2014, Acceptable for teenagers, Action sequences, Arson, Austrian Detective, Bloody scenes, Boating, Buried Treasure, Crime, Disturbing Image, Divorce, Dysfunctional Lives, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, German, German Detectives, Greed, Gypsies, Illegitimate Child, MHz Choice, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Motorcycles, Murder, Murder Investigation, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Suspense, Trailer Life, Troubled Personality, Unmarried mother, Violent, Witchcraft

Murder by the Lake (2014)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

With Germany, Switzerland and Austria sharing its shores, Lake Constance has stories to tell. German homicide inspector Micha Oberländer and his Austrian partner Hannah Zeiler try to discover its secrets and have a few of their own.

From MHz Choice you can stream two seasons of this  German-Austrian TV crime series which is shot at  Lake Constance.  Season one consists of 7 episodes. Season two consists of 3 episodes. All episodes last about an hour and a half.  German with English subtitles.

Germany and Austria decide to create a small detective unit with dual authority in both countries. Initially the German Micha and the Austrian Hanna don’t get along together.

Each episode is a self-contained crime and solution. Running throughout all 10 episodes are two themes:

  •     Micha’s marriage is unraveling, mostly due to the usual   detective cliché that he is always on the job.
  •     Hannah is a stone-faced cold young woman whose life was tormented by the disappearance of her father.  Eventually her father appears.

Probably Hannah will never succeed in a relationship. However as the series progresses a genuine friendship develops between Micha and Hannah.

If you can sit still for an hour and a half, then this series is worth the time spent watching.

2017, Binge worthy, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Cynical, DO NOT MISS, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Financial malfeasance, Government cover-up, Government Prosecutions, Illegitimate Child, Jealousy, Lawyers, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, MHz Choice, Money Laundering, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Promiscuity, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Swiss banking, Tax Evasion, Transvestite theme, Unscrupulous drive to power

Banking District (2017)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

A private banker goes into a coma. His sister becomes the director and finds out his coma might not be accidental as she finds obscure transactions her brother was involved in.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 6 episodes of season 1 of this French-speaking Swiss intrigue film with English subtitles.  Each episode lasts about 50 minutes.  IMDB seems to indicate that there is or will be a season 2 which, in my opinion, would be a shame.

REVISION for Season 2 which also consists of 6 episodes, each lasting about 50 minutes.

My above opinion about season 2 being a shame, is WRONG. Season two was just as good as season 1.  At least we know from the beginning of season 2 who the bad guys are. But now Elizabeth has the difficult task of removing the bad buys and cleaning up the bank ethics. However, the line between good and evil becomes increasingly blurred as the plot develops. Elizabeth has her troubles in spades. Expect cynical plot turns. And once again DO NOT MISS!

ORIGINAL review for season 1.

From the very beginning up to the very end there is a palpable atmosphere of intrigue, suspense, and danger (for the good guys at least).

Elizabeth Grangier is the black sheep of the Swiss Grangier banking family. In fact she is the black sheep because of her disdain for the crooked dealings of the Swiss bank.  More to the point, the whole series is an indictment of the shady Swiss banking system. We quickly learn that her beloved brother Paul, who lies in a coma for the entire season, was quite corrupt.  Besides Elizabeth, the only other honest adult seems to be her newspaper journalist former husband.   Impetus for most of the action comes from the United States hunt for American tax evaders.  Add murders to the mix.

Some details are left hanging.  Elizabeth cries a lot. We never meet the owner of the female phone voice that orders killings.  But the story grabbed me.  At last I have gotten used to and in fact admire the plotting technique in which the conclusion leaves many details hanging. Just use your imagination.

Despite some negative criticisms,  I rate this series a DO NOT MISS!

 

 

2015, Amazon Prime, Amusing banter, Basically Sad, Bisexual theme, Bloody scenes, British Comedy, Cross Dressing, Drama, Eccentric cast of characters, Explicit sex, Explicit sexual discussion, Flirting, Friendship, Gay theme, Grungy, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Masturbation, Mostly About Sex, Murder, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Outrageous Behavior, Panic Attacks, Promiscuity, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Soap Opera, Somewhat ridiculous plot, Somewhat trashy, Suicide, Unusual, Vulgar, Wonderful acting

Cucumber (2015)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

After causing a man to commit suicide over a misunderstanding and his long term boyfriend proposes, sexually repressed Henry has a breakdown and leaves home to move in with work colleague Dean and love interest Freddie both half his own age; meanwhile his ex, Lance finds a new love with Daniel. Modern life for gay men in the city of Manchester by the mind behind Queer As Folk, writer Russell T. Davies.

From Amazon Prime you can stream 8 episodes of this gay soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

If there is a predominant theme in this story, it is the sadly common often lonely life of older gay men.  After their youthful attractiveness vanishes, most of the characters in the film spend their time desperately searching for a sexual encounter with some “hot” young stud.

So why watch this soap opera?  For one thing, the acting is superb. Vincent Franklin as Henry Best presents futile searching, regret and guilt perfectly.  You may not sympathize with his faulty choices in life, but you can watch a tragically sincere performance. For another thing,  you will witness what is supposedly the typical Manchester gay life and, at least for me, ask the question “Is that even close to the truth and, if so, YIKES!”  Be prepared for no holds barred explicit and vulgar shenanigans.  Also be prepared for some nasty violence.

Certainly not to everyone’s tastes but still a fascinating sad freak show.

2019, Abuse of Women, Binge worthy, Bloody scenes, Catholic culture, Creepy, Dark, Detective, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Flashbacks, Forensics, Frame someone for a crime, Illegitimate Child, Lawyers, Marital Infidelity, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Occasionaly violent, Panic Attacks, Police Investigation, Problematic Ending, Psychiatrists, Psychological Drama, Psychological Thriller, Religious Theme, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Violent, Wrestling

Reckoning (2019)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Explores the darkest corners of the male psyche through the eyes of two fathers, one of whom is a serial-killer.

From Netflix you can stream the 10 episodes of this serial-killer soap opera. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Far from being a predictable serial-killer police procedural, this series is a study in psychology that involves a large cast of well presented characters.

From almost the earliest episodes, your hunch as to which character is the RRK serial killer will be vindicated.  But having the police catch the killer is not the only important focus.  Additionally we watch the interaction of that killer with all the others involved.

Sean Barker, the Australian actor that plays Edgar Harris, steals the show.   Aden Young, the Canadian actor that plays detective Mike Serrato,  plays as tortured a personality as does Sean Barker.

There is a conclusion, but it will not be what you might expect. Be prepared possibly for a final moment in which you ask “Is that really the end of the story?”

BINGE WORTHY!

2017, Alcoholism, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Creepy, Dark, Disturbing Image, Drama, Explicit sexual discussion, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Marital Infidelity, Masturbation, Medical Theme, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Occasionaly violent, Outrageous Behavior, Physical child abuse, Psychological Thriller, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Tragedy, Unusual, Unusual ending, Upsetting ending, Valium appropriate

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Steven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.

From Netflix you can stream this two hour complete film.

When I saw that the surgeon Steven Murphy was played by Colin Farrell and his wife Anna Murphy was played by Nicole Kidman, I was eager to see the film. Yikes!

“Weird” is the closest one word that seems to apply here. Other words might be “strange”, “creepy”, “outrageous” or “unnerving.”  Hopefully not everyone will even want to start watching after reading this review.  However, I was both hooked and horrified from the very beginning.

In Wikipedia you can find a discussion of the film but I have inserted below a summary from IMDB:

After the untimely death of 16-year-old Martin’s father on the operating table, little by little, a deep and empathetic bond begins to form between him and the respected cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Steven Murphy. At first, expensive gifts and then an invitation for dinner will soon earn the orphaned teenager the approval of Dr Steven’s perfect family, even though right from the start, a vague, yet unnerving feeling overshadows Martin’s honest intent. And then, unexpectedly, the idyllic family is smitten by a fierce and pitiless punishment, while at the same time, everything will start falling apart as the innocents have to suffer. In the end, as the sins of one burden the entire family, only an unimaginable and unendurable decision that demands a pure sacrifice can purge the soul. But to find catharsis, one must first admit the sin.

In the film there are at times oddly explicit sexual discussions and situations.  Martin is played by Barry Keoghan whose physical appearance presents anything but a Hollywood type. Speech throughout the film is so stilted that it seemed I was watching a stage play.  Spoken lines, especially from Martin, seem at times inappropriate.

From the very stylistically rigid beginning and onward there was a sense of anxious foreboding that tempted me to stop watching this tragedy.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

2020, Abduction, Acceptable Trash, Action Film, Action Hero, B-movie, Bloody scenes, Car Chase, Fist Fight, Flashbacks, Invincible Hero, Mayhem, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Pakistan, Sociopath, Surprise Ending, Thriller, Violent

Extraction (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Tyler Rake, a fearless black market mercenary, embarks on the most deadly extraction of his career when he’s enlisted to rescue the kidnapped son of an imprisoned international crime lord.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 57 minute killing festival.

As one critic noted: “I hope the actors were paid by the bullet.”  Indeed what you see is what you get and probably expected. Still, from time to time who doesn’t enjoy some gratuitous violence.

Of course, our hero Tyler Rake (played by Chris Hemsworth ) never misses a shot even when wounded so gravely that he can barely lift his assault weapon.  Similarly he never loses a martial arts bare hands fight.  However, I suspect the ending might surprise you.

Just insert your earplugs and let the adrenalin flow.

2020, Documentary, Ethical struggles, Father-son relations, Gay theme, Government Prosecutions, Homophobia, Independent, Mother-son relations, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Religious Theme

Circus of Books (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

In 1976, Karen and Barry Mason had fallen on hard times and were looking for a way to support their young family when they answered an ad in the Los Angeles Times. Larry Flynt was seeking distributors for Hustler Magazine. What was expected to be a brief sideline led to their becoming fully immersed in the LGBT community as they took over a local store, Circus of Books. A decade later, they had become the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. The film focuses on the double life they led, trying to maintain the balance of being parents at a time when LGBT culture was not yet accepted. Their many challenges included facing jail time for a federal obscenity prosecution and enabling their store to be a place of refuge at the height of the AIDS crisis. Circus of Books offers a rare glimpse into an untold chapter of queer history, and it is told through the lense of the owners’ own daughter, Rachel Mason, an artist, filmmaker and musician.

From Netflix you can stream this 1 hour 26 minute complete documentary.

IMDB’s summary tells most of the story. However, one of the most important themes of the plot is that one of the Mason’s sons during his college years came out to his parents as gay.  Karen needed time to absorb and accept this fact after which she and Barry became ardent supporters of the organization of parents of gay children.

In parts of the film you will see covers of gay DVDs and magazines which are quite explicit.

Watching this documentary is like watching a “happening.”   Still I cannot get my head around the contradictions: Karen, a devout practicing Jew, ran a gay porn shop and was at first shocked and dismayed that a son of hers could possible be gay.

Really?

 

2017, Amazon Prime, Bloody scenes, Child Molestation, Family Conflict, French, French Detective Series, Gory, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Occasional gore, Pedophilia, Police Culture, Promiscuity, Revenge, Romance, Sex Scenes, Sexual promiscuity, Unusual, Violent

Deadly Seasons (2017)

Leave a comment

From Amazon Prime:

A mysterious Superintendent with a troubled past teams up with a young, reckless female inspector to solve a series of troubling murders.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 4 episodes of this French detective series. Each episode lasts a bit more than an hour and a half.  Spoken French with English subtitles.

No visual punches are pulled in these episodes: nudity, beheadings, headless naked bodies entwined and other delights.

What is even more of a novelty is that Mariella de Luca, the “young reckless female inspector,”  at night dons a disguise, including a silver wig, and has sex with male strangers she finds online.

Each episode features a separate crime,  while underlying all four episodes are two themes:

  • What happened to the missing adult son of Commissaire Rousseau,  Marielle’s boss?
  • Can Marielle ever find true love instead of being sexually promiscuous?

By the end of the last episode both questions are resolved.  And while getting to that end we can all enjoy a few visual shocks.

 

2018, Abduction, Addiction, Ambiguous Conclusion, Bicycles, Bloody scenes, Conspiracy, Corruption, Crime thriller, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dog episode, Drugs, Ethical struggles, Family Conflict, Flashbacks, Forensics, Greed, Hunting, Kidnapping, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Police cover-up, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish Detective, Thriller, Uncle-Nephew relations, Violent, Wrongful Arrest

The Hunters (2018)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

Erik returns to the northernmost of Sweden after a lifetime with Stockholm police [seeThe Hunters (1996) and False Trail (2011)]. Retirement doesn’t become him so he helps his nephew Peter, a rookie at the local police.

From MHz Choice:

Rolf Lassgard stars as a retired Stockholm cop drawn into a mystery in Sweden’s far north.

From MHz Choice you can stream the 6 episodes of this Swedish detective thriller. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.  Swedish sound track with English subtitles.

Evidently (from IMDB) “The Hunters” was a Swedish TV series that began in 1996.  Rolf Lassgard has played the same Stockholm cop in other installments.  His role as Erik Bäckström is played superbly.

THRILLER is an understatement. You have the privilege of being able to stream all the episodes as fast as you wish, where I had to wait not so patiently for each Tuesday’s new episode to be available.

But then I am always a sucker for plots in which the villain (or in this case villains) is so smoothly corrupt and knows how to seduce others into his corruption while framing others for the crimes. By the time I watched the last episode I was literally shaking with anticipation. Up to the very last moment the bad guys seemed to be winning.

DO NOT MISS!

 

2020, Abuse of Women, Acorn TV, Arson, Bullying, Controlling personality, Depression, Drama, Emotional abuse, Extramarital Affair, Jealousy, Lawyers, Murder, Panic Attacks, Police Corruption, Psychiatrists, Scottish, Scottish Detectives, Small Town, Spousal Abuse, Tragedy

Deadwater Fell (2020)

Leave a comment

From IMDB:

When a seemingly perfect and happy family is murdered by someone they knew and trusted, cracks appear on the surface of a supposedly idyllic community.

CORRECTED REVIEW: Now there are all 4 episodes.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 4 episodes of this Scottish detective series. Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Rather than classify this series as a detective series, instead be aware that this story is a real tragedy in the classic sense that everyone in the story suffers.  In other words expect a bitter tasting ending.

David Tennant plays the lead tragic figure Tom Kendrick.  Tennant has an impressively long acting resumé including playing D.I. Alex Hardy in Broadchurch (which is a “must see”).  His character Tom is a remarkable contrast to that of D.I. Alex Hardy.

As the story progresses, you will see that first impressions are deceiving.  Little by little we discover the real nature of several inhabitants of this small town.

Superbly well done, but brace yourself.