alike, i had a strange attraction to it, as if it would draw me in, and it still has a very good grip on me. i hadn’t fallen out of love with books, that wasn’t the case, turns out i don’t like the books i used to or at least pretend to like anymore, my choice of genre in books have changed significantly. and that is why i can’t even be in any fandom when it comes to books, simply because i can’t get myself to read it whole without getting distracted and completely doing something else.

yeah then theres also that i have a very bad focus and even worse attention span but still the realistic fiction/ historic fiction and the crime thrillers even psychological horror or any of that sort too has me totally hooked, is a clear indication of my love for them. god i love to read so, so much, i don’t ever wish to get over it <3

[in-the-stacks]

Presenting Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen. Reviewed by Read Local for In the Stacks.

https://www.inthestacks.tv/2024/07/read-local-bad-men-by-julie-mae-cohen

[jessread-s]

hello I just wanted to ask if you have any good book recommendations that are thriller ,suspense and murder mystery for example the inheritance games or haunting adeline if you do know any books like these two please tell me thank you 😊.

Hello @lila-216 ! Thank you so much for your ask! 🫶📖✨🌷 I LOVE giving recommendations. If you need more individualized recommendations (ex: by trope) please let me know and I'd be happy to fulfill your request!

My favorite YA mystery/thriller books ₊˚ʚ 🔍₊˚✧ ﾟ.

The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

The Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson

The Stalking Jack the Ripper Series by Kerri Maniscalco

One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

My favorite Adult mystery/thriller books ₊˚ʚ 🔍₊˚✧ ﾟ.

The Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

In the Woods by Tana French

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Locke Every Door by Riley Sager

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

[tiffsflickpicks]

“Don’t look at the acts. Look at the works.”

The House that Jack Built (2018)

Dir. Lars von Trier

Horror/ Crime

tiffsflickpick score: 3.5/5

rotten tomatoes: 60%

This movie dives into the mind of a serial killer “Mr. Sophistication” . It is chilling and disturbing… with high levels of gore. While this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I think Jack’s mind (Mr. Sophistication) is shown to be extremely fascinating. He is intelligent and he isn’t shown to be a one dimensional character. Shown as “incidents” , we see his murders take place over 12 years as he led by Virgil (Inferno) to the underworld. It is almost like a confessional. If you can stomach it, it is definitely worth a watch.

[gargoylesinthegarden]

Almost to my 2024 reading goal! 52 done, one for every week of the year (my 2023 goal) and 4 months to read my last 8 books 📚

Honorable mentions so far:

The Haunting by Natasha Peterson 2/5 rating - I loved the entire book and storyline. I was hooked. Only for it to end on a cliffhanger that is never addressed (is that still considered a cliffhanger, or is it just a bad ending?) There's no closure and more questions than answers and once I was done, I feel like I wasted the two days I spent reading this.

Cold Sweat by Vera Valentine 5/5 rating - hilarious. A perfect palette cleanser in between long-winded thrillers. I read it in an afternoon and laughed the entire time. Books don't always have to be serious, and Vera is one of my favorite authors for a good laugh.

I Can Be a Better You by Tarryn Fisher 5/5 rating - one of my favorite authors by far. The main character is so tragically relatable, and by the end, I didn't know who's side I was on. My toxic trait is that I always think that I could stalk someone and get away with it for a while, and this book gave me some great ideas.

[agentnico]

Longlegs (2024) review

His legs aren’t THAT long, jeez.

Plot: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes an unexpected turn, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Before we get to the movie itself I must applaud Neon for giving this film such a stellar marketing campaign. Most common complaint about modern day trailers is that they show too much of the movie. They’re essentially summaries of the entire film, giving away every major set piece, with the whole narrative showcased from beginning to end, leaving little to the imagination. Makes one wonder why even it’s worth seeing the actual movie when you’ve already essentially been spoiled. Hence why Neon’s advertising strategy for Longlegs stands out so much. Throughout the last half of the year they have been releasing small 10 second untitled cryptic teaser snippets that intentionally left the premise vague, as discontinuous editing was employed to display snapshots of brutal murders, ominous world building and nightmarishly surreal images of primal fears including snakes and blood. In fact, those teasers didn’t even show the film’s title, just the release date. Then there were the billboards that had a phone number that, if you called, you’d get to hear Nicolas Cage. Speaking of Cage, again the teasers don’t really show him at all, allowing for the build up of his mysterious character to be left till the audience were in the cinema seats. Then when the early reviews came out, praises were hailed as well as comparisons to Silence of the Lambs, so naturally expectations were high.

Unfortunately, the truth is much more disappointing: Longlegs is just another run-of-the-mill, albeit well-executed, serial killer film. It’s evident that director Oz Perkins took inspiration from the aforementioned Silence of the Lambs, as well as the ambiance and possession themes of David Lynch’s iconic series Twin Peaks. However unlike those films there is a lack of urgency or mythos here, with the FBI agent feeling somewhat unimportant to the grand scheme of the story, and Maika Monroe’s acting is as plain as a cardboard. That shtick worked for her in 2014’s thriller The Guest, as there she played a moody teenager, however in Longlegs she simply comes off wooden. Look, all I’m saying is she’s no Jodie Foster. There too is a lack of backstory or explanation in regards to the supernatural elements, and I feel like the film wouldn’t have hurt having an extra scene or two to delve deeper into Longlegs’ powers and his origins.

I love Nicolas Cage. He’s one of the greatest actors working today, and truly is one of my favourites as he manages to elevate any film he is in to another level. As Longlegs he is fantastic. They use his expressionistic style of acting very cleverly here, by making him quite over the top with his voice, but done is a creepily eerie and weird way and scenes with him are great. However, as per the marketing and the first half of this movie, Longlegs is mostly hidden from the view of the audience. We see corners of his face or him blurred out in the background, and I feel like that mystery added to the hidden uncomfortable nature of his character. So when we do finally get to see him, Cage is on top form however the make-up department have given him this mask to wear and it looks really cheap. Evidently they had a limited budget with this film, but that’s why the technique of showing a bit less worked more than showing the entire thing, as he does look kind of goofy. Also, Cage is really under-used here. Already mentioned about the lack of backstory, but also in general he’s only in maybe 3-4 scenes but isn’t allowed space to delve too deeper into the demonic mindset of this character.

I do appreciate Oz Perkins’ directing style, as the cinematography was solid and he has some fun with changing the aspect ratio throughout the film to create a sense of claustrophobia, and each scene is filled with that unsettling sense of paranoia, however the movie does suffer from a slow overdrawn pace, and the central mystery in reality is so predictable you can guess what’s happening a mile away. Then when the movie ends fairly abruptly, there’s definitely a lack of satisfaction when it’s over.

It does feel that due to the effective hyped up marketing and the comparisons to Silence of the Lambs have built this movie up to being something truly spectacular, when in reality it’s an okay serial killer flick with elements of the supernatural that has moments of greatness, primarily due to Nicolas Cage, even though, again, his legs aren’t even that long.

Overall score: 6/10

[tinyreviews]

Tiny Review: The Gentlemen. Exciting, intriguing crime rollercoaster.

It’s a very masculine, British movie. Cleverly written, good at building anticipation, baiting each scene. Full of tension and twists. I enjoyed it a lot. MUST WATCH!

The Gentlemen is a 2019 action comedy film written, directed and produced by Guy Ritchie, who developed the story along with Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies. The film stars Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, and Hugh Grant. 

[kairo01]

Ka-na-ko. She was kanako in uniform, she was alice in gown; under the warm sunlight, her hair sparkled like petals, her glare sharp as spikes.

The rose, despite exposing its thorns for all to see, still could not stop curious onlookers, distracted by its overwhelming beauty, from approaching it with their bare hands, so greedy and gullible, such shamelessly possessive men -- ah, kanako, my kanako, light of my life -- so laughable as they sucked their pricked thumb wiping away tears completely dumbfounded, frightened and still blind as ever.

Movie:The world of Kanako(2014) directed by Tetsuya Nakashima

[spookytuesdaypod]

spooky tuesday is a (now not so new!) podcast where we’re breaking down all of our favorite slashers, thrillers, monster movies and black comedies on the new scariest day of the week.

the pride parade continues with our second pick of the month, and things are really heating up here at spooky tuesday. if you were worried this year's lineup wasn't queer enough, then you can put those fears to bed and wake them up with an egg-white omelet, because love lies bleeding (2024) is dangerously gay and disgustingly sexy. featuring kristen stewart and katy o’brian and directed by rose glass, this thriller doesn't skimp on the violence or romance, and it even sprinkles in a little bit of body horror just to drive its point home. join us on our latest episode as we share our appreciation for muscle mommies and mixed feelings about mullets.

give spooky tuesday a listen on apple podcasts, spotify, iheart radio, or stitcher

[rlbookreviews]

This is my favorite book by Jeneva Rose and it was my first book I read of hers. She just announced in July that this book will be released in November in Hardcover. Collector’s edition with bonus content and I am so ready and excited for November. I ordered myself a signed copy and will update you guys when I get my hands on it.

Here’s an Amazon link if you want to grab yourself a copy when it releases this November

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: Stranger on the Third Floor

👻 You can support me on Ko-Fi! ❤️

★★★½

Plot: After his testimony leads to a man being sentenced to death, a reporter and his fiancée are haunted by the possibility that a mistake was made.

Review: Arguably the first film noir ever made, this movie is emotionally and stylistically evocative, albeit hamstrung by its too-short runtime.

Year: 1940 Genre: Psychological Horror, Crime Thriller Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 4 minutes

Director: Boris Ingster Writers: Frank Partos, Nathanael West Cinematographer: Nicholas Musuraca Editor: Harry Marker Composer: Roy Webb Cast: John McGuire, Margaret Tallichet, Charles Halton, Charles Waldron, Elisha Cook, Jr., Peter Lorre

------

Story: 3/5 - Despite well rounded characters and a compelling central question, this story ends a bit too abruptly for it to breathe.

Performances: 4/5 - McGuire and Tallichet have great chemistry, and Halton is great as Mike's unbearable neighbor, but Lorre is criminally underused.

Cinematography: 4.5/5 - Gorgeous nods to expressionism. The nightmare sequence's cinematography is hypnotic.

Editing: 4.5/5 - Very stylistic. Especially shines during the nightmare sequence.

Music: 3.5/5 - Fitting, if not the most memorable

Sets: 4/5 - Limited but believable. Made surreal well during Mike's nightmare.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 4/5

Trigger Warnings:

Brief but graphic discussion of violence (dialogue-only)

Mild misogyny

Ableist portrayal of a mentally ill person