Tag: Thriller

Killer Heat

2024   Amazon MGM Studios

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  36min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Philippe Lacôte

Starring:  Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, and Richard Madden.

Jealousy can drive anyone to the edge.

Killer Heat is based on the short story The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbø. It is from the 2021 book The Jealousy Man and Other Short Stories.

FROM JO NESBØ’S WEBSITE (www.jonesbo.com):

Jo Nesbo is the consummate mystery writer, and his talent for hair-raising suspense and shocking twists are on full display in this inventive and harrowing collection of stories.

A detective with a nose for jealousy is on the trail of a man suspected of murdering his twin; a woman finally overcomes her intimacy issues through a dark encounter with her Peeping Tom neighbor; a fugitive on the run in a remote corner of Norway is lured by a friendly local to what seems to be a wedding ceremony–only to find a much more macabre event.

Contained in this collection are stories of insatiable avarice, unscrupulous lovers, and heartrending fate. With Nesbo’s gift for outstanding atmosphere and complex characters, this is a veritable crime lover’s delight.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Private Detective Nick Bali. He is a former NYPD Detective who has relocated to his father’s empty apartment in Greece following the demise of his marriage. Haunted by the memory of events that led to his failed marriage, and of his daughter, he drinks heavily to block it out. “There’s a calculus to drinking. And if I get the math right, I’ll land in the perfect blackout. No Memories.” Intense jealousy on Nick’s part led to his wife’s cheating and the end of their marriage. It also helped him be a better private Investigator when it came to investigating marital issues between a couple. Through a friend who recommends him, he is contacted by……..

Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the death of her brother-in-law’s identical twin brother Leo Vardakis. Leo and Penelope’s husband Elias were avid rock climbers, having been climbing since childhood. Growing up on the island of Crete with all it’s cliffs was an ideal playground for the two boys. Leo had been rock climbing a cliff Free Solo, which is ascending without any ropes or equipment, relying only on his hands covered in climbing chalk and climbing shoes. He was found at the bottom of the cliff after apparently having lost his footing and dropping 30 meters (100 feet).

Nick flies to Crete where he is met by Penelope who explains that she believes her brother-in-law’s death was no accident. And given the family’s wealth and stature on the island, she has hired him to secretly investigate the murder. Penelope has arranged for him to stay anonymously at a Monastery where she is good friends with the Monks who live there. He settles in and heads to town to start investigating and immediately runs into the Vardakis Family’s influence everywhere he turns. Being a highly successful Billionaire family with generational roots in Crete, they own or have their fingers in everything including the police, the government and the politicians.

This is a Contemporary Noir Thriller complete with voice-over narration by Nick the private eye every step of the way. It feels like those old black and white private eye movies from the past. It is well shot on location in Crete, Greece and is very picturesque. It is not what my dad would call a “Bang Bang shoot ’em up”. It is more of a slow burn as Nick narrates his investigation and findings, and as the plot unfolds. It is based upon the book The Jealousy Man by Norwegian Mystery Thriller Author Jo Nesbø.

I liked Joseph and Shailene in this, I thought it was a good mystery thriller with just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. It is a slow burn but it kept me intrigued as it went along. I have come to like Jo Nesbo and his books, I would definitely recommend them. After all, he is a New York Times Bestselling Author. I personally think he is a good writer and really have enjoyed his books, he is now one of my favorite authors. I am also a fan of this Neo-noir Slow Burn Thriller and a huge fan of Shailene Woodley, and I think you should read Jo Nesbø and watch this movie!

Fast Charlie

2023   Vertical Entertainment

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  30min

Action ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Phillip Noyce

Starring:  Pierce Brosnan, Morena Baccarin and James Caan.

Keep your friends close and your enemies dead.

Charlie Swift (Pierce Brosnan), aka Fast Charlie, is an experienced hitman working for a longtime mob boss named Stan (James Caan). Charlie is sent on a job with newbie Blade to take out a man named Rollo. Blade has planted a bomb in a box of doughnuts thinking it a genius idea, but things go wrong when the box detonates and blows Rollo’s head to smithereens. Without Rolo’s head it is impossible for Charlie to prove to the sanction of the hit, Beggar Mercado, that the hit was successful. To solve this problem, Charlie enlists the help of Marcie Kramer (Morena Baccarin), who is Rollo’s tough and calm ex-wife. She confirms the body by recognizing a tattoo, and now he has to figure out a way to convince Beggar that Rollo is dead.

Meanwhile, the young and reckless new hitman named Blade has decided to turn on Charlie and take the body and blackmail Beggar with it. When Blade dies in a chaotic accident trying to get away in Charlie’s car, Charlie cuts off Blade’s head and works with Marcie to transfer the tattoo onto Blade’s body so they can pass it off as Rollo’s, faking the proof Beggar needs. When Charlie meets Beggar with the body, he takes the bait convinced it is Rollo, and promptly chucks the body into the swamp and the alligators. He tells Charlie that he wants to meet with his boss Stan, and discuss business. When Charlie tells Stan, he tells Charlie that he wants nothing to do with Beggar…….

Which starts off a chain reaction of action and violence as Beggar tries to dominate Stan’s turf and business. Charlie is apparently the only man standing as Beggar tries to wipe out Stan’s crew, but Fast Charlie and Marcie team up to outwit Beggar and his crew. And what follows is non stop action, violence, dark comedy and romance as Charlie and Marcie fight for their lives and fall in love with each other. It is a bit of Pulp Fiction, The Equalizer and The Mechanic all rolled into one. Not too surprising since Richard Wenk wrote this as well as the screenplay for The Mechanic and The Equalizer Movies.

James Caan plays the part of aging Crime Boss Stan very well. Too well, this was James Caan’s last acting role before he passed away several months later on July 6, 2022. He was 82 years old. Pierce Brosnan did a fantastic job of playing Fast Charlie right down to the accent. Brilliant work! The chemistry between Pierce and Morena felt very natural and engaging, and made the obvious age gap between them seem like nothing t’all. I really liked Morena in this, she is quickly becoming a Streaming Movie Night favorite! She also appears in 2020’s Greenland, the upcoming Sequel Greenland: Migration and Elevation.

I thought this movie was a great little gem! It checks all the boxes for me personally and it was good to see James Caan in his last role. Pierce Brosnan and Morena Baccarin make a fantastic team on screen, and it was a great ride watching them battle it out and fall in love.

Highly Recommended!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Stream This Movie

on NETFLIX!

The Equalizer

THE EQUALIZER TRILOGY: STORY & TIMELINE

Elevation

Americana

2025   Lionsgate

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  47min

Crime ~ Drama ~ Thriller ~ Neo-Western

Directed by: Tony Tost

Starring:  Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, Halsey, Eric Dane, Zahn McClarnon  and Simon Rex.

Welcome To The New West

Cal Starr (Luke David Blumm) is a young boy in small-town South Dakota, deeply obsessed with Native American culture and convinced he’s the reincarnation of Sitting Bull. His older sister, Mandy (Halsey), is trapped in a toxic relationship with the abusive Dillon MacIntosh (Eric Dane). When Dillon steals a priceless Lakota ghost shirt and stashes it at home, Mandy sees an opportunity to escape her circumstances. After a violent confrontation, Mandy attacks Dillon with a hammer and attempts to flee with both Cal and the artifact, only to have Cal refuse, determined to fulfill what he sees as his spiritual destiny.​

In the days leading up to this moment, down-on-his-luck veteran Lefty Ledbetter (Paul Walter Hauser) befriends shy waitress Penny Jo Poplin (Sydney Sweeney), who dreams of country music stardom. Their lives entwine when Penny finds a mysterious note about a high-stakes deal involving the valuable ghost shirt. The item is at the center of a tangled plot involving Dillon, his partner Fun Dave, and shady antiques dealer Roy Lee Dean (Simon Rex), who traffics in stolen Native artifacts. The shirt’s theft sets off a violent chain reaction as several parties, including Lefty and Penny, race to find it first, drawn inexorably into the Starr family’s dark world of criminality and cult-like control.​

As Mandy brings the ghost shirt back to her family’s compound, ruled by her sadistic father Hiram, the scene explodes into chaos. Lefty is captured trying to rescue Penny, who becomes caught between factions. When a Native American radical group led by Ghost Eye (Zahn McClarnon) descends on the compound to reclaim their sacred artifact, a fierce standoff erupts into a western style shootout.

In Americana the Lakota ghost shirt is more than just a rare artifact, it is a living symbol of spiritual hope and cultural identity. Rooted in the Ghost Dance religion of the late 19th century, ghost shirts were believed to carry sacred protective powers, shielding the wearer from bullets and harm during violent confrontations. This belief stemmed from the desperate need among Native American tribes like the Lakota to find strength and protection amid brutal oppression and the threat of cultural extinction. The shirts themselves were traditionally decorated with powerful symbols drawn from nature and the cosmos, such as eagles, stars, and the sacred pipe, each holding deep spiritual meaning.​

The film weaves this symbolism into the narrative, making the ghost shirt a powerful but contested icon. Its value extends beyond monetary worth to embody the enduring resilience, spiritual connection, and identity of the Lakota people. Throughout the story, the artifact’s journey serves as a metaphor for struggles over cultural survival and restitution, highlighting how such relics carry the hopes of entire communities and the scars of historical injustice. The tension over the ghost shirt represents both personal desperation and a wider fight to preserve indigenous heritage in a world often indifferent to it.

Americana explores the lives intersecting around this sacred object. Sydney Sweeney portrays Penny Jo Poplin with a mix of vulnerability and determination, capturing the essence of a shy waitress chasing big dreams amid chaos. Paul Walter Hauser’s turn as the lovelorn veteran Lefty brings a touch of awkward humanity and warmth to the gritty narrative. Halsey impresses as Mandy, a desperate woman running from a dark past, delivering a raw and compelling intensity. Eric Dane’s ruthless, menacing portrayal of Dillon MacIntosh adds the edge to the film’s tension. The supporting cast, including Zahn McClarnon and Simon Rex, bring vibrant layers to this modern Western ensemble, helping to ground the film’s complex interwoven stories in this gritty, modern Western Crime Thriller.

Pig

2021   Neon

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  32min

Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Michael Sarnoski

Starring:  Nicolas Cage, Alex Wolff and Adam Arkin.

We don’t get a lot of things to really care about.

Rob (Nicolas Cage) lives in the quiet solitude of the Oregon wilderness, making his living by hunting truffles with his cherished pig. His reclusive routine reflects a life defined by loss, and his only connection to the outside world is through Amir (Alex Wolff), a young supplier who buys truffles from him regularly.​ Everything changes overnight when Rob’s pig is kidnapped, shattering his sense of purpose and tranquility.

With Amir reluctantly helping, Rob ventures into Portland, dredging up memories and people from a past he tried to leave behind, all while tracking down his lost companion. Their search leads them through the city’s culinary scene and reveals Rob’s former identity as a prominent chef. Adam Arkin plays Darius, a key figure Rob confronts as he delves deeper into the world he abandoned and faces unresolved emotional wounds.​

Throughout the journey, Rob’s bond with Amir grows, and the film explores themes of grief, connection, and what truly matters. The story is a heartfelt reflection on loss and resilience, focusing on character and emotion rather than action or violence. Nicolas Cage is the only actor who could have pulled off this role and movie, and made it as engaging, entertaining and thought provoking as he did.

He delivers a restrained, powerful, and deeply emotional performance in Pig playing Rob, a former renowned chef turned truffle hunter. His portrayal is marked by an unusually quiet subtlety, focusing more on internal pain and grief than his signature explosive style. Cage captures Rob’s trauma and vulnerability through silence, minimal dialogue, and authentic expressions of sorrow, making the character believable and sympathetic even as he remains initially closed-off and mysterious.​

Instead of the wild energy or eccentricities often associated with Cage, here he embodies a literal Grizzly Adams, a man defined by tragic loss and a longing for meaning. His interactions, especially in tense or emotional moments, come alive with small gestures and raw honesty rather than outbursts. Cage only occasionally allows the grief and anger to break through, using these rare moments to leave a lasting impact on the audience.​

I would have to put this role up there as one of Cage’s very best, comparing it to his Oscar-winning turn in Leaving Las Vegas. He turns in a “career-best” performance, commanding scenes with quiet authority and making Rob’s journey believable and moving. The character’s emotional journey is nuanced, conveying not just bitterness and sadness, but also resilience and depth.​

Cage’s approach helps the film avoid a typical revenge narrative, focusing instead on themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and personal loss. His performance anchors the film’s reflective, character-driven tone, and allows us to feel Rob’s journey of grief, recovery, and hope, making Pig both a standout in his filmography and as a fan favorite.