Tag Archives: Crime

Neighborhood Watch – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Anchored by two solid character performances, it does make for an interesting if slow watch.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I was invited to a press screening of this film.

Warning – Contains scenes and language that may cause distress.

Jack Quaid standing in the middle of an alley.

Setting the Scene

Today, we are looking at a very odd film. It is a very slow burn; you can never be entirely sure as to what is going on, and it is filled with fascinating performances. It is the kind of film that will captivate some, while leaving others cold, and that is an interesting intersection to explore.

So, to set the scene, Simon (Jack Quaid) has spent a long time in and out of hospitals, which has made much of his life, including getting a job, difficult. It is hard to make connections when someone is yelling in your head and only you can hear them. When Simon sees a woman get kidnapped, he tries to report it to the police. But no one believes him because of his medical past, but there is one hope, his neighbour Ed Deerman (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who used to be the head of security of the local college. They are not the most convincing pair, but they may be this woman’s best hope, if she exists at all.   

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Lucky Baskha Review: Dulquer Salmaan Shines

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TL;DR – While the film could have been tightened up in the edit, some strong character development and charisma from Dulquer Salmaan helps pull you through.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

Baskhar walks out of a jewellers in triumph.

Lucky Baskha₹ Review –

Today, we are looking at a film set in Mumbai that was produced entirely in Telugu. This is a combination that I have not explored before, so it immediately piqued my interest. I have been wanting to explore more of what Indian Cinema has to offer, so studying how the different language-based productions explore other parts of the country is fascinating to me, as was the film itself. Well it was once I realised that Netflix had defaulted to the Hindi dub, and a quick fix putting back to the original Telugu.

So, to set the scene, it is the 29th of March 1992, and an alarm wakes the house. As he does most days, Baskhar Kumar (Dulquer Salmaan) starts his day off with a run along Mumbai’s coastline. There are many ways to make money in the city because Bombay is the money capital of India. He lives a mostly quiet life until one day, when he is picked up by government officers and taken to the Magadha Bank. He is alleged to have committed bank fraud, a serious offence that could bring his whole family down. But then it is time to jump back to the 11th of August 1989 to find out a humble bank clerk who is in debt to just about everyone got into this position.

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The Penguin: Top Hat – TV Review

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TL;DR – While this is an episode of big action beats, I was more interested in the small conversations that spoke loudly.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this series.

Oz returns home.

The Penguin Review –

Goodness, we are already at the penultimate episode of this series, which is astounding. This season has flown by, but it never felt rushed because it was always captivating. However, as main cast members start dropping like flies, can it keep what is unique about the show all the way to the end?

So, to set the scene, at the end of the last episode, things were starting to look precarious as Sofia Gigante (Cristin Milioti) walks into the house where Oz (Colin Farrell) is trying to keep his mother Francis (Deirdre O’Connell) safe. Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) doesn’t even see it coming, but Sofia does not kill the pair. Only take Francis hostage because she is the best bargaining chip, the only person in all of Gotham City Oz might actually care about. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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Double or Nothing – Movie Review

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TL;DR – Snippets of chaos that never come together as a whole

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film

The Gold Coast skyline

Double or Nothing Review –

We are currently in the midst of the Brisbane International Film Festival, or if you are friends, BIFF. It is a cozy festival where I always find a gem or two every year. Today, we are looking at a small Aussie movie filmed in my backyard (metaphorically) about what happens when you get trodden on over and over again.

So, to set the scene, Turbo (Andrew Ian Pope) and Nick (Rowan Howard) are cousins who never quite can get their luck together. Turbo always owes people money, and Nick is just trying to get through his parole without rocking any feathers. But they both need money to survive, and this means doing jobs for their boss, Col (John Jarratt), of a more explosive nature. But when there is a shift in management, the boys find themselves up a certain creek without a paddle.

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The Penguin: Cant’anni – TV Review

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TL;DR – This is phenomenal character work that had me on the edge of my seat, wondering just what would happen next.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this series.

Sophia in Arkham.

The Penguin Review –

When I first started watching this episode, I mused to myself, ‘Oh, tis the seasons of flashback episodes’. While that first gut reaction did have some truth to it, it did not prepare me for what followed. The depths that we would go to, and how the episode ended.

So, to set the scene, everything was going well in Bliss. That is until Nadia Maroni (Shohreh Aghdashloo) arrives and drops the bomb that not only is Oz (Colin Farrell) playing the two families off each other but that he was the one who killed Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen) back in After Hours. While Vic’s (Rhenzy Feliz) surprise entry into the scene saved everyone from an execution, it still rocks Sofia’s (Cristin Milioti) world, which was already precarious thanks to her time in Arkham. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Penguin: Bliss – TV Review

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TL;DR – A stunning character-focused episode that showed just what a powerful actor Rhenzy Feliz is.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this series.

Vic watches the explosions.

The Penguin Review –


When we first heard that there was going to be a Penguin series, I was not sure how it was going to go. Sure, Colin Farrell was a great side character in The Batmanfilm, but was there enough there to build a series off? Well, if these first three episodes have anything to say about it, the answer is yes.

So, to set the scene, Vic (Rhenzy Feliz) is spending time with his family as he continues to be frustrated with his father that he won’t get paid for all the work he does. Staving off another argument, Vic goes to the roof of a nearby building to watch the fireworks with his girlfriend Graciela (Anire Kim Amoda). But it is not fireworks that go off that election day, but explosions across the city as the sea walls collapse and a surge of water crashes into Crown Heights. Today, Vic is working for The Penguin (Colin Farrell), and they are in a precarious position as two families are circling. Sofia Falcone (Cristin Milioti) is about to make her move, but now they need the Triad’s help. Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Penguin: Inside Man – TV Review

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TL;DR – We get a quieter, more character-focused episode that shows us how wild the rest of the season will be.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this series.

Sofia Falcone

The Penguin Review –

The first episode of The Penguin After Hours had to do a lot of heavy lifting. It had to bring people into this world without the guarantee that they had watched The Batman. Now that we have situated ourselves in this world, it is time to explore some of the characters more deeply. Well, if that was the mission for the day, then the second episode did it in spades.

So, to set the scene, things are still tense in the underworld of Gotham City. The damage caused by The Riddler has created a lot of opportunities, but with the death of Carmine Falcone (Mark Strong), there is also a potential power vacuum. Well, nature abhors a vacuum, but when Oz Cobb (Colin Farrell) kills Alberto Falcone (Michael Zegen), well, there is only one outcome that can follow. The question is: will The Penguin be able to play the Falcone’s and Maroni’s off each other, or will he get taken out in the crossfire? Now, from here, we will be looking at the episode as a whole, so there will be some [SPOILERS] ahead.

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The Penguin: After Hours – TV Review

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TL;DR – This was a fantastic opening episode that captivates us with its character work and worldbuilding as we dive back into the deep end of the Gotham underworld.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Disclosure – I paid for the Binge service that viewed this series.

Oz looks out on the rising sun.

The Penguin Review –

Back when the DCEU started to fracture, we got a bunch of interesting works, as it felt like people were rushing to stake a claim over parts of the DC canon. One of those productions, now relabelled as an ‘Elseworld’, was The Batman, probably one of the better looks at the caped crusader on the big screen. I quite enjoyed the romp through Gotham City and how much the cast threw themselves into the roles. Well, today, we get to jump back into that world as we see the aftermath of what happens when a power vacuum is created.

So, to set the scene, one of the casualties of the calamity that occurred in the conflict between Batman and The Riddler was the death of Gotham’s main crime boss, Falcone (Mark Strong). Overnight, the stable criminal underworld of Gotham was through into chaos as every person with an inch of criminal credibility started to claim new turf. It is a gold rush across the streets of Gotham, but one of the leading contenders is Oswald Cobblepot (Colin Farrell). If the world can take him seriously that is. Though, you should underestimate The Penguin at your own peril.   

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Sector 36 – Movie Review

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TL;DR – A fascinating exploration of the interception of power, corruption, and serving the community, and how all of that can be shaped by self-interest.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

Warning – Contains Scenes that may cause distress.

Mission Children Posters.

Sector 36 Review –

Corruption is one of the worst sins that a public official could do because their job is to uphold the people under their care, and when they obfuscate that sacred oath for money, power, or friendship, everyone suffers. Corruption can happen anywhere, but what happens when you target the most vulnerable members of society who have even less of a voice than ever? Well, you have a recipe for disaster.   

So, set the scene, in Section 36 of Delhi, works Sub Inspector Ram Charan Pandey (Deepak Dobriyal), a thoroughly corrupt police officer. Who is more interested in lecturing people on the Third Law of Motion than actually helping people. But when a girl’s hand turns up in the sewers, it puts into focus that there is a killer on the loose, not that the police want that. But that is what Prem Singh (Vikrant Massey) is doing, focusing on the most vulnerable members of society. He would have continued to get away with it, given the police’s incompetence, but one day, he tries to take the daughter of someone important, and ignorance is no longer an option.  

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Officer Black Belt (Mudosilmugwan/무도실무관) – Movie Review

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TL;DR – While the action scenes hit, unfortunately, we get a tonally confused film that never quite finds its feet.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid for the Netflix service that viewed this film.

Warning – Contains scenes that may cause distress.

Police Car in the rain.

Officer Black Belt Review –

Today, we are looking at a fascinating film that, for all its strengths, never quite came together. Conceptionally, you have an interesting story, the scenario is solid, your leading man is charismatic, and you are exploring an essential area in society. However, even with that strong foundation, what happens when you don’t land the tone? Well, that is what we will explore today.

So, to set the scene, Lee Jung-do (Kim Woo-Bin), who loves the competition that comes with sporting achievement, will try every martial art, race to deliver food orders, even dabble in some esports, anything he can find ‘fun’. He works so hard at this that he has multiple black belts across numerous disciplines. When Jung-do saves a police officer from being attacked by a former prisoner, he is propositioned by Kim Sun-Min (Kim Sung-Kyun) in the Seoul Probation Office to become a Martial Arts Officer to help monitor released felons and intervene if they re-offend. It is a job where you sit around, not doing much, interspersed with high action.

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