Written and directed by Anna Elizabeth James, ‘Deadly Illusions‘ purports to be a psychological thriller that was made by Voltage Pictures and released on Netflix. Mary Morrison (Kristen Davis) is a successful author of a series of thrillers who declines an offer to write another novel by her publisher, but changes her mind after her…
Alfred Hitchcock directs another masterpiece with ‘Dial M For Murder,’ a murder mystery written by Frederick Knott, who also wrote the stageplay for which it is based. It was released by Warner Bros. in 1954. Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) is a retired pro-tennis player whose beautiful socialite Margot (Grace Kelly) is in love with American…
Mennan Yapo directs the 2007 supernatural psychological thriller ‘Premonition.’ The film was ridiculed by the mainstream critics when it was originally released and audiences seemed to be ambivalent about it as well. Linda Hanson’s (Sandra Bullock) relationship with her husband Jim (Julian McMahon) is drifting apart as he prepares to go to an interview for…
Movie producer Krystal Vayda joins me to discuss the new indie horror film ‘Dreamcatcher.’ She dives into the production, behind-the-scenes, and the themes of the movie. It was an interesting conversation where I learned about how you develop such a film. Check out the interview below: According to her IMDb profile, Krystal Tiffany Vayda is…
‘Below Zero‘ is a Spanish action thriller film directed by Lluís Quílez who also co-wrote it. The feature is known as ‘Bajocero‘ in Spain and was produced by Morena Films. It had its premiere in the United States on Netflix. Martin (Javier Gutiérrez) is a rookie police officer with a wife and kid. His first…
‘I Care a Lot‘ made its premiere at the 2020 at the Toronto International Film Festival before being picked up by Netflix for a 2021 release on their streaming service. it is written and directed by J Blakeson. Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a con artist who uses the shady doctor Karen Amos (Alicia Witt)…
‘Eye See You‘ is a 2002 psychological thriller directed by Jim Gillespie and is written by Howard Swindle, who also wrote the novel it is based on ‘Jitter Joint.’ It was originally titled ‘D-Tox‘ before being released in the United States. FBI Agent Jake Malloy (Sylvester Stallone) is seeking a serial killer that only targets…
David Fincher directs the 2014 psychological thriller ‘Gone Girl,’ based on the similarly titled novel by Gillian Flynn, who also penned the screenplay. Reese Witherspoon served as a co-producer. Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) is a college professor living in Missouri with his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike), a minor celebrity whose parents have written the “Amazing…
Paul Haggis writes and directs ‘The Next Three Days‘ a 2010 action-thriller produced by Lionsgate. It is a remake of the 2008 French film ‘Pour elle‘ (‘Anything for Her’), which I have not seen. College professor John Brennan (Russell Crowe) and his wife Lara (Elizabeth Banks) are living a normal life with their young son…
John Lee Hancock writes and directs ‘The Little Things,’ a described neo-noir thriller that was released simultaneously into theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service. Kern County deputy sheriff Joe “Deke” Deacon (Denzel Washington) arrives in Los Angeles to get collect evidence for a case his department is working on. While there, he stumbles…
‘Fatale‘ is a 2020 revenge thriller directed by Deon Taylor based on a screenplay by David Loughery. It was released through Lionsgate to a limited theatrical release and through video-on-demand. Derrick Tyler (Michael Ealy) is a successful sports publicist in Los Angeles who owns a business with his best friend Rafe Grimes (Mike Colter). Though…
‘No Way Back‘ is an action thriller from 1995 directed by Frank A. Cappello. It was made by Overseas Filmgroup, originally premiering in Japan through Columbia Pictures. It would later be shown in the United States in 1996. LA-based FBI Agent Zack Grant (Russell Crowe) is shocked when rookie undercover agent Seiko Kobayashi (Kelly Hu)…
Actor, producer, and entrepreneur Alejandro De Hoyos discusses his action-thriller ‘The Contractor‘ as well as his upcoming film projects. He also shares some insights on work-life balance and how to juggle more than one business. Check out the interview below: According to his IMDb profile: Alejandro was born in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico. As a…
Danis Tanovic directs ‘The Postcard Killings,’ a psychological thriller that was based on the novel of the same name by author James Patterson and Liza Marklund. There are some minor spoilers, but I avoid any big ones. NYPD detective Jacob (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his ex-wife Valerie Kanon (Famke Janssen) loses their daughter and son-in-law…
Ben Wheatley takes the director’s chair for ‘Rebecca‘ an adaption of the romantic thriller novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. It was released in 2020 on Netflix. A young woman (Lily James) meets the wealthy widower Maxim de Winter (Armie Hammer), whose wife Rebecca died a year prior. After a whirlwind romance…
Like I said at the start of the week, there was going to be a special highlight on the ‘Stepfather’ horror franchise for Halloween 2020. I had never seen the original trilogy or even the new version, so I thought it would be cool to take a look at the cult classic, its sequels, and…
‘The Stepfather‘ is a psychological thriller and a 2009 remake of the 1987 cult classic. This version is directed by Nelson McCormick and written by J.S. Cardone. It is the final entry into the horror series. Grady Edwards (Dylan Walsh) leaves Utah after murdering his entire family and moves to Oregon where he meets divorcee…
The 1992 direct-to-video sequel ‘Stepfather 3,’ also known as ‘Stepfather III: Father’s Day,’ is part of the horror trilogy that follows a vicious serial killer stepdad. It is directed by Guy Magar who co-wrote it with Marc B. Ray. Gene Clifford escapes from the asylum a second time and finds a shady plastic surgeon to…
Mike Flanagan directs the 2019 horror film ‘Doctor Sleep,’ a film based on the novel by Stephen King. It serves as a sequel to the 1980 psychological horror film ‘The Shining’ from Stanley Kubrick. Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) has taken after his father Jack (Henry Thomas) and became a drunk to drown out the ghosts…
Directed by Joseph Ruben and based on a screenplay by Donald E. Westlake, ‘The Stepfather’ is a psychological horror that came out in 1987. It had several writers including Westlake, Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield, and David Loughery (whose reworking of the script went uncredited.) Henry Morrison (Terry O’Quinn) casually shaves and showers while walking around…
In his directorial debut, Scott Walker wrote and directed ‘The Frozen Ground‘ in 2013. It was made by Grindstone Entertainment and released through Lionsgate in a limited theatrical run. After a body is found in an isolated part of Alaska in 1983, retiring detective and state trooper Jack Halcombe (Nicolas Cage) is assigned the case.…
‘Beckman‘ is directed by Gabriel Sabloff and released through PureFlix and Quality Flix. This action-thriller is a departure from their usual genre of faith-based films, dramas, and kids cartoons. The hitman Aaron Beckman (David A.R. White) is taken in by the dying preacher Philip (Jeff Fahey) after a hit goes wrong. Beckman, seeking solace, becomes…
‘By Night’s End‘ is a horror-thriller about a home invasion gone wrong directed by Walker Whited who co-wrote it with Sean McCane. It is one of those hidden gem indie films released in time for Halloween. Heather (Michelle Rose) and Mark (Kurt Yue) are a couple struggling financially and emotionally. She is a military veteran…
“True Believer” is the fictional sequel in the James Reece novel series by author Jack Carr. He continues the adventures right where he left off and the action does not let up. From the official website: When a bomb goes off during a holiday fair in London, the body count is horrific and the nation’s…
‘Vivarium‘ is a psychological thriller directed by Lorcan Finnegan. It is based on a story by Shanley and Lorcan Finnegan and made its premiere at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, later being released in 2020 via Vertigo Releasing. After observing a cuckoo taking over the nest of a finch, teacher Gemma (Imogen Poots) and her…
