Absentia

Absentia (2017)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


This originally caught my interest because it is in a genre I watch a lot and features Stana Katic, who also plays Kate Beckett in Castle, one of my favorite series. This series doesn't hit as a favorite, but is very emotionally charged from the beginning. Emily Byrne has been missing for six years, during which time her husband has remarried to raise their son Flynn. When Emily returns suddenly, it puts the family in a tailspin of confusion as they try to reconnect old ties and find their new balance. In the midst of this, the case she was working on before her abduction comes back to haunt her as it ties to her own kidnapping and appears to frame her for murder, or maybe not. With her memories mostly lost and disjointed flashes at best from the time she was missing, Emily is hiding from the law as she tries to clear her name in a desperate attempt to reclaim her family. They admit that they should have trusted her, but perhaps there is still more unknown to the story given her obvious PTSD and the memory flashes still resurfacing. It's a lot of distrust and devastation in a very confined package as Emily fights to regain her identity and figure out what is happening.

Alphas

Alphas (2011)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


Dr. Rosen and his team of Alphas work with the government to investigate other Alphas and keep them from breaking the law or putting more people in danger. The first few episodes are a little difficult to follow as it drops you right into the thick of their world while their on a case and doesn't explain their abilities very well. As the show progresses, the world building is easier to follow, as well as who has what abilities. Things take a personal turn once Rosen's own daughter turns up as one of the Alphas they are after, leading to a series of discoveries tracing back potential Alpha influences and schemes working behind the scenes. The series ends abruptly at the end of season 2, alluding to a failed mission and multiple deaths without really showing what happens after the final events. 

Leverage

Leverage (2008)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Nathan Ford and his crew are a group of misfits that have all broken and/or bent the law in various forms. Together, they form a crafty team that goes up against some of the strongest and richest forces who get away with harming those smaller than them to help set things to right. They aren't really the good guys since they're still breaking laws in their process and working outside the system, but you can't really call them bad guys either since their entire goal is to help provide "leverage" for those who need it to take down those who truly are corrupt and have done wrong to others. They each have their own interesting backstory and reason for joining this motley crew, but they really do come together very nicely.

Prisoners

Prisoners (2013)

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


This was a much darker film than anticipated. Buckle up before you start it as it will take you on an emotional roller coaster that doesn't seem to end when the movie does. Plenty of drama and twists in the plot. Low rating just because the overall darkness and explosiveness didn't sit well with me, even knowing the foundation of the film going into it. Wouldn't expect a kidnapping movie to be all sunshine and roses, but this was still shocking just how deep and twisted it ran.

Hugh Jackman plays a rather obsessed father, Keller Dover, who is convinced he knows who kidnapped his daughter and her friend. He'll take the law into his own hands to try and save her in time, only he's the one who ends up paying part of the price. Many of the characters come off as more than a little disconcerting in this film, and extremes Keller goes to are frightening. Would have been better off for everyone to have left it to the police, especially since Detective Loki is on the right track at the end of the day.

The Sixth Sense

The Sixth Sense (1999)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I remember seeing this years ago, closer to when it first came out. This was also my before my days of recognizing who Bruce Willis is or being a fan of his work. There's a little bit a fright/creepy factor into this movie as it does involve seeing ghosts essentially how they died. Interesting twist that it's a ghost who teaches the child (referred to as a "medium" by many other series) how to deal with the ghosts. In the process he not only learns to believe that the boy's claims are true, but finally recognizes his own situation for what it is.

Se7en

Se7en (1995)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


Tracking a serial killer isn't easy, especially when at first the motives aren't the same. This killer has been planning his targets for awhile, each representing a different deadly sin. Unfortunately for the two homicide detectives who are after him, they also become representatives and targets for his twisted scheme. See the wikipedia if you want more details to the story. Rather twisted and a little disturbing how this turns out.

Vertigo

Vertigo (1958)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This is one very twisted and strange movie. Our leading lady ends up not being who everyone thought she was, yet still manages to re-enact the very fate that she forced on the original in the process of a job. Too bad an ex-detective happens to be close on her tail and vertigo isn't enough to throw him off the trail. If anything, he proves sharper than ever as he zeros in on the one consistency that blows the case wide open - a rather distinctive and expensive necklace.

Abduction

Abduction (2011)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The title is misleading, but the film itself is still decent. Nathan thought his biggest worries were sparring matches with his dad and trying to get the girl across the street to notice him. Until a school project leads him to a missing children website with his own picture on it. Everything snowballs from there and his life is turned upside down as he goes on the run to find the truth and hopefully come out alive.

Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Truth or Consequences, N.M. (1997)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This time Sutherland both directs the film and plays one of the bad guys. Dealing with drugs, guns and murder, this small town group ends up on the run without realizing there's an undercover cop among them. Now being hunted by both police and drug cartels, it's a race to survive and no one will come out on top. A little like Hamlet in the ending, very few will be left standing as most of the cast bites the dust.

Taking Lives

Taking Lives (2004)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


Don't watch this if suspense and/or gore bother you. A boy lives the way he chooses by picking victims close to his own physical description and stealing their lives, leaving a trail of fairly easy to discover bodies in his wake. Yet for all the detail in his trail, he appears to be one of the hardest serial killers to track, fooling even FBI agent Illeana Scott. This film had me feeling very nervous throughout. At least it keeps you involved and guessing every step of the way.

The Town

The Town (2010)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ben Affleck seems to have a permanent frown on his face when he's on screen. Not as high speed or over the edge as seems to be more common in films classified as thrillers. Still plenty of detail and a more intricate story line makes this film more enjoyable without the adrenaline rush. Kind of feel sorry for Claire, but also can't help cheering for Doug just a little as the story progresses.

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises (2007)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Rather bloody and focusing on the harder street lives. A midwife struggles to help an orphaned child, learning her mother was raped and drugged while underage by Russian gangsters. Now trying to find a good home for the child while keeping her away from her gangster father may entangle her in their world farther than she can break free of.

101 Ways To Leave A Game Show

101 Ways To Leave A Game Show (2011)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A combination of Fear Factor and a quiz show, the prize is $50,000. The cost of guessing the wrong answer is a quick eviction from the game in a a most unusual form. Exploding boxes, dropping off a moving truck, strapped to the top of a plane, a race car on fire, the options are endless and terrifying. Even with a high cash reward, it's hard to believe many people would sign up for this type of insanity; especially if they've seen the show before. The host seems to have a perverse pleasure in setting off the torture that makes one wonder just how sane he is.

Snakes on a Plane

Snakes on a Plane (2006)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


If you aren't already afraid of snakes, you might be after this film. Of course, it only features the most lethal and exotic of the bunch. Someone has planned a surprise attack of a very unique nature - snakes hidden away in the plane are being driven crazy by pheromones in the plane's air system. What does that mean for the passengers? Try to stay calm and avoid the slithering masses because they are out for blood. Not everyone will survive even after the landing. Anti-venom is hard to find normally even if you know the type of snake that bit you. With this free for all in the air it's a risk just to try to treat you on the ground.

The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Soldiers from the Gulf War have been brainwashed to put one of their own in the White House. What their new handlers didn't expect was for these two soldiers start piecing the truth together. Now attempting to control a quickly unraveling scenario, one soldier lays his life down to end the façade while the other still ponders over what truly happened to his unit. Not much about the war itself, but more about what happened after to this one select unit. A very different type of war film from what is commonly seen.

Cellular

Cellular (2004)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


What would you do if someone you didn't know called you on your cell phone, claimed they couldn't get any other signal, they'd been kidnapped and you were their only hope of getting rescued? Seems a little far fetched doesn't it? Not only does it turn out that the woman is being held hostage, they kidnap her son, are after her husband, and the "bad guys" are cops themselves. One brave kid with the cell connection and one awkward cop who starts putting the pieces together may be the only hope this family has of staying alive. This film is very fast passed and rather fantastic as it tries to keep to things that are within the realm of belief yet still unbelievable that they are actually happening. Might consider watching it again if someone else wanted to see it, but not likely to pick it up again on my own.

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day

The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


The Saints are back in business again after someone inside the mob kills a priest, making officials wonder if the Saints were involved in the kill. A new FBI agent is working for them on the inside while chasing them down at the same time. This one lacks the original humor and outrageous scenes that made the first film fun. Not as much swearing, but then there doesn't seem to be as much talking during the bloody/bad scenes in this one as a whole either. Still entertaining, but the first one was better.

The Boondock Saints

The Boondock Saints (1999)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Two Irish brothers start killing mafia thugs, determining it is their mission from God to eliminate the evil in the world. An FBI agent can't decide if he wants to bring them in or help them. Rather eccentric in his own right, he goes in to this odd conducting pattern with classical music any time he's working through one of their crime scenes. While he works for the law, he likes who these boys are bringing down. The public has dubbed them the "Saints," either loving what they're doing or attempting to take an overall stand against violence. It's yet to be determined if they'll be caught, even if they are now out in the open. A little too much swearing for my tastes, but otherwise an entertaining film.

Red Riding Hood

Red Riding Hood (2011)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A small forgotten medieval village is the location for this tale. A werewolf stalks the village, hunting payments from the village on the full moon in the form of animal sacrifices to stave off hunting the villagers themselves. When the attacks become more erratic, help is called in to hunt down the menace. What Valerie didn't know was that she would be engaged to one man, love a different man, be branded a witch because she can understand the werewolf when it speaks, and learn that the reason for her strange ability is because the werewolf's blood flows through her own veins. After all, he is her father. How was she supposed to know learning her older sister wasn't his child would throw him into a rage, killing their family and infecting her boyfriend with the same deadly disease. While his death stops the attacks, it also marks the separation of this star crossed pair as Peter goes off to learn a new form of control and Valerie waits for him in the night. The village both reinforces itself as the villagers stand up for each other and nearly destroys itself as they turn on their own. Overall, it's an interesting take on an old children's tale.

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch (2011)

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


A group of girls live multiple lives. The first world they're locked in and must fight their way out under cover with just their own cleverness and pickpocketing for weapons. before anyone discovers their escape plan. The second world gives them physical weapons, guns and swords, to fight their battles with. The last takes them back the original story just after the girl's death when she is strapped in the facility undergoing treatment. Abuse, unfortunate accidents and outright killing. Intense in the interweaving of the different realities and the graphics in the fighting, but not much beyond that as far as plot or character development.