Category: Mystery

Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows

2011   Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2 hr  9min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Mystery ~ Crime Thriller

Directed by:  Guy Ritchie

Starring:  Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Rachel McAdams, Jared Harris, Kelly Reilly and Eddie Marsan.

It’s A Game, A Shadowy Game. Winner Takes All.

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) is back in 1891 London, but this time his brilliant mind is battling the world’s most dangerous criminal mastermind, Professor James Moriarty (Jared Harris). A string of bombings and assassinations have Europe on the brink of war, and Holmes discovers that Moriarty—a respected mathematics professor by day—is secretly orchestrating chaos to profit from the coming global conflict. Meanwhile, Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) is preparing for a peaceful married life with Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly), though Holmes quickly pulls him into another case that’s anything but calm.

Their hunt leads them to Madam Simza Heron (Noomi Rapace), a tough and resourceful Romani fortune-teller whose missing brother may hold the key to Moriarty’s plan. Chased by assassins through Paris, forests, and mountain fortresses, the trio uncovers a conspiracy blending science, greed, and warfare. Holmes realizes that Moriarty is buying up weapons factories and newspaper syndicates, building an empire that would make him richer the more nations fight each other.

The cat-and-mouse game comes to a head across Europe, culminating in a breathtaking train ambush, a massive forest gunfight, and a journey to Switzerland. With Watson and Simza trying to stop an assassination that could start a world war, Holmes faces Moriarty in person at a peace summit high above Reichenbach Falls. The two men, mirror images of intellect and obsession, engage in a game of chess that turns literal when their psychological duel becomes a physical one.

In a heroic final act, Holmes sacrifices himself to take Moriarty down, leaping with him into the roaring waterfall below. Watson, heartbroken, writes the final entry in his memoir, believing Holmes dead, before a small clue reveals that perhaps the great detective isn’t gone after all.

Noomi Rapace makes a memorable impression in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, bringing depth and intrigue to her role as Madam Simza Heron, a Romani fortune-teller drawn into Holmes and Watson’s cross-continental investigation. Though Rachel McAdams briefly returns for a cameo as Irene Adler, Rapace shines as the primary female lead, adding a bold, resourceful energy that perfectly complements the film’s tension and adventurous spirit.​

Rapace’s Simza is far from a passive bystander, she’s key to the unraveling of Moriarty’s deadly plot, navigating both personal stakes and international danger. Her performance stands out alongside Downey Jr. and Law, blending sharp instincts with emotional vulnerability. Fans of Rachel McAdams may miss the dynamic of Holmes and Adler, but Rapace fills the void with her own unique charisma, making Game of Shadows a worthy sequel that introduces an unforgettable new character to the Holmes universe.

A Game of Shadows takes everything that made the first film so enjoyable, quick wit, clever deductions, and stylish fights, and expands it into something more epic. The chemistry between Downey Jr. and Law is effortless, balancing humor with the deep loyalty that defines their partnership. Director Guy Ritchie creates a kinetic, modern feel while staying rooted in Victoriana, using slow-motion fight choreography and rapid editing that make every deduction feel like both a scientific equation and a bar brawl. The dialogue snaps with playful banter, yet under the surface runs a compelling melancholy about genius, sacrifice, and war.

What makes this sequel stand out is the way it deepens its characters and stakes. Moriarty, played with chilling elegance by Jared Harris, gives Holmes a true intellectual equal, turning the detective’s usual confidence into desperation. The cinematography and Hans Zimmer’s striking score turn Europe’s industrial revolution into a thunderous backdrop for their duel of minds. It’s not just a crime film, it’s a Victorian-era spy thriller where deduction becomes destiny. Like the first movie, it’s smart, fast, and endlessly rewatchable, proving that beneath all the explosions and humor lies a story about friendship, courage, and the high price of brilliance.

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie!

Currently on NETFLIX.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

2009   Warner Bros. Pictures

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2 hr  8min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Mystery ~ Crime Thriller

Directed by:   Guy Ritchie

Starring:  Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly, and Eddie Marsan.

Nothing Escapes Him!

Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and his partner Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) are drawn into a dark case when they prevent the ritualistic murder of a woman by Lord Henry Blackwood (Mark Strong), a nobleman with deadly secrets who claims to possess supernatural powers. Blackwood is arrested and sentenced to death, but before his execution, he ominously warns Holmes that three more deaths will follow. Meanwhile, Watson’s life is changing as he plans to marry Mary Morstan (Kelly Reilly), a governess, which begins to strain his partnership with Holmes.

After Blackwood’s execution, strange events begin to unfold, including the discovery of Blackwood’s broken tomb containing the body of Luke Reordan. Holmes investigates Reordan’s secret laboratory and uncovers experiments blending science with mysticism. Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams), a cunning and independent thief known as the only woman to have outwitted Holmes before, re-enters his life seeking help to find Reordan and entangles Holmes in a complex conspiracy, all while hinting at deeper connections with Holmes’s enigmatic adversary, Professor Moriarty.

As Holmes digs deeper, he is introduced to the secretive Temple of the Four Orders, a powerful magical society with ties to Blackwood’s plan to overthrow the British government by releasing deadly cyanide gas into Parliament. Holmes, Watson, and Adler work together to thwart the plot, using Holmes’s brilliant deductive skills and combat prowess to navigate deadly traps and political intrigue. Watson struggles to balance his budding family life with continuing to support Holmes through the dangerous case.

The film concludes with a tense confrontation atop the unfinished Tower Bridge, where Holmes reveals that Blackwood’s supernatural feats were a mix of science and deception. Holmes saves Adler, who warns him of Moriarty’s greater threat, perfectly setting up a sequel. Kelly Reilly’s Mary brings a grounding emotional layer as Watson’s fiancée, representing his desire for normalcy, while Rachel McAdams’s Adler adds complexity as a fierce, independent ally entwined with Holmes’s life and work. This blend of mystery, action, and character dynamics defines this energetic, modern take on Sherlock Holmes.

Growing up, I was captivated by the Sherlock Holmes stories, losing myself in the clever mysteries and the sharp wit of the great detective. Seeing these tales brought to life on the big screen was a thrilling experience the first time I saw this movie and even more so every time I watch it. Robert Downey Jr. perfectly captures Holmes’s brilliance and quirky charm, while Jude Law’s Watson gives us a grounded, loyal counterpart that felt true to the originals. Watching their chemistry and the dynamic storytelling unfold reminded me why I fell in love with these characters in the first place, now infused with exciting action and cinematic flair.

For me, Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes bridges nostalgia and fresh excitement, letting me experience Holmes’s world in a whole new way. The film’s atmospheric settings, clever plot twists, and rich character moments turned my childhood readings into a vivid, immersive adventure. It’s a unique joy to revisit those timeless stories through such a modern lens, and it reinforced for me how enduring and captivating Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creations remain, decades after I first opened those classic books.

Sherlock Holmes is a classic movie that brilliantly honors the timeless works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It captures the spirit of his iconic detective through a perfect blend of period authenticity and modern cinematic energy, bringing Holmes’s sharp intellect and thrilling adventures vividly to life on the big screen. And now for the sequel Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows, tonight’s movie for Streaming Movie Night and tomorrow’s Movie Review! SO if you haven’t seen Sherlock Holmes I highly Recommend it, and if you have, Watch it again!

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie!

Currently on NETFLIX.

Sherlock Holmes: Game Of Shadows

The Woman In Cabin 10

2025   Netflix

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  32min

Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Simon Stone

Starring:  Keira Knightley, Guy Pearce, David Ajala, Art Malik, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kaya Scodelario, David Morrissey, Daniel Ings, and Hannah Waddingham.

They Don’t Want You To Believe What She Saw

The Book:

The Woman in Cabin 10 is a New York Times Best-Selling Novel by Ruth Ware  published April 11, 2017. CBS initially acquired the film rights in 2017 and began developing a film, but in May 2024 it was announced that Netflix had bought the rights and Simon Stone was slated to direct with Kiera Knightley playing the lead role of Laura Blacklock.

Reminiscent of a classic whodunit, this “pulse-quickening” instant New York Times and USA TODAY bestseller follows a journalist searching for a missing woman on a cruise ship, a woman that everyone else insists doesn’t exist.

Travel magazine writer Lo Blacklock has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: one week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the elite guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea.

At first, Lo’s voyage is perfect, with a plush cabin, elegant dinner parties, and plenty of relaxation. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for, and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

With surprising twists, spine-tingling turns, and a setting that proves as uncomfortably claustrophobic as it is eerily beautiful, Ruth Ware offers up a taut and intense read in The Woman in Cabin 10, proving, once again, her place as “the Agatha Christie of her generation”.

The Movie:

Journalist Laura “Lo” Blacklock (Keira Knightley) is looking for a career boost when she’s offered the chance to cover a luxury cruise on a billionaire’s yacht, the Aurora Borealis. The trip, arranged by wealthy philanthropist Anne Bullmer (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and her husband Richard (Guy Pearce), is a lavish journey to Norway under the pretense of Anne’s final charitable act. Guests on board include not only the couple’s high-society friends, like the shrewd socialite Heidi (Hannah Waddingham) and glamorous influencer Grace (Kaya Scodelario), but also Lo’s old flame, photographer Ben (David Ajala). The yacht’s gleaming hallways and endless drinks disguise underlying tensions, while Lo, though grateful for the invitation, remains unsettled by lingering anxiety and a run-in with a mysterious woman next door.​

On her first night, Lo is startled to meet a frightened woman (Gitte Witt) in the supposedly empty adjacent Cabin 10, who begs her for help before vanishing into the bathroom. Later, after a night of heavy drinking, Lo hears a violent commotion from Cabin 10, followed by the unmistakable splash of something or someone falling overboard. Racing to her balcony, Lo sees a body in the water and a bloody mark next door, but when she raises the alarm, the yacht’s crew and passengers insist that nobody ever checked into Cabin 10. Shocked and isolated, Lo finds herself the only person convinced a crime has taken place.​

Her efforts to investigate put her at odds with Richard Bullmer (Guy Pearce), whose slick demeanor and evasiveness turn increasingly sinister, as well as with the rest of the guests, who seem eager to believe Lo is imagining things. Undeterred, Lo pursues clues with the help of Ben (David Ajala) and challenges the eerie silence of the luxury cruise, discovering suspicious details, disappearing belongings, threatening notes, and evidence that someone is tampering with her cabin. As pressure mounts and her paranoia spirals, Lo begins to question not just the loyalties of those around her, but her own grasp on reality, all while someone clearly wants her to drop her search for the “woman in Cabin 10” at any cost.​

With danger closing in and the yacht cut off from the outside world, Lo fights to piece together the truth behind the woman’s disappearance. Her only allies seem to be her stubborn sense of right and the slim trail of clues the mystery woman left behind. As secrets are exposed through the stormy, claustrophobic voyage, Lo’s investigation turns into a desperate game of survival—proving that even surrounded by luxury, no one is safe from the darkness lurking just out of sight.

The Review:

This was a good movie, a classic whodunit on board a luxury yacht. Keira Knightley was easy to like and made her character, Laura “Lo” Blacklock, feel real and relatable right away. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and surprises, and the fancy, cramped yacht setting made everything feel even more tense. It’s the kind of mystery that’s exciting but also easy to follow, and I enjoyed watching it from start to finish. If you are a fan of the whodunit’s or a good mystery thriller, you’re going to like this one!

Following the watching of Netflix’s thriller “The Woman in Cabin 10,” starring Keira Knightley as journalist Lo Blacklock, it felt ripe for a sequel. Ruth Ware, the original novel’s author, released the follow-up book “The Woman in Suite 11” in July 2025, continuing Lo’s story as she navigates a perilous investigation at a luxury Swiss hotel. While Netflix has yet to officially announce a film adaptation of the sequel, industry buzz and positive reception of the first movie make it a natural next step. Ware expressed enthusiasm for seeing Lo’s story continue on screen, though she has also mentioned an interest in adapting other novels first. If Netflix moves ahead, we can likely expect Knightley to reprise her role as Lo, diving back into a world of secrets, power, and danger beyond Cabin 10’s yacht.

Black Bag

2025   Focus Features

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  33min

Drama ~ Mystery ~ Romance ~ Spy ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Steven Soderbergh

Starring:  Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

It Takes A Spy To Hunt A Spy

George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender), a hard-nosed British intelligence officer, has been handed a stressful assignment by Arthur Stieglitz (Pierce Brosnan), the head of the National Cyber Security Centre: track down the mole responsible for leaking a powerful piece of cyber-weapon software called Severus. The stakes go from professional to deeply personal once George learns that his own wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), herself an elite agent, has landed on the shortlist of suspects alongside several of their close colleagues. Under intense pressure, George invites all the suspects, including Kathryn, to an unusually tense dinner party, where he employs unconventional, even sneaky, interrogation methods to push for confessions without tipping his hand.

As the investigation spirals, George is forced to confront cracks in both his marriage and his faith in the people closest to him. Suspicion mounts when mysterious clues appear: a hidden movie ticket in the wastebasket, a sudden trip to Switzerland by his wife without telling him, and signs that millions may have been transferred to an overseas bank account in her name. Kathryn finds herself under fire at work and at home, but her relationship with George, built on both trust and professional rivalry, becomes the movie’s driving force as the pair try to outwit a blackmailer playing them against each other.

With suspicion and paranoia swirling, the movie stays laser-focused on psychological tension rather than car chases or shootouts. Every dialogue and sideways glance carries extra weight, especially as dinner party secrets unravel and loyalties are put to the test. Amidst layers of secrets, lies, and suspicion, George and Kathryn face the biggest challenge: their loyalty to each other is tested by the possibility that one of them could be the traitor. Despite the mistrust and high-stakes espionage around them, their relationship proves strong and unbreakable. In the end, George and Kathryn reaffirm that their love and faith in one another are what truly matter, insisting that betrayal is not an option between them. Their partnership stands as a core, human element amid the chaos of spy games and political intrigue.

Black Bag is not your typical action spy movie because it focuses more on psychological tension, character dynamics, and subtle espionage rather than car chases, big explosions, or nonstop action scenes. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, it’s a smart and sleek thriller that unfolds primarily through conversations, suspicion, and quiet moments of betrayal. Instead of flashy set pieces, the film builds suspense around trust issues, particularly within the main couple and their coworkers, and the careful maneuvering in their closed, claustrophobic environments like dinner parties and office spaces. It is a whodunit that is devoid of a lot of action and does move a little slow. You do have to pay attention to the details as George does, to figure things out. It was a different role for Michael Fassbender but enjoyable nonetheless. It does come off as a little cold and sterile where there is not much action and again moves a little slow. But it is more about the relationship of George and Kathryn and how they handle this test of their marriage.

Sure, it’s worth a watch but go in knowing that it is a bit different than your average spy action movie.

Wind River

2017   The Weinstein Company

Rated :  R

Length:  1 hr  47min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Neo-Western ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Taylor Sheridan

Starring:  Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene.

Nothing Is Harder To Track Than The Truth

Wind River is set in the frozen expanses of Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation, where a local U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tracker named Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) discovers the body of a young Native American woman in the snow. Cory instantly recognizes the girl as his best friend Martin Hanson’s (Gil Birmingham) daughter Natalie (Kelsey Asbille). She had run barefoot in the snow for quite a distance as there is nothing around for miles. The cold air finally froze her lungs and she collapsed where Cory found her. The scene sparks a federal investigation led by Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen), a rookie FBI agent flown in from Las Vegas, who was the closest available agent. Far from her comfort zone being originally from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida she is completely out of her element. Sensing Cory’s familiarity with the case and the terrain, she asks him to help her with her investigation. He agrees and the two start looking for the truth about what happened to Natalie.

Natalie had apparently been raped and they order the medical examiner to order a rape kit for testing. Signs of foul play and trauma quickly turn their attention to the young victim’s relationships. They search out her brother Chip who tells them, after a shootout with a drug addict in the drug filled mobile home, that Natalie had been hanging around a security guard named Matt Rayburn (Jon Bernthal) at a remote oil drilling camp. Outside the mobile home Cory notices a snowmobile trail leading up into the mountain. Cory and Jane head up on a snowmobile to investigate and discover the murdered, mutilated body of Natalie’s boyfriend. Cory and Jane recruit the local Tribe police led by Officer Ben Shoyo (Graham Greene) to accompany them out to the remote oil drilling camp to investigate. And it is there that things take a more sinister turn and we see flashbacks of what happened to Natalie and her boyfriend Matt.

Wind River was written and directed by Taylor Sheridan who also wrote Hell Or High Water and Sicario. All three are excellent movies and three of my favorites. Wind River was inspired by the thousands of stories of American Indian women raped, murdered or missing that he discovered in doing research for the story. Although it isn’t based on one specific story, it is the true story of all the missing women from the reservation. I have seen this movie a number of times and when I saw it was on Netflix last night, I had to watch it again. I love everything about this movie. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are fantastic in this as well as Gil Birmingham, Jon Bernthal, and Graham Greene. A couple of stand out scenes for me are outside the mobile home at the remote oil drilling camp where all hell breaks loose, Cory and Pete at the top of the mountain when he tells Pete that he is going to give him the same chances he gave Natalie, and when Cory goes to see Martin at the end and Martin is sitting out back with his “Death Face” on.

You could feel the heartfelt connection these two old friends have for each other, having each other’s backs in life. We all need friends like that. It is an adrenaline filled snowmobile ride chasing down the truth, filled with unexpected dangers and freezing temps, as Cory and Jane search for the truth, battle the elements, bad actors and the general culture of “looking the other way” on the reservation. As I said, I have seen this numerous times and still enjoy watching it. It is one of my favorites……hmmm, maybe I need a top ten favorite movie list. I’ll have to work on that. So, if you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. It is a great movie, you should watch it.

Make some popcorn, 

Grab a beverage

and Stream this Movie! 

Currently on Netflix