Category Archives: suspense

“Hotel Mumbai” Poster, Trailer, Clips, and Featurette

suspense, true stories, , , , ,

Co-written and directed by Anthony Maras, Hotel Mumbai is based on true events that happened in 2008. Terrorists in Mumbai, India, sieged the famed Taj Hotel.

Among the dedicated hotel staff is the renowned chef Hemant Oberoi, played by Anupam Kher, and a waiter, played by Dev Patel. They both choose to risk their lives to protect their guests.

The movie shows how the world watches, and a desperate couple, played by Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi, is forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to protect their newborn child. John Issacs also stars in the movie, but his character’s role in the story isn’t clear.

John Collee co-wrote the screenplay with Anthony Maras. Collee worked as a doctor in the UK and other countries around the world. Hotel Mumbai is Maras’ first feature movie. He’s produced and directed three shorts.

The movie trailer is intense, and I am impressed with the filming of the movie.

The featurette tells the true story of what happened at the hotel in 2008 when the terrorists arrived. The actors are interviewed and relate to when this happens in real life. There are real-life heroes in this story.

This movie is intense, with undercurrents of fear, distrust, and uncertainties. The fact that it is based on a true story makes it even better. The movie is a plot-driven story by the curiosity of their survival against constant intrusion.

“Greta” Trailer, Movie Clips, & Interviews

drama, horror, suspense, ,

Co-written and directed by Neil Jordan, Greta is an awkward movie with many undercurrents as one heck of a scary movie.

Jordan’s directing credits are impressive, with Interview with a Vampire, The End of the Affair, The Crying Game, and Mona Lisa. The story Greta came from Ray Wright, who also co-wrote the screenplay. His credits are few, with movies like Crazies and The Pulse.

The movie follows a young woman Frances, played by  Chloë Grace Moretz, who befriends a widow, played by Isabelle Huppert. The widow is not as sane as she appears. Watch the trailer, and the plot is easy to follow. Maika Monroe also stars in the movie playing Erica. It isn’t clear her character’s role in the story. In the trailer, it appears she is a close friend of Frances or perhaps her sister.

The movie clips show more of the story about how this woman is a crazy psychopath. The third clip is even better and tells more of the story. Greta is looking like a horror movie more and more.

The following clip shows five warning signs that you have a crazy lady stalking you and wanting to kill you. The last warning sign is a huge spoiler.

Moretz talks about the movie and the role she plays. She explains why she likes the film and picked to star in the thriller.

Jordan is best known for directing The Crying Game and Michael Collins. The soundbites with him offer insight into his approach to directing Greta.

The following movie clip shows the difference between the two young woman characters. The movie is a thriller, horror, and suspense. This scene defines Moretz’s character’s vulnerability – kindness and virtue. Is that a realistic quality to drive people to the box office?

“The Intruder” Trailers, Clips & Posters

drama, suspense, thriller, , ,

Directed by Deon Taylor,  The Intruder follows a young married couple, played by Michael Ealy and Meagan Good. They buy their dream house in the Napa Valley.

They found the perfect home to start a family and live happily together. But, the former homeowner, played by Dennis Quaid, is a bit strange. He continues to infiltrate their lives. It becomes obvious he is out to do some wacky stuff to the couple.

The screenplay is written by David Loughery, who wrote Lakeview Terrace and Tom and Huck. Taylor holds many directing credits, including Traffik and Meet the Blacks.

Dennis Quaid looks pretty creepy in this next trailer. I like how he transforms – becoming more and more deranged.

The second poster is pretty simple and shows the couple in danger and distress over Quaid’s presence.

The movie clip is called “He’s Cutting Our Grass” but should be called “It’s Hard to Let Go.” Quaid is doing an excellent job of being creepy.

This is looking intense, and having an intruder like Quaid is nerve-wracking. It is hard to communicate with people like this because they have an agenda. His agenda is to get them both.

“Cold Pursuit” Trailers, Movie Clip & Poster

action, drama, remakes, suspense, , ,

Directed by Hans Petter Moland, Cold Pursuit follows a snowplow driver, played by Liam Neeson. He seeks revenge against drug dealers because they killed his son.

The movie is based on the 2014 Norwegian film In Order of Disappearance, which Moland also directed. Stellan Skarsgard of the Mamma Mia franchise played Neeson’s role.

The screenplay is by Frank Baldwin. His screenwriting credits are limited, but he scripted a movie that is in pre-production called The Godmother.

The Cold Pursuit also stars Laura Dern, Emmy Rossum, and Tom Bateman.

The trailer tells the story, and the music is upbeat and adds irony to the situation.

The clip “Things We Do” shows the underlying humor of the story. Neeson is in dark colors and a parka, while the other guy is in shorts and light colors. The serene snow-covered mountains in the background for the master shot are incongruous with the tension of Neeson’s character.

The Blu-ray/DVD and streaming of the movie is not happening. The trailer is fun and shows how the film is a comedy. The serious side is losing a son, but his father gets revenge.

Getting revenge is when the movie gets funny. Watch the trailer and see for yourself. It’s funny.

“Escape Room” Trailer, Featurette, & Poster

drama, suspense, thriller, , , , ,

Screenplay by Bragi Schut and Maria Melnik with the story by Schut and directed by Adam Robitel, Escape Room is a psychological thriller that follows six strangers. Each one finds themselves in circumstances beyond their control. They must use their wits to find the clues or die.

The ensemble cast includes Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Nik Dodani,  and Yorick van Wageningen.

Robitel directed a horror movie called The Taking of Deborah Logan, which won him an iHorror Award for Best Direct Release Film.  Schut scripted Season of the Witch and episodic TV shows while Melnik scripted episodic TV shows from Black Sails to American Gods.

The interview with Jay Ellis and Deborah Ann Woll explains the story behind the movie. It appears to have a tinge of horror.  Also, there are brick and mortar places called Escape Rooms, and they are fun as a group outing.  

The featurette explains the movie and compares the story to a real escape room.

“Destroyer” Trailer, Movie Clip, and Poster

drama, suspense, thriller, , ,

Directed by Karyn Kusama, Destroyer follows Erin Bell, played by Nicole Kidman, a veteran LAPD detective spinning out of control emotionally and physically while on a dangerous journey to find the murderer and gang leader, Silas, played by Toby Kebbell. Bell’s journey’s purpose is finally to make peace with her tortured past.

“Destroyer is, at its core, a film about confronting your mistakes and making the brave decision to be accountable for your actions. Within the relatable frameworks of crime thriller and cop movie, it’s also an insistent character study, hinging on the wounded but resilient psychic landscape of an LAPD detective named Erin Bell. The criminal underworld she investigates, alongside a storytelling structure that allows for a narrative surprise,” says Kusama.

Kusama’s directing credits include episodic TV series and feature movies The Invitation and Girlfight. The screenplay is written by  Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, who worked together on The Invitation and other projects. 

A pivotal aspect of the movie is Bell’s relationship with her sixteen-year-old daughter, Shelby, played by Jade Pettyjohn, with whom she is estranged. Her clumsy attempts to reach out to Shelby consistently backfire, exacerbating Bell’s overwhelming sense of hopelessness and loss.

The movie clip “I’m Bad” pretty much says it all about Kidman’s character. She believes she is terrible, but what do the other characters in the movie believe she is bad? I want to find out. At this point in the story,  she might realize she is terrible and then become good or better than she was – bad. As I mentioned before, and I might again, I hope the movie storyline includes some high points because it is obvious there are quite a few low points.

The movie seems like a downer, but hopefully, the story has some high points, and the ending is upbeat. So far, the movie trailer doesn’t show any upbeat points.

“Serenity” Trailers, Movie Clips and Posters

drama, mystery, suspense, thriller, , , , , ,

Written and directed by Steven Knight, Serenity follows Baker Dill, played by Matthew McConaughey, a fishing boat captain. Dill leads tours off a serene, tropical enclave called Plymouth Island.

I watched the movie last night on Prime. It is nothing like what we see in these clips and trailers, and the poster is not true to the story. I recommend this movie because it has a message that lingers with you long after the film ends.

The movies gradually become daringly original, sexy, stylized thriller as Dill’s quiet life is shattered. His former wife Karen, played by Anne Hathaway, tracks him down with a desperate plea for help. She begs Dill to save her – and their young son – from her new, violent husband, played by Jason Clarke, by taking him out to sea on a fishing excursion, only to throw him to the sharks and leave him for dead.

Karen’s appearance thrusts Dill back into a life he’d tried to forget, and as he struggles between right and wrong, his world is plunged into a new reality that may not be all that it seems.

The third trailer shows more of the movie and how it plays out for Dill.

These clips are intense, and this movie will have me on the edge of my chair. Such good acting in these two clips is all I can say right now until I see more. Here, we have two Oscar winners and a strong supporting cast. It is a suspenseful movie, which means it is plot-driven. That is even better. I love a good story.

The story thickens with three more intense and story-driven scenes. The whole time I am watching each scene, I think, “Dill is being taken advantage of.” He is vulnerable and surrounded by unscrupulous people. I am being kind when I say “unscrupulous.” McConaughey plays Dill as if he has no control over everything that happens; he is just being affected by the circumstances.

“I Still See You” Features Bella Thorne

based on a book, horror, supernatural, suspense, , , , , , , ,

Directed by Scott Speer from a screenplay by Jason Fuchs, I Still See You follows Roni, played by Bella Thorne, in this spellbinding and romantic supernatural thriller. The movie is based on Daniel Walters’s book Break My Heart One Thousand Times.

Ten years after an apocalyptic event left the world haunted by ghosts, Roni receives a threatening message from beyond the grave. Joining forces with a mysterious classmate, Kirk, played by Richard Harmon, Roni descends into a shadow world that blurs the bounds of the living and the dead—and begins a desperate race against time to stop a cunning killer.

Thorne starred in Midnight Sun, a love story directed by Speer with Patrick Schwarzenegger. In each movie, Thorne played opposite characters.

Jason Fuchs is also an actor, but his writing credits include Wonderwoman and Pan.

The movie trailer shows a touch of comedy with the suspense.

The movie looks good via the trailer, and the rest of the cast includes Amy Price-Francis, Hugh Dillon, Shaun Benson, Dave Brown, Thomas Elms, Louis Herthum, and Dermot Mulroney.

Challenge of the Truth About “Viper Club” Trailer and Poster

drama, suspense, , , , , , ,

Directed by Maryam Keshavarz, Viper Club follows ER nurse Helen Sterling, played by Susan Sarandon, who struggles to free her grown son, a journalist captured by terrorists in the Middle East.

After hitting walls with the FBI and State agencies, she discovers a clandestine community of journalists, advocates, and philanthropists who might help.

Keshavarz credits include directing shorts and movie Circumstance. She’s also a producer and won awards for one of her shorts and documentaries.

Seeing Sarandon take on a major role in a movie is exciting. She is such a talented actress. Other cast members include Matt Bomer, Lola Kirke, Julian Morris, Sheila Vand, Adepero Oduye, and Edie Falco.

“Lizzie” Trailer, Movie Clips, and Poster

horror, mystery, suspense, thriller, true stories, , , , , , ,

Directed by Craig William Macneill,  Lizzie is about the notorious woman Lizzie Borden, played by Chloe Sevigny. You might remember the famous or not-so-famous skipping-rope song about the woman who was accused of chopping her mother and father to bits.

“Lizzie Borden took an ax

And gave her mother forty whacks.

When she saw what she had done,

She gave her father forty-one.”

Still, there is a mystery to the true story that endures throughout American history. Many writers speculated in their own versions and books about what happened on that deadly day.

The movie follows Lizzie after a lifetime of loneliness. She finds a kindred spirit in housemaid Bridget Sullivan, played by Kristen Stewart. Their secret intimacy sets off an unthinkable act – while the movie explores the days leading up to the savage crimes in a dark tale of repression, exploitation and thwarted dreams.

The two movie clips below show the story’s dark and sinister aspects. Unfortunately, one of the movie clips is blocked, but the studio may lift the block in the near future.

The two movie clips below show some fine acting chops. I am impressed. Notably, the scene in the barn is worth a look. It is an excellent acting scene for student actors because the undertones are deep.

The movie clip helps you understand how the movie is presented. You will notice a date at the bottom of the right-hand corner of the screen. These are actual events that happened.