Tag: crime
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Crime 101 Turns the Freeway Into a Living Textbook of Desire and Design
Crime 101 delivers a vibrant, character‑driven heist story that doubles as a masterclass in crime‑film construction. Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo lead a cast that turns the 101 freeway into a living blueprint of ambition, tension, and desire.
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Play Dirty: The Wreckage We Walk Through
Shane Black’s Play Dirty is a bruised, chaotic heist thriller that trades precision for personality. Mark Wahlberg stumbles through the wreckage while LaKeith Stanfield steals the show. It’s messy, funny, and unexpectedly mournful.
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Classic Review: Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low—The Moral Geometry of Shadows
Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low is more than a crime thriller—it’s a masterclass in moral storytelling and spatial symbolism. This essay explores how Kurosawa uses vertical space to reflect class division, ethical ambiguity, and the architecture of power. From the hilltop home of a conflicted executive to the shadowed alleys of Yokohama, the film traces…
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The Siege at Thorn High: The Thorn That Remains
Joko Anwar’s The Siege at Thorn High opens not with violence, but with memory. The prologue, set during the 2009 Jakarta riots, is a wound that never closes. It introduces Edwin, Silvi, and Panca as children caught in the crossfire of racial hatred. The assault that follows is not just physical—it is generational. The film…
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Night Always Comes: The Mercy of the Clock
Vanessa Kirby’s Lynette does not walk through Night Always Comes—she scrapes, pleads, and burns through it. Her performance is a tremor held in the jaw, a woman whose body has become a ledger of debts unpaid and promises broken. The film opens with her already exhausted and cornered, and the following night is not a…
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Americana; Ghost Shirts and Gasoline
Tony Tost’s Americana arrives- a dusty jukebox in a half-lit bar—full of promise and static. It’s a film that wants to sing the ballad of a broken country, and sometimes it does. Sometimes it just hums. With a Lakota ghost shirt as its sacred MacGuffin and a cast of misfits chasing it like salvation, the…
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The Naked Gun: “Lethal Nonsense: The LN Files”
The case opens with a bang—literally. A villain cracks a safety deposit box labeled “P.L.O.T. Device,” and from that moment, Akiva Schaffer’s reboot of The Naked Gun declares its allegiance to the absurd. Liam Neeson, our new LN, steps into the trench coat of Frank Drebin Jr., son of the original LN, Leslie Nielsen. The…
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Riff Raff: Family Ties and Firefights
If you like your crime capers served with a side of resentment, a dash of dysfunction, and a drizzle of dry gin, Riff Raff might just be your kind of nasty little cocktail. Streaming now on Hulu, it’s a sticky-fingered family reunion that plays out like a poker game with rusty revolvers and too many…
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The Actor: Amnesia with Stage Lighting
In The Actor, a murky little dream of a film currently playing on Hulu, you’re never quite sure whether you’re watching a noir thriller about memory or a rehearsal for one. The film, directed with an affection for theatrical smudges and slow reveals by Duke Johnson, wears its origins proudly—it’s based on Donald E. Westlake’s…
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Chattanooga Film Festival: The Misadventures of Vince and Hick: A High-Octane, Offbeat Crime Caper
Trevor Stevens’ *The Misadventures of Vince & Hick* (2025) is a fast-paced, darkly comedic crime thriller that showcases its eccentric characters and relentless energy. The film follows Vince (Heston Horwin), a recently released car thief, who finds himself entangled with Hick (Chase Cargill), an overambitious con man. Together, they must deliver a valuable car to…
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Deep Cover: Smoke and Mirrors: A Game Played in the Dark
The first rule of a good cover: don’t blink. In *Deep Cover*, Bryce Dallas Howard’s eyes are steady as cut glass, sharp enough to split a lie clean down the middle. She moves through the neon-lit underworld like a ghost in borrowed skin, playing a role so well that she forgets where she ends and…
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Lost in the Shadows: *Night Moves* and the Disillusionment of the Neo-Noir DetectiveMovie Review
Arthur Penn’s *Night Moves* (1975) is a quintessential film within the neo-noir private detective genre, embodying a complex reflection on the futility of investigation amidst the disillusionment of post-Watergate America. The narrative follows Harry Moseby, portrayed with remarkable nuance by Gene Hackman, who delivers a weary and incisive performance that captures the character’s profound internal…
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Harbin: A Snowbound Requiem for Freedom and Fate
There is something about the cold—how it settles into the bones and sharpens the edges of history. *Harbin*, directed by Woo Min-ho, is a film steeped in frost and fire, a historical thriller that moves like a ghost through the corridors of time, tracing the footsteps of Korean independence fighter Ahn Jung-Geun (Hyun Bin) as…
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Thunderbolts: Marvel’s Misfit Heroes Find Their Groove
Thunderbolts” is a bold and refreshing addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, directed by Jake Schreier and featuring a stellar ensemble cast led by Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The film diverges from the typical superhero formula, focusing on a group of antiheroes who confront personal trauma, seek redemption, and navigate the complexities…
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The Accountant 2: A Calculated Sequel That Balances Action and Heart
**The Accountant 2**, starring Ben Affleck, offers an engaging sequel that expands upon the groundwork laid by its predecessor while introducing new dynamics and exhilarating action sequences. Directed by Gavin O’Connor, the film resumes years after the original story, bringing audiences back into the intricate world of Christian Wolff, a brilliant yet neurodivergent accountant renowned…
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Havoc: A Symphony of Chaos and Redemption
Gareth Evans‘ *Havoc*, featuring a compelling performance by Tom Hardy, immerses audiences in a grim world marked by profound moral decay, relentless action, and the elusive nature of redemption. Set against the backdrop of a rain-soaked, unnamed metropolis, the film follows Wilson, a weary and disillusioned cop entangled in a labyrinth of corruption and escalating…
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The Alto Knights: Shadows and Echoes
The criminal underworld has always been a rich source of inspiration for films. However, expectations can become a double-edged sword when two legendary figures come together. Barry Levinson’s *The Alto Knights*, featuring Robert De Niro in dual roles, offers an ambitious exploration of fraternal bonds complicated by power, greed, and betrayal. The film is suspenseful…
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Den of Thieves 2: Pantera – A Heist Worth Half Your Time
Christian Gudegast’s *Den of Thieves 2: Pantera* is a follow-up to his gritty crime thriller, delivering an exhilarating onslaught of chaos, adrenaline, and Gerard Butler fully embracing his role. This installment expands its scope dramatically, taking the audience on a wild journey through the intricate underworld of Pantera, a fictional Central American cartel. While the…
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The Seed of the Sacred Fruit: Roots of Resistance
Movie Info: Shot entirely in secret, Mohammad Rasoulof’s award-winning thriller, THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG, centers on a family thrust into the public eye when Iman is appointed as an investigating judge in Tehran. As political unrest erupts in the streets, Iman realizes that his job is even more dangerous than expected, making him…
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Longlegs: A Haunting Masterpiece
Movie Info: In pursuit of a serial killer, an FBI agent uncovers a series of occult clues that she must solve to end his terrifying killing spree. Review: **”Longlegs,”** directed by Osgood Perkins and starring Nicolas Cage, is a chilling horror film that delves into the dark and eerie world of a serial killer known…
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Flight Risk: A High-Flying Thriller with Wahlberg at the Helm
MOVIE INFO: In this high-stakes suspense thriller, Academy Award® nominee Mark Wahlberg (Actor in a Supporting Role, 2006 — The Departed) plays a pilot transporting an Air Marshal (Michelle Dockery) accompanying a fugitive (Topher Grace) to trial. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions soar and trust is tested, as not everyone on board is…
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Red Rooms: A Haunting Dive into the Dark World of True Crime Obsession
MOVIE INFO: The high-profile case of serial killer Ludovic Chevalier has just gone to trial, and Kelly-Anne is obsessed. When reality blurs with her morbid fantasies, she goes down a dark path to seek the final piece of the puzzle: the missing video of a murdered 13-year-old girl, to whom Kelly-Anne bears a disturbing resemblance.…
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The Thicket: A Gritty Western with Heart and Soul
MOVIE INFO: When fierce bounty hunter Reginald Jones (Peter Dinklage) is recruited by a desperate man to track down a ruthless killer known only as Cutthroat Bill (Juliette Lewis), he rallies a band of unlikely heroes including a grave-digging ex-slave and a street-smart woman-for-hire. Together they embark on a perilous quest to track down Cutthroat…
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Babygirl – A Mixed Bag of BDSM Exploration, Missteps, and Overused Tropes
MOVIE INFO: A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. REVIEW: Babygirl,” a film that attempts to delve into the world of BDSM dynamics, presents an intriguing and often conflicting narrative about power, control, and submission. While the film provides a…
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Juror #2: Clint Eastwood’s Riveting Farewell to Filmmaking”
MOVIE INFO: “Juror #2” follows family man Justin Kemp (Nicholas Hoult) who, while serving as a juror in a high profile murder trial, finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma… one he could use to sway the jury verdict and potentially convict–or free–the accused killer. REVIEW: “Juror #2” is a compelling courtroom drama that showcases…
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Carry-On: High-Flying Action with Riveting Tension Between Egerton and Jason Bateman
MOVIE INFO: A young TSA agent fights to outsmart a mysterious traveler who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. REVIEW: “Carry-On,” streaming now on Netflix, is a thrilling homage to the iconic “Die Hard” series, infused with fresh character dynamics and modern twists. The film deftly balances high-octane…
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“The Order: A Gripping Dive into Domestic Terrorism with Stellar Performances and Bold Direction”
MOVIE INFO: For over a year, a series of bold daylight bank robberies and armored car heists leaves law enforcement baffled and the public panicked throughout the Pacific Northwest. As the attacks become increasingly violent, FBI agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) becomes convinced that the robberies are the work of a domestic terrorist gang that…
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“Emilia Pérez: A Bold Fusion of Genres and Stellar Performances”
MOVIE INFO: From renegade auteur Jacques Audiard comes Emilia Pérez, an audacious fever dream that defies genres and expectations. Through liberating song and dance and bold visuals, this odyssey follows the journey of four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. The fearsome cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón) enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña),…
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MaXXXine: A Dazzling Dive of a Mess into 80s Hollywood with Mia Goth’s Interesting Performance.
MOVIE INFO: In 1980s Hollywood, adult film star and aspiring actress Maxine Minx finally gets her big break. But as a mysterious killer stalks the starlets of Hollywood, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past. REVIEW: MaXXXine is a vibrant and thrilling but messy conclusion to Ti West’s “X” trilogy, It captures the…
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‘Woman of the Hour’: A Chilling Debut with Room for Growth
MOVIE INFO: An aspiring actress crosses paths with a prolific serial killer in ’70s LA when they’re cast on an episode of “The Dating Game.” Based on a true story. REVIEW: Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, “Woman of the Hour,” offers a gripping yet uneven exploration of a chilling true-crime story. Set against the backdrop of…
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Wolfs – A Mixed Bag of Clooney-Pitt Charm and Chaos
MOVIE INFO: Global superstars George Clooney and Brad Pitt team up for the action comedy Wolfs. Clooney plays a professional fixer hired to cover up a high profile crime. But when a second fixer (Pitt) shows up and the two “lone wolves” are forced to work together, they find their night spiraling out of control…
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Joker: Folie à Deux – A Chaotic Musical Ride with Phoenix and Gaga’s Twisted Duet”
MOVIE INFO: Joker: Folie à Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him. REVIEW: Alright, let’s dive into the madcap world of “Joker: Folie à Deux,”…
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Boy Kills World: A Frenzied Ballet of Blood and Vengeance
MOVIE INFO: Bill Skarsgård stars as “Boy” who vows revenge after his family is murdered by Hilda Van Der Koy (Famke Janssen), the deranged matriarch of a corrupt post-apocalyptic dynasty that left the boy orphaned, deaf and voiceless. Driven by his inner voice, one which he co-opted from his favorite childhood video game, Boy trains…
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Rebel Ridge: Homaging Billy Jack the Right Way
MOVIE INFO: REVIEW: In “Rebel Ridge,” director Jeremy Saulnier delivers a gripping and exhilarating thriller that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The film stars Aaron Pierre as Terry Richmond, a man on a mission to rescue his cousin from the clutches of a corrupt small-town police force. What…
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The Bikeriders: From Rebel Without Causes to Hell Angels
MOVIE INFO: THE BIKERIDERS captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Jodie Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Austin Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club, the Vandals led by the enigmatic Johnny (Tom Hardy). Much like the…
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Trap: Watch Out, It’s a Parent Trap!
MOVIE INFO: A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event REVIEW: I suspect every kid has suspected, at one point, their dad might be a serial killer. The more he loved you, the more you thought he wanted to kill you. …
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Wicked Little Letters: Primly, Properly, Profane
MOVIE INFO: A 1920s English seaside town bears witness to a farcical and occasionally sinister scandal in this riotous mystery comedy. Based on a stranger than fiction true story, WICKED LITTLE LETTERS follows two neighbors: deeply conservative local Edith Swan (Olivia Colman) and rowdy Irish migrant Rose Gooding (Jessie Buckley). When Edith and fellow residents…
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Love Lies Bleeding: K Stew Finds Crazy Love
MOVIE INFO: Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family. REVIEW: I like it when Kristen Stewart’s acting…
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Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F: Getting Old With Style
MOVIE INFO: Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) is back on the beat in Beverly Hills. After his daughter’s life is threatened, she (Taylour Paige) and Foley team up with a new partner (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and old pals Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and John Taggart (John Ashton) to turn up the heat and uncover a conspiracy.…
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Marmalade: Bonnie and Clyde with a Twist
MOVIE INFO: MARMALADE is an edge-of-the-seat crime-tinged romance tale. Recently incarcerated Baron (Joe Keery) strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis (Aldis Hodge), a man with a well-versed history of prison breaks. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of how he met Marmalade (Camila Morrone), the love of his…
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Chattanooga FF: Off Ramp: Getting to True Juggalo
MOVIE INFO: A couple of lovable, degenerate Juggalos must sojourn through America’s hellish underbelly to The Gathering of the Juggalos, the one place on earth they feel accepted REVIEW: What makes Off Ramp so enjoyable to watch is its twisted take on Deliverance, the backwood revenge story that features every racist hillbilly assumption and stereotype. …
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LaRoy Texas: A Noir Comedy Where Everyone Gets It Mostly Right
MOVIE INFO: Broke and depressed, Ray (John Magaro) is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with his P.I. friend Skip (Steve Zahn), he must escape the actual hitman to make it out of LaRoy alive. REVIEW: With a crime comedy set in a small Texas town, where everybody is…
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The Last Stop in Yuma County: A Nihilist Lark that Homages the 30th Anniversary of the Trantino Style
MOVIE INFO: While awaiting the next fuel truck at a middle-of-nowhere Arizona rest stop, a traveling young knife salesman is thrust into a high-stakes hostage situation by the arrival of two similarly stranded bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty–or cold, hard steel–to protect their bloodstained, ill-begotten fortune. REVIEW: Last Stop in Yuma County…
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Mea Culpa: Tyler Perry Does Housewives Stupid
MOVIE INFO VIA ROTTEN TOMATOES: When criminal defense attorney Mea Harper (Kelly Rowland) takes on the murder case of artist Zyair Malloy (Trevante Rhodes), the truth isn’t as obvious as it seems. While she tries to determine the innocence or guilt of her cagy-yet-seductive client, it is uncovered that everyone is guilty of something. Tyler…
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Sound of Freedom: Not exactly a QANON Clapback
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: Sound of Freedom, based on the incredible true story, shines a light on even the darkest of places. After rescuing a young boy from ruthless child traffickers, a federal agent learns the boy’s sister is still captive and decides to embark on a dangerous mission to save her. With time…
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Mr.Monk’s Last Case: A Proper Send Off
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding. Review: Mr Monks Last Case is a movie I could watch without feeling cringey and enjoy the feels I get from it. I’ve been a big Monk fan for its…
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The Killer: He Bores Them to Death
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: After a fateful near-miss an assassin battles his employers, and himself, on an international manhunt he insists isn’t personal. Review: David Fincher films are full of criminals, homicidal maniacs, serial killers and other assorted murders and murderers. Even his last film, the glorious Mank, featured Hollywood producers who ruthlessly killed…
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Anatomy of a Fall: Putting the Author and Audience Response on Trial
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead in the snow below their chalet, the police question whether he was murdered or committed suicide. Samuel’s suspicious death…
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Fast X: Dumb Fun and Horsepower Thrills
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: Over many missions and against impossible odds, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family have outsmarted, out-nerved and outdriven every foe in their path. Now, they confront the most lethal opponent they’ve ever faced: A terrifying threat emerging from the shadows of the past who’s fueled by blood revenge, and…
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A Haunting in Venice: Old School Haunts, Taunts and Hints With a Peppery Twist
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: A Haunting in Venice” is set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve and is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a…
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The Equalizer 3: Finding Home By Killing Everyone in the Old Town
Movie info via Rotten Tomatoes: Since giving up his life as a government assassin, Robert McCall (Denzel Washington) has struggled to reconcile the horrific things he’s done in the past and finds a strange solace in serving justice on behalf of the oppressed. Finding himself surprisingly at home in Southern Italy, he discovers his new…
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Mafia Mamma: A Half Horse Head Mafia Comedy
Movie info via IMDB: An American mom inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Guided by the firm’s consigliere, she hilariously defies everyone’s expectations as the new head of the family business. Review: Mafia Mamma, a comedy about a suburban American housewife (Toni Collette) who becomes the leader of an Italian crime family through inheritance,…
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How to Rob: Getting Away by Running Backwards
Sean Price and Jimmy Winters are a two man stick-up crew, robbing criminals from Boston to Cape Cod. Sean wants out of the game, but it’s not so simple when a couple of killers are hunting them for retribution over a past robbery. Summary via IMDB: Review: How to Rob is the latest crime drama…
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The Out-Laws: Living With the Almost Bad In-Laws.
Summary via IMDB: A straight-laced bank manager about to marry the love of his life. When his bank is held up by infamous Ghost Bandits during his wedding week, he believes his future in-laws who just arrived in town, are the infamous Out-Laws. Review: I come to expect a pretty reliable formula for every Adam…
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Shazam: The Fury of the Gods- A Little too Much DC Universe
Plot via IMDB: The film continues the story of teenage Billy Batson who, upon reciting the magic word “SHAZAM!” is transformed into his adult Super Hero alter ego, Shazam In the sequel, Shazam: Fury of the Gods the superhero’s alter ego is the 17-year-old Billy Batson (Asher Angel), a foster child on the cusp of…
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Violent Night: This Is One Die-Hardened Santa
Plot via IMDB: When a team of mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage, the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint I’m one of those film fans that thinks Die…
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The Good Nurse: Meds and Murder on the Side
Plot via IMDB: Amy, a compassionate nurse and single mother struggling with a life-threatening heart condition, is stretched to her physical and emotional limits by the hard and demanding night shifts at the ICU. But help arrives when Charlie, a thoughtful and empathetic fellow nurse, starts at her unit. While sharing long nights at the…
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Sundance: A Thousand and One
Plot via SundanceStruggling but unapologetically living on her own terms, Inez is moving from shelter to shelter in mid-1990s New York City. With her 6-year-old son Terry in foster care and unable to leave him again, she kidnaps him so they can build their life together. As the years go by, their family grows and…