Category Archives: Violent

2009, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Cold Cases, Corruption, Detective, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Pedophilia, Police Corruption, Prostitutes, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Surprise Ending, Unmarried mother, Violent

Murderland (2009)

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From IMDB:

A thriller that tells a traumatic murder story through the eyes of three central characters: Carrie the daughter of the murdered woman, Douglas Hain the detective in charge of the investigation, and Sally the murder victim.

From Amazon Prime  you can stream this 1 hour 57 minute full film.

Douglas Hain is an unhappily retired police detective. Carrie runs away from her wedding ceremony because she feels she cannot lead a normal life until she finds out who brutally stabbed her mother to death.  In a determined way Carrie starts digging which leads her to Hain who was the detective that worked on the unsolved cold case.

First impression is that Hain was the killer because he was romantically involved with the victim.  As the story develops using many flashbacks,  little by little the crime details come forth. Expect a bit of a surprise ending.

Sharon Small (played Rose Marshbrook in The Bay which we recently reviewed)  as Dr. Laura Maitland is one of the more familiar actors.

Nothing to criticize in this well-acted suspense thriller.

 

1999, Acceptable for teenagers, Amazon Prime, Chase film, Detective, Explicit sex, Frame someone for a crime, Intellectual property theft, Lawyers, Mediocre, Murder, Murder Trial, Must suspend disbelief, Nudity, Plagiarism, Revenge, Serial Killer, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Surprise Ending, Suspense, Trial Scenes, Unjust crime conviction, Violent

A Murder Of Crows (1999)

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From Amazon Prime:

A man plagiarizes a novel that becomes a best seller, and he becomes the FBI’s number one suspect when it is revealed that the book is a factual account of a series of murders.

From IMDB:

After a lawyer gets disbarred, he goes off to write a book about his experience. He meets a man who lets him read his manuscript. The man dies and the lawyer passes the book off as his. Just when the book becomes a big success. He gets arrested for the true life murders of the five lawyers in his book. He then finds himself, trying to prove that he is innocent of the murders.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 41 minute complete film.

Although this 21 year old film has many flaws, the story was clever enough to keep me interested. Lawyer Lawson Russel (played by Cuba Gooding Jr. ) is framed in a spectacular and cleverly calculated manner.  He will be helped by his friend Elizabeth Pope (played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste who also played Vivian Johnson in Without a Trace).  He will be pursued by Detective Clifford Dubose (played by Tom Berenger).

What are the flaws in this somewhat mediocre film?  First, the good news is that you need not let the suspense get to you because, secondly the  plot turns that help Lawson get out of jams are numerous and too good to be true.  After he is trapped in a web of impeccably constructed clues for the police, if you are streaming, just look at the remaining time in the film.  How on earth, you might ask yourself,  in just a half hour can this mess ever be resolved? Stay tuned for an unexpected ending.

Who cares?  Just enjoy the super resourceful Lawson Russel and the fun of the chase.

2011, Acorn TV, Action Film, Bloody scenes, British Politics, Brother-Brother relations, Complicated, Computer geeks, Conspiracy, Contract Killing, Corrupt Prison Guards, Corruption, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Ethical struggles, False Imprisonment, Father-son relations, Lawyers, Murder, Newspaper Culture, Personal Betrayal, Plot Twist, Plot twists, Political Conspiracy, Political Intrigue, Politicians, Prison, Surprise Ending, Suspense, Unscrupulous drive to power, Violent

Hidden (2011)

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From Acorn TV:

When a mysterious lawyer (Thekla Reuten, In Bruges) asks solicitor Harry Venn (Philip Glenister, Life on Mars, The Level) to find a missing alibi witness for her client, he’s forced to delve back into his murky past and uncover a far-reaching conspiracy in this “intelligent, pacy TV thriller” (The Telegraph) that also stars David Suchet (Poirot) and Richard Dormer (Fortitude, Game of Thrones).

From Acorn TV (all British, $7.99 per month) you can stream the 4 episodes of this British political conspiracy thriller. Each episode lasts a bit less than an hour.

Most political thrillers (as well as detective series) have the same list of categories such as family conflict, personal betrayal, action film, intrigue, conspiracy, corruption, assassination, and so forth. Of course the difference from one series to the next depends on writing, acting, details, the story itself. For this series I might add “nail biter”.  Each episode offers a suspenseful sub-story with its own conclusion all leading up to a riveting and surprising conclusion. Underlying the entire story is Harry Venn wondering who killed his older brother which ties together all the episodes.

You may see the actors in IMDB. When it comes to villains Anna Chancellor as Elspeth and Matthew Marsh as Morpeth are chillingly perfect. And what a surprise to see David Suchet as someone other than Poirot.

Are there flaws?  Yes, most notably that some of the narrow escapes are a bit too convenient.  But the plot turn at each such mini-conclusion is an intriguing surprise.  Even the very ending, which is not suspenseful,  is somewhat unexpected.

Riveting,  suspenseful, good guys and bad guys: what’s not to like? Give this one a DO NOT MISS!

2019, Abduction, Amazon Prime, Boating, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Sister relations, Crime, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Marital Infidelity, Mentally impaired person, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Teenagers, Torture, Violent

The Bay (2019)

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THIRD SEASON:

This hit original crime drama returns with White Collar’s Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend, who must get under the skin of a complicated family to solve the death of a young aspiring boxer.

From Amazon there is now a third season each of whose 6 episodes last about 45 minutes.

Lead detective is a newcomer D.S. Jenn Townsend, played by Marsha Thomason.  Her personal difficulties conflict with her investigation into the beating death of one of the sons in a Muslim family headed by the mother Miriam Rahman, played by Rina Mahoney.

D.S. Townsend is divorced and is now living with her two children and a new lover Chris Fischer, played by Barry Sloane.  Chris has his own two children, one of whom is very difficult and quite nasty toward one of Townsend’s children Conor. Conor is desperately unhappy and wants to return to his father.

In the Rahman family in addition to the dead boxer son, there is a troublesome Adnan and deaf-mute Jamal. Fortunately Townsend’s sidekick D.S. Karen Hobson, played by Eric Shanagher, knows sign language and can communicate with the devout Muslim Jamal.

Another great season well worth watching.

SECOND SEASON:

From Amazon there is now a second season also with 6 episodes and a complete story.

Acting and plot continue to be worthwhile watching.  Once again the human interest is at least as important as the crimes (plural) involved.  Lisa starts out as an underdog in the police department but by the end of the 6 episodes she shines at the top while having suffered along with many other characters in the interim.

Still very much worth a watch.

FIRST SEASON:

From Amazon Prime:

When Family Liaison Officer Lisa Armstrong is assigned to a missing persons investigations, it initially seems like any other – tragic, but all too familiar. This time, it is especially challenging for her not to get emotionally involved.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 6 45-minute episodes of this TV series. It may be called Season 1 but any following season does not seem likely because the story is complete in 6 episodes.

If everyone involved is somehow badly affected in a plot, is that plot called a tragedy?  This story comes across as bad news for all the characters.

Telling you how the story starts is not a spoiler since it happens immediately at the beginning.  You see the officer Lisa going out for a “girls night out” in a night club.  She hooks up with a stranger and they have sex outside in an ally behind the club.  From then on the plot thickens. Murder, drugs, delinquent children, infidelity, assault, and missing persons are all on the list.

Among the delinquents are Lisa own two children. Fortunately her mother lives with her and usually substitutes for Lisa who is too often called away with some emergency.   Holly, the missing girl, is a member of the dysfunctional Meredith family which has the usual problems (unfaithful dad, etc.) and also has a live-in grandmother.  These two families have real problems with their children, and their lives intertwine.

Similar to many such detective series, but the human interest in the 6 episodes held our attention.

 

2014, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Belgian detective, Bloody scenes, Could Be Hard To Watch, Detective, Disturbing Image, Dutch, Gory, Grim, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Not Recommended, Police cover-up, Psychopath, Rape, Sadism, Serial Killer, Suspense, Torture, Violent

The Killer of Flanders Fields (2014)

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From IMDB:

Witse returns to his hometown to find his niece’s murderer. It doesn’t take long before Witse gets in trouble with local police authorities. While conducting his investigation, old family issues are starting to surface.

From MHz Choice you can stream this 1.5 hour police procedural from Belgium. In Dutch with English subtitles.

For 9 seasons Belgium TV offered the program Witse featuring the detective Witse. That series ran from 2004 till 2012.

Before starting this film, be aware that it is the story of Witse trying to catch the sadistic psychotic serial killer that kidnaps young women and tortures them to death.  During the film you will see the killer’s very horrifying film clips of his tortures.  You might want to avoid this well-done but sadly stomach-churning film.  Had I known, I would not have started, but once hooked I had to see the conclusion.

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Action Film, Action Hero, Bloody scenes, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Dyslexia, Environmental concerns, Fantasy, Father-son relations, Good Production Values, Magic, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Norwegian, Norwegian action film, Norwegian myths, Super Hero, Thriller, Various Romances, Violent

Ragnarok (2020)

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From IMDB:

A small Norwegian town experiencing warm winters and violent downpours seems to be headed for another Ragnarok — unless someone intervenes in time.

From Netflix you can stream the 6 episodes of the only season available for this Norwegian fantasy story, namely season 1.  Each episode is about 45 minutes. Spoken in Norwegian with English subtitles.

June 8, 2021 – Update:

Now there are two seasons available. Season 2 also has 6 episodes. Unfortunately season 2 also ends with an implied “to be continued.”

According to Wikipedia, Ragnarok is

a series of events, including a great battle, foretold to lead to the death of a number of great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters and the submersion of the world in water. After these events, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and returning gods will meet and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors. Ragnarök is an important event in Norse mythology and has been the subject of scholarly discourse and theory in the history of Germanic studies.

Call it kid stuff if you like, but enough was invested in the production values to make this story watchable. Warning: this season 1 is obviously an introduction to more seasons.

Consider the plot: High school student Magne arrives in a sleepy town together with his mother and brother.  Controlling the town is a giant factory run by a “perfect” family of four who seem to be human but in reality are immortal Norwegian gods. Upon arrival in the town, a mysterious elderly couple bestow powers on Magne without his knowing. Little by little Magne discovers his powers. Meanwhile the factory is knowingly polluting the environment, which to the 4 gods is unimportant and to be covered up. Gradually Magne realizes what is happening.  Let the truth come out.

Does it sound like something for the adolescents to watch?  In a completely unsubtle manner, the underlying theme is global warming and world pollution of the environment.  Conversational fragments refer to today’s environmental concerns. Perhaps someday the presentation will seem outdated. But for now (February 2020)  the topic is spot on (as the British would say).

Bear with Magne’s (lack of) acting.  He is basically a stone faced, stoic, initially bewildered, and dyslexic high school kid.

In summary:  Season 1 will have a “happy ending” if the truth comes out. But then we will need more seasons in which the battle of the gods takes place.  Stay tuned.

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Friendship, Happy Family Gatherings, High school students, Illegitimate Child, Marital Infidelity, Muchausen's by proxy, Muchausen's syndrome, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Suspense, Teenagers, Thriller, Violent, Wife leaves husband, Womanizing

The Stranger (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follows the lives of suburban families whose secrets and lies are made public by the appearance of a stranger.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 roughly 50 minute episodes of this thriller based on the book The Stranger which Harlan Coben wrote in 2015.

Starting in 1995 Harlan Coben (who at this writing is 58 years old) has written a book a year. If you have never read a book by Coben and if you like clever thrillers, you are in for a treat. So far every Coben book I have read was gripping and a real pleasure.

Plot is all important and usually complicated in a Coben novel. However his treatment of character is well done. In the TV version the actors do not disappoint:

All this actors have incredibly extensive resumés. You just cannot go wrong watching this series.

DO NOT MISS!

2018, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, Bullying, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crime, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Father-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Pedophilia, Physical child abuse, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Psychological Drama, Sensitive treatement of emotions, Suspense, Violent, Wonderful acting

A Dark Place (2018)

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From IMDB:

When a young boy goes missing in a sleepy backwoods town, a local sanitation truck driver, Donald, plays detective, embarking on a precarious and obsessive investigation.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 29 minute feature film.

Hats off to the incredibly talented and adaptable Irish actor Andrew Scott.  You can watch him in Fleabag and Handsome Devil. In “Fleabag” (Amazon Prime) he plays a Catholic priest. In “Handsome Devil” he plays a somewhat closeted gay private school teacher. In “A Dark Place” he plays to perfection a personality-disabled obsessive compulsive garbage man.

If I had to make an amateur guess, I would says the character suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. His withdrawn and hesitant demeanor reflects the small town’s low opinion and dismissal of him.  But he is NOT stupid. In fact his determined obsessiveness coupled with his native intelligence drive him to expose an atrocious  crime which was covered over by corrupt forces in the town.  What I marvel most about this film is Scott’s ability to channel a lonely disliked oddball to such an extent that I ended up commiserating with and rooting for the character.  Facial expressions and physical movement are part of Scott’s acting toolbox.

Speaking of facial expressions, don’t miss the last grimace of the sheriff.

Corrupt bullies versus a disadvantaged good guy is a scenario that always holds my attention.

DO NOT MISS!

 

2018, Abandoned child, Abuse of Women, Addiction, Amusing banter, Bloody scenes, Child custody, Clever Plot, Creepy, Disturbing Image, Drugs, Emotional child abuse, Erotic Thriller, Family Conflict, Flirting, Jealousy, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Psychological Thriller, Revenge, Self-Deception, Sex Scenes, Stalker, Suspense, Unusual, Violent, Vulgar

You (2018)

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From IMDB:

A dangerously charming, intensely obsessive young man goes to extreme measures to insert himself into the lives of those he is transfixed by.

From Netflix you can stream two seasons of this somewhat creepy series. Each season contains 10 episodes each of which lasts about 45 minutes.

Joe Goldberg (played by Penn Badgley) at first seems just to be an obsessive stalker.  But harmless he is not. Joe spends 20 episodes talking silently to himself and rationalizing his behavior by somehow letting himself believe that everything he does is for love.  Along the way he manages to kill an awful lot of people in the name of love.

Is Joe mentally ill or just some kind of narcissist that chooses murder as a way to continue  his quest for love?  In any case he is not a serial killer in the accepted sense of the word.

Why watch Joe’s lethal progress?

  •  All along we expect Joe to be killed or caught.  But cleverly unexpected events constantly occur to save Joe’s skin.
  • Trendy dialog rules the day, especially in LA.
  •  In face to face conversations, no matter what tight spot he is in, Joe always manages to manufacture a spin response.
  • Good acting enhances a story that is never boring (although the very end seems to drag a bit).
  •  Segments of Joe’s history as a sad, traumatized child are injected often to explain his current behavior.

Curiosity (as to how on earth this story ends) more than anything kept me hooked to these 20 episodes.

2014, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Action Film, Action Hero, Assisted Suicide, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, British History, Chick Flick, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Coarse manners, Could Be Hard To Watch, Disturbing Image, DO NOT MISS, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-son relations, Flirting, French Culture, Frontier Life, Gaelic, Gay theme, Good Brother - Bad Brother, Historical Fiction, Husband leaves wife, Illegitimate Child, Improbable details, Magic, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, Military, Murder, Murder by poison, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Prison, Rape, Revenge, Romance, Sadism, Scottish, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Smallpox, Sociopath, Suspense, Torture, Various Romances, Violent, Vulgar

Outlander (2014)

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From Wikipedia:

Outlander is a drama television series based upon author Diana Gabaldon‘s historical time travel book series of the same name.  It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married former World War II nurse who in 1946 finds herself transported back to Scotland in 1743. There she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

There exist or will exist at this writing 5 seasons of this very successful series. From Netflix you can stream 3 seasons. Starz is offering  at least 4 seasons. Season 1 has 15 episodes. Seasons 2,3,and 4 have 13 episodes. Season 5 is promised by Starz but not yet available today (Jan11,2020).

Summarizing a plot that goes on forever is pointless. If this type of adventure soap opera appeals to you, then you just emerse yourself and plow through.  Personally I could not stop watching probably because like all good potboilers our hero and heroine repeatedly get caught in some dilemma only to eventually extricate themselves.

Some of the subplots are a bit over the top. When the couple escape to Paris from somewhat bleak and primitive Scotland, they suddenly are dressing to the hilt and acting like socialites.  In fact you have to suspend disbelief in the details. Just enjoy the superstitions and magic.

Expect to see much violence, wounds, blood, and lashings. Some of the scenes are cringe-worthy.  Especially BEWARE season 1 episode 15 “Wentworth Prison” in which the evil Black Jack (played to sadistic perfection by Tobias Menzies ) tortures and rapes Jamie.

As a further reward, this series has some of the best sex scenes I have ever seen.  These scenes are successful because they hinge on real emotions and are truly not pornographic.

Bets are on that once you start watching, you will not be able to stop.

DO NOT MISS