Tag: Suspense

G20

2025   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  50min

Action ~ Drama ~ Suspense ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Patricia Riggen

Starring:  Viola Davis, Anthony Anderson, Marsai Martin, Ramón Rodríguez, Douglas Hodge, Elizabeth Marvel, Sabrina Impacciatore, Clark Gregg, and Antony Starr.

“Never Underestimate A Patriot”

President Danielle Sutton (Viola Davis) of The United States is scheduled to travel to Cape Town, South Africa to attend the annual G20 Summit. But first she must contend with her underage teenage daughter Serena (Marsai Martin) who has bypassed Secret Service Security and has been spotted dancing at a night club by the press. Secret Service Security intervenes, apprehends her and brings her back to the White House. President Sutton and her husband Derek (Anthony Anderson) decide that Serena and her brother Demetrius (Cristopher Farrar) will travel with them to Cape Town.

When they arrive in Cape Town they discover that Security is very tight and the First Family feels secure. But as the Summit commences things quickly escalate out of control. A small army of highly trained and organized Terrorists take over the building and the conference room where the World leaders are gathered for the summit. They secure the perimeter of the resort grounds and blow up the building that houses the G20 Summit Security forces. As they storm the Conference room where the G20 Leaders are, President Sutton and her security team dive for cover and look for a way out.

President Sutton’s Military background and experience jumps into action and the race is on to fight their way out of the chaotic scene. As President Sutton, her bodyguard and a few World leaders they have taken with them escape out of the conference room, her husband and children are fighting to escape capture by the terrorists. The First man is no slouch and holds his own against the terrorists. Their children are quick on their feet as well and Selena’s Tech savviness comes in handy in hacking into the Terrorist’s Wi-Fi.

There is non-stop action as the movie unfolds. Lots of gunfire, explosions and hand to hand combat. Viola Davis as President Sutton, who has war experience in Afghanistan, is a complete bad-ass fighting to save her family and Democracy. I am a big Bessie Smith fan who is a Blues singer from the 1930’s and Viola Davis played Ma Rainey (Bessie Smith’s Mentor) in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Like Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey was a rough and tough, take no shit kind of woman. So it was interesting to see Viola Davis in this, it was like seeing the rough and tough Blues Singer Ma Rainey in action with a semi-automatic.

Anthony Anderson held his own duking it out with the terrorists, protecting his children at any cost. It is exactly what you think it is, an action filled terrorist political thriller. Shades of White House Down, Olympus Has Fallen and Die Hard all rolled into one. Throw in a Female Black American President with Middle East war experience and some Crypto for some extra spice. There are a ton of similar movies with the same familiar plotline. But with that said, I liked it. I thought Viola Davis was a complete bad-ass and pulled it off. I don’t think the movie would have survived without her, it would get lost in the mix of all the others that came before.

So, yeah…it was good and I enjoyed seeing Viola kick some butt, but I wouldn’t watch it again. Definitely a one-off, not a favorite repeater I’d watch over and over again.

Companion

2025   Warner Brothers

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  37min

Fantasy ~ Horror ~ Sci-Fi ~ Suspense ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Drew Hancock

Starring:  Sophie Thatcher, Jack Quaid, Lukas Gage, Megan Suri, Harvey Guillén, and Rupert Friend.

Find someone made just for you.

The Movie starts with this scene in a grocery store. It is when Iris and Josh first met…..

Iris is shopping in the grocery store pushing a grocery cart, when she sees peaches displayed in the produce department. She stops and picks up a peach, smells it, and looks up to see a guy named Josh smiling at her. He walks around to the front of her cart near an orange display, and attempting to make small talk, grabs an orange. All the oranges in the display fall onto the floor…..He sheepishly starts to laugh and Iris  starts to laugh too. Josh says, “Well That was smooth..” and laughs. Iris agrees as she laughs and smiles at him, “Yeah…So smooth.

As this voiceover from Iris plays:

Most the time it’s like, I don’t know, it’s like there’s this thick black cloud covering everything.

Like we see the world but, we don’t really see the world, you know?

We’re all just stumbling around. Directionless. No sense of meaning. No sense of purpose.

I know that might sound super depressing but honestly, I think it’s a good thing.

Because it makes us appreciate the other times.

Those brief transcendent moments when the lights flicker on, the black cloud parts and you see the world for what it really is.

And suddenly there’s meaning. Suddenly there’s purpose.

If you’re lucky you’ll experience this once in your lifetime.

For me, it happened twice.

The first was the day I met Josh.

And the second…..the day I killed him.

“Iris, Wake Up” Josh says. Iris wakes up, yawns and asks Josh, “How long was I out?” “You’ve been out for awhile now, what were you dreaming about?” Iris answers, “I was dreaming about when we first met.” They are driving in Josh’s self driving autonomous car to a friend’s house out in the countryside for a weekend getaway. They are meeting with some other friends to spend the weekend together and have some fun. The house belongs to Sergey, a shady Russian business man “whose hands are in some dirty business”, so he says.

Eli and his lover Patrick have already arrived and Josh and Iris pull up and park next to their car. As they enter the house they are greeted by Kat, who Iris is convinced doesn’t like her very much. Patrick is cooking, Sergey is drinking and making drinks for everyone else and Eli comes downstairs to greet Josh and Iris. And the weekend begins! There is food, there is drink, there is dancing, a fun time for all, let the good times roll!

But not for long! Soon things spiral out of control and not in the way it was intended! For there is more to this little planned getaway than meets the eye, as there is to Iris, Patrick, Josh and Kat. Sometimes the bad guy isn’t who you think it is, or is it. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, it goes in a completely different direction. And when you think you have that figured out, guess again. Nope, you’re wrong!

There are shades of Subservience and M3GAN in this movie. Yes, there are A.I. Robots, but you think they turn bad and run amok. Not nese-celery! New word I made up! Anyway, I thought Sophie Thatcher was great as Iris. I really liked her in this. Great job I say. And Jack Quaid as well, I just found out he is the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan, how about that! I love the story and the twists and turns, and I am fond of the Sci-Fi AI Robot genre of things. I am a big Bladerunner fan and love both of those futuristic AI Robotic humanoid filled movies. It is a twisty turny thrilling Sci-Fi Movie that leaves you rooting for who you thought was the bad guy in the end.

Yes, yes and yes on Companion.

I am a Sophie Thatcher and Companion Fan now!

Two Thumbs Up!

Holland

2025   Amazon Prime Video

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  49min

Drama ~ Suspense ~ Thriller

Directed by: Mimi Cave

Starring:  Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, and Gael García Bernal

“Some things only look perfect.” (Like the trailer for this movie)

 SYNOPSIS:

In this wildly unpredictable thriller, Nicole Kidman is the meticulous Nancy Vandergroot, a teacher and homemaker whose picture-perfect life with her community pillar husband (Matthew Macfadyen) and son (Jude Hill) in tulip-filled Holland, Michigan, tumbles into a twisted tale. Nancy and her friendly colleague (Gael García Bernal) become suspicious of a secret, only to discover nothing in their lives is what it seems.

REVIEW:

NO offence meant to any Dutch people

or the fine folks of Holland, Michigan.

The following commentary is strictly my impression of the movie. And that wasn’t a very good impression. Nancy and Fred Vandergroot are two very white, cornbread white, nerdy goodie goodie two shoes people living a very vanilla white life in their very wallpapered house in a very white, apparently very tulipy community where the big excitement is making soda and milk or eating at the diner, or perhaps some bowling.

Ok, I’ll cut to the chase. Creepy people and creepy music……and not in a good horror movie type of way, ….and a plot and story that moves slower than molasses. And right at the very end it reveals it’s big secret, but you’ve already guessed it and it is way less than anti-climatic. Nicole Kidman’s character is about as bland as cornstarch and water, and just about as emotional as a biscuit. What was with her splattering ketchup all over her pretty apron? Was that supposed to be a hint at things to come? And the weird dreams? Just weird.

And Fred…oh my, you betcha! Ok Nance. I couldn’t hang with this boring white guy for a second….and I’m white! Oh wait, Hey Nance…I’m gonna go play with my train set, you betcha! Oh and Dave Delgado….”I’m sorry Nancy but if you want this brown meat you’re going to have to commit…”What? Really? Silliness. And when Dave pops in on Fred doing his after work activity…..that was a fight and real life battle? Seriously? It looked like they were play acting….

It’s billed as a drama suspense thriller but the only suspense and drama for me was waiting around to see what this was all leading to, like pulling teeth. It was not thrilling at all, like the Vandergroots it was pretty boring.

Don’t waste your time…it’s a dog. In fact I give it two woof’s. WOOF WOOF!

Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera

2025   Lionsgate Films

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  24min

Action ~ Suspense

Directed by:  Christian Gudegast

Starring:  Gerard Butler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Evin Ahmad, Salvatore Esposito, Meadow Williams, and Swen Temmel.

It Pays To Switch Sides.

Synopsis:

Gerard Butler and O’Shea Jackson Jr. return in the sequel to 2018’s action-heist hit Den of Thieves. In DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA, Big Nick is back on the hunt in Europe and closing in on Donnie who is embroiled in the treacherous and unpredictable world of diamond thieves and the infamous Panther mafia, as they plot a massive heist of the world’s largest diamond exchange.

Movie Backstory:

Den of Thieves 2: Pantera was inspired by the real life Antwerp Diamond Heist in Antwerp, Belgium in February of 2003. In the city of Antwerp, Belgium lies The Antwerp World Diamond Centre where 84% of the world’s Diamonds make their way. Over the weekend of February 15-16, 2003 a crew of thieves stole loose diamonds, gold, silver and jewelry valued at over 100 Million Dollars. The group had planned and orchestrated details and surveillance for 18 months before enacting their heist.

The Diamond Centre Robbery in the movie mimics the real life diamond heist right down to the details of how they did it. Just like in the movie the group had gained access into the Diamond Centre and rented an office under the guise of being in the diamond industry. Even the depiction of breaking into the safe and other details of the robbery were based on the details provided by the real life robbers themselves. The real life thieves were caught but the majority of the good stolen were never recovered.

The Review:

After thoroughly enjoying Den Of Thieves last night I was really looking forward to Den Of Thieves 2: Pantera. At the end of Den Of Thieves it completely sets itself up for the sequel involving the Diamond Centre so you knew which direction 2 was headed. But you don’t see the twists coming as the movie unfolds, just like the original. There is not quite as much gunfire and violence as in the first one, that was like a war movie in some scenes. This one is a little more laid back in that department and instead focuses more on the heist itself.

Den Of Thieves 2 really goes into detail as it shows how they set up the heist in the Diamond Centre, just like the real life Heist. It does a good job of following Nick O’Brien (Gerard Butler) as he picks up Donnie Wilson’s (O’Shea Jackson Jr.) trail and hunts him down. It picks up exactly where the original movie ends with Nick struggling with his personal life and his divorce. And the disappearance of Donnie and any evidence that he committed a crime. In a surprise twist Nick seems to turn his back on his Law Enforcement career as he encounters Donnie, or does he or doesn’t he?

It follows Den Of Thieves penchant for twists and turns you didn’t see coming, right up until the last scene in the movie. Which completely sets itself up for a third installment in the Trilogy. And according to Variety in an article dated Jan. 30, 2025 by Katy Stephan that is currently in development:

Lionsgate, Tucker Tooley Entertainment and G-BASE are moving a third film in the “Den of Thieves” franchise into active development. It is expected that Gerard Butler will return to star and produce through his G-BASE banner, alongside partner Alan Siegel, and Lionsgate is in talks with franchise writer-director Christian Gudegast to return to write and direct. It is also expected that O’Shea Jackson Jr. will co-star in the third installment.

Earlier this month, Jackson Jr. told Variety he was hoping for more “Den of Thieves” in the near future. “I’m not gonna sugarcoat it: I’m trying to Vin Diesel this thing. To quote Ryan Reynolds, I want to work with Gerard until he’s 90,” he said. “I have such a family feel with these guys. I know how much I want to do these other films, but we cannot cheapen this beautiful thing that we made. This one took six or seven years to get done. I hope the next one doesn’t. In our heart of hearts, we won’t make it if it’s not right and if it’s not the same thing that made audiences fall in love with the franchise in the first place.”

I’m ready! I loved the first two and am ready for the third. I wonder where Den Of Thieves 3 will take us…………

Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien and O’Shea Jackson Jr. as Donnie Wilson in Den of Thieves 2: Panthera. Photo Credit: Rico Torres.
Gerard Butler as ‘Big Nick’ O’Brien in DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA. Photo Credit: Rico Torres for Lionsgate
O’Shea Jackson Jr as Donnie Wilson in DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA. Photo Credit: Rico Torres for Lionsgate
DEN OF THIEVES 2: PANTERA Movie Poster
Courtesy of Lionsgate Publicity/ Lionsgate Films

Den Of Thieves

Elevation

2024   Vertical Entertainment

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  31min

Action ~ Sci-Fi ~ Suspense

Directed by:   George Nolfi

Starring:   Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, and Maddie Hasson.

“Don’t go down without a fight.”

The Synopsis from The Official Movie Website:

The world has changed. The only habitable place left for humanity is in the high mountains, above 8000 feet. Below 8000 feet dwell the creatures that killed 95% of the human population less than three years ago. To save the life of his young son, a father (Anthony Mackie) is forced to venture below “The Line” with a scientist (Morena Baccarin) he despises, but who just might hold the key to defeating the monsters, and a young woman (Maddie Hasson) determined to keep them both alive long enough to save the human race.

Thoughts and Questions:

It is very similar to the A Quiet Place Movies. In Elevation the creatures came up from below the ground. In A Quiet Place they came from the sky.

In A Quiet Place the creatures destroy anything that makes a sound and humans make all the noise. In Elevation the creatures destroy humans who seem to make all the noise. Later in the movie we see wild horses everywhere, why aren’t they destroyed by the creatures?

Nina (Morena Baccarin) the scientist explains, “The creatures have CO2 sensors and track humans. They never sleep, they never eat, it seems their sole purpose is to track humans and kill them. I think it is divine retribution for man’s evil ways.” Don’t the animals give off CO2 as well?  Yes, but it seems again that this is Divine Retribution for Man’s Evil Ways and only Humans are targeted for extermination.

In A Quiet Place The Abbott family quietly venture into town for supplies and medicines they need and in Elevation Will, Nina and Katie venture down from the mountain for supplies and the medicine Will needs to keep his son alive.

In A Quiet Place the creatures were called Death Angels, in Elevation they are referred to as Reapers. Both sound like Divine Retribution names.

  • Why 8000 feet?

What happens between 7999 feet and 8000 feet that the creatures can’t cross the white rocks that were placed at the 8000 feet mark to mark the line the creatures can’t cross? As we see later in the movie the creatures are machines and not living creatures. Again, according to Nina the Scientist, “It is in their programming, they can’t cross into any altitude above 8000 feet. They were programmed to wipe out humanity. Divine Retribution for Man’s wicked ways.”

  • The Creature’s Weakness:

In the A Quiet Place Movies, the creatures weakness is found. Death by a high frequency that blows their eardrums and head apart. In Elevation Nina discovers that bullets coated with Cobalt trigger an electric charge that causes the Reapers to implode rather violently.

I couldn’t find any information that alludes to Elevation being a prequel to A Quiet Place: Day One. But at the end of the movie right after the credits start rolling there is a scene where Will and Nina are looking up at the sky through a telescope and see something coming down from the sky, very similar to the beginning of A Quiet Place: Day One.

My Recommendation:

I liked it, although I don’t think I would watch it again. Just not that memorable. It was good enough to hold my interest, although at times it seemed a bit slow or forced. At an hour and a half it went really quick though. So yes it’s worth a watch, just a one-off though. More like a B Sci-Fi movie than the Blockbuster The A Quiet Place Movies were.