(2026) Animals - A Crime Thriller Drama with Interesting Premise but Lack Strong Performance to Make it Memorable

This movie was released by Netflix last Friday and I actually have seen it on that same day, but I just did not have the time to write about it till today. It was something that I was intrigued after reading its brief synopsis. OK then, I'll just get right on with the movie.

Brief Story Line

Matt Kimball (Ben Affleck - The Accountant 2, Deep Water etc) was an independent candidate for Los Angeles Mayor who had spent a lot of money for campaign and all the related expenses. Meanwhile his wife Abigail (Kerry Washington - Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Django Unchained etc) was a successful psychologist and supportive of Matt. On Halloween night, Matt and Abigail's only son Denny (Christopher Woodley) went for trick or treating accompanied by the house maid Cecilia (Adriana Paz - El Autor, Coyote TV series etc) together with Hector (Jacob Estrada), the son of her boyfriend Ramos (Luis Gerardo Mendez - Me Time, Narcos: Mexico season 3 etc) who only drove them to the location.

(Mini Series) Below - A Pretty Decent Creature Series which was not the Nonstop Thrilling and Suspenseful Kind

Two days ago, this series was just released on Netflix. I actually thought it was a movie which could be easily finished, but turned out it was a series that took longer time, even if it was only 6 episodes. Anyway I immediately began watching and completed it yesterday. All right then, I'll get started with the series.

Brief Story Line

In the small town of Newfoundland, fisherman Calvin Penney (Josh Hartnett - Verity, Wrath of Man etc) who had been living there for the last forty years lately was having difficulty in finding fish. When he found a large iceberg which was rather unusual, Calvin asked biologist Dr. Fonda (Mackenzie Davis - Speak No Evil, Halt and Catch Fire TV series etc) to look into it. Meanwhile the local people had been asked to relocate to another location, which made Calvin and his older sister Ruth (Willow Kean) upset as they did not want to go through the whole process again. 

Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub - An Interesting Revenge Story and The Fourth Installment of Tazza Series

The past few days have been busy time for me due to several reasons which made my time limited to see new movies in the cinemas, including catching up the past week's releases. So when I finally got the chance yesterday, together with my wife we decided to have a movie marathon. This South Korean film was the first that we saw. Without further ado, here's more on the movie.

Brief Story Line

Jang Tae-young (Byun Yo-han - Following, Mr. Sunshine TV series etc) and his best friend from high school Park Tae-young (Roh Jae-won - Ditto, Squid Game season 2 etc) had built a very successful online casino business. When they got info on possible business venture in Vietnam, Jang was assigned to handle the lobbying. Unfortunately he got into trouble and was fortunate to get away and become apprentice of former professional gambler Kwak Dong-wook (Jo Woo-jin - Mantis, Hard Hit etc). Jang who realized what had happened was hell bent to return to South Korea for vengeance.

(2026) Vanishing Point - A Pretty Well Written Crime Thriller Mystery Drama Movie Based on Popular Novel

While my wife and I were on overseas holiday trip, we were unable to see any movies in the cinemas and my options were limited to watching on streaming services. This movie that was released on Netflix few days ago was something that interest me, though I only got the chance to put in writing today after our return. Without further ado, here's more on the film.

Brief Story Line

The movie focus on three group of people with their own experience that were somehow intertwined. Yan Wu (Roy Chiu - Dear Ex, Detective Chinatown TV series etc) was an addicted gambler living only with his elderly father and having financial trouble to pay his debts. They rented an apartment unit from a young woman named Lin Yutong (Liu Haocun - Ride On, The Seven Relics of Ill Omen TV series etc) who suffered from traumatic experience few months before and heavily protected by her older brother Doctor Lin Wenzhao (Li Chen - The Battle of Lake Chiangjin, Beijing Love Story TV series etc).

(Mini Series) Mousetrap - A Thriller Series Full of Surprising Twists and Turns with a Personally Rather Unsatisfactory Ending

When this series was released last Friday on Netflix, there were plenty of things that I wanted to watch. After finishing all of them, I finally started watching this on Wednesday and completed it yesterday. So how was the series then? I'll just dive into it now.

Brief Story Line

Reclusive writer Je Moon-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol - The 8 Show TV series, The Night Owl etc) had been living in an apartment for 3 years and never went out, with all personal matters handled by his friend & accountant Son Su-hyeon (Moo Jin-sung - Perhaps Love, The Tyrant TV series etc). His life suddenly turned upside down when he lost everything in one day due to identity theft. In order to find out the truth and proving himself, Moon-jae had no choice but to work together with Noja (Sul Kyung-gu - The Moon, Yakhsa: Ruthless Operations etc) a gangster enforcer who was originally trying to capture him.

(2026) The Runner - Lacking Punch for a Supposedly Thrilling Premise

I saw this movie in the Coming Soon section of Prime Video and was looking forward to watch due to its interesting premise. So when it was made available yesterday, I immediately gave it a try once I was able to do it. Let's get to the movie now, shall we?

Brief Story Line

Maia Marten (Gal Gadot - Heart of Stone, Wonder Woman etc) was a famous attorney based in London who raised her young child Noah (Rory Wilmot) by herself. During one of her usual morning run after dropping Noah to school, she got a mysterious call from a man claiming he had kidnapped her son. The caller (Damian Lewis - Our Kind of Traitor, Billions TV series etc) demanded Maia to do a specific thing within one hour before he release Noah.

(Mini Series) Lucky - A Solid Enough Series About the Struggle of Grifter Adapted from Best Selling Novel

I have heard about this mini series released on AppleTV+ since mid of last month which intrigued me. But as it was only made available once a week, as usual I would wait till its completion before started watching. However I did not realize that its final episode was released on 19 August until two days ago while browsing for new series. So I began watching then and just finished last night. Without further ado, here's more on the series.

Brief Story Line

Lucky (Anya Taylor-Joy - The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga etc) and her husband Cary (Drew Starkey - Outer Banks TV series, Queer etc) had just finished the task given by her father, the con-artist John Armstrong (Timothy Olyphant - Over Your Dead Body, Havoc etc) who was imprisoned for embezzling fund. Unfortunately something went terribly wrong and she became the target of crime boss Priscilla Masterson (Annette Bening - American Beauty, Being Julia etc) & her right hand man Dusty (Clifton Collins Jr. - The Bricklayer, Jockey etc) and the FBI led by Agent Billie Rand (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor - Quantico TV series, King Richard etc) who wanted to capture her.

(TV SERIES) Reboot - A Mystery Thriller Series With Multiple Plot Twists Which Should Please Fans of Such Attributes

As I said in my recent posts there were a lot of new series and movies on Netflix in the past week that interest me. This Japanese series had all its episodes released in one go just last Tuesday with a rather cryptic but sounded intriguing premise. So I decided to give it a try 3 nights ago and managed to finish it the day after. OK now, let's just head to the series.

Brief Story Line

Hayase Riku (Kenichi Matsuyama - Death Note, 1 Litre of Tears TV series etc) was a pattisier whose wife had been missing for 2.5 years and had to raise his young son together with his mother (Mieko Harada - Viral Hit TV series etc). When the body of his wife was found dead, police detective Gidou (Ryohei Suzuki - City Hunter, Segodon TV series etc) was assigned to investigate the case. Unfortunately for Hayase, the police suspected him for the murder.

Thrash - An Enjoyable Enough Survival Thriller Movie

Two days ago, this film was made available on Netflix as part of their usual Friday new movie release. I thought the premise looked interesting so I did not hesitate to give it a try. So how was the movie then? Let us find out more, shall we?

Brief Story Line

When a category 5 hurricane called Henry was going to pass through the East Coast, the government of Annieville town which was right in the middle advised their people to evacuate. Unfortunately there were some who were still in town like Lisa (Phoebe Dynevor - Inheritance, Bridgerton TV series etc), a pregnant woman who was driving to get out of town, Dakota (Whitney Peak - Hocus Pocus 2, Gossip Girl 2021 series etc) a young woman who was alone in her house and trio of siblings Ron (Stacy Clausen - True Spirit docudrama etc) and his younger sister Dee (Alyla Browne - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 etc) & brother Will (Dante Ubaldi) who were told to stay inside the house with their foster parents. 

Project Y - A Very Dark, Intense and Heavy Crime Thriller Movie

This movie was supposed to be released in all Indonesian cinemas on Friday, but in the morning when my wife and I were choosing where to see, we were surprised that it was not available in the biggest cinema chain. Hence we decided to see two other movies while postponing this the following day. Later that noon, the movie suddenly appeared on the list of that particular chain, however since we already bought other tickets, we only saw it on Saturday. All right then, let's just get on with the film.

Brief Story Line

Story focused on two women who were very close like sisters, i.e the calm straight thinking Mi-sun (Han Soo-hee - Gyeongseong Creature, Nevertheless TV series etc) who was working as escort girl and the impatient strong willed Do-kyung (Jeon Jong-seo - Ballerina, Queen Woo TV series etc) who worked as driver. They had saved all their money to start their own business. Unfortunately their plan was ruined due to some unforeseen circumstances.

(Mini Series) The Art of Sarah - An Intricate and Complex Mystery Thriller Series

Since I was on holiday the past week with my wife, I only got the chance to watch things on streaming service when I was back at hotel at night. After completing different series earlier on Netflix, I opted to watch another one that I thought sounded interesting. It was actually released exactly last week but I only started to watch three nights ago and completed it last night after I returned home. All right then, let us get into the series now.

Brief Story Line

When the body of a young woman was found in the sewer, Detective Park Mu-gyeong (Lee Joon-hyuk - Mercy for None mini series, The Roundup: No Way Out etc) was assigned to investigate the case. He was assisted by energetic rookie detective Jae-hyeon (Shin Hyun-seung - Han River Police TV series etc) who was eager to prove his worth. The body was later identified as the Boudoir luxury brand regional head Sarah Kim (Shin Hye-sun - Following, Welcome to Samdal-ri TV series etc) by her friend Jeong Yeo-jin (Park Bo-kyung - Genie, Make a Wish TV series, Hopeless etc) who was also the largest investor of Boudoir. 

(TV SERIES) Million-Follower Detective - Could Have Been a Really Good Series with Better Execution in Certain Areas

I had seen this series promoted in the Coming Soon section of Netflix for quite some time and was immediately interested when I noticed the lead cast was Ekin Cheng, the famous Hong Kong star from 1990s and 2000s. Plus it looked to have an interesting premise. Anyway once it was released yesterday, I started watching and finished it today. OK, let's get right on it now.

Brief Story Line

When a mysterious masked influencer called the Witch Baba started to give prediction of people dying, no one really believed until it became a reality as a famous influencer was shot by Detective Chen Chia-jen (Ekin Cheng - Young and Dangerous movies, The Twins Effect etc) in front of police station. Another well known influencer You Tzi (Singer/Rapper Shou Lo - I am the Secret in Your Heart, Organ Child etc) was upset and made it a major issue by blaming Chia-jen for his friend's shooting.

(Mini Series) His & Hers - An Interesting Mystery Thriller Limited Series Adapted from Best Selling Novel

Last Thursday, this limited series was released by Netflix along with other films & series. The premise looked very interesting which made me curious to give it a try. I managed to finish this in just two days time on Friday night but only got the chance to write about it today. All right then, why don't I get to it. 

Brief Story Line

The small town of Dahlonega,Georgia was rocked by the finding of a woman's dead body in the forest. Detective Jack Harper (Jon Bernthal - The Accountant 2, Marvel's The Punisher TV series etc) and his partner Priya Patel (Sunita Mani - Death of a Unicorn, GLOW TV series etc) were tasked to investigate the case. However their investigation was disturbed with the appearance of WSK TV station reporter Anna (Tessa Thompson - Creed III, Thor: Love and Thunder etc) & her cameraman Richard (Pablo Shcreiber - 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, Orange is the New Black TV series etc) as they tried to cover the news and made it a huge deal. Anna's action was motivated by her competition with news anchor Lexy (Rebecca Rittenhouse - Maggie TV series, Good on Paper etc).

We Bury The Dead - A Drama Heavy Zombie Survival Film

When this movie was released on Friday, my wife and I already had plan to see another film in a certain location. Sadly this one did not play in that theater while the schedule in the cinemas nearby did not make it possible for a movie marathon. So we ended up seeing this film yesterday noon. All right then, I'll just get started.

Brief Story Line

Near Tazmania island, an experimental weapon was somehow detonated which resulted to immediate death of people in the city. However, some of them were rumored to be able to return from their death, although the military had decided they were dangerous and should be put to death immediately. 

(TV SERIES) The Greatest Teacher - A Drama Heavy with Very Interesting Premise Mystery Series

During the past several weeks, there were so many new shows released on Netflix that I was having a bit of challenge to keep up with them. But this Japanese series caught my attention due to its very intriguing premise. Hence I decided to just give it a try from 2 nights ago and finished it last night. OK then, I'll just get started.

Brief Story Line

Kujo Rina (Matsuoka Mayu - A Silent Voice, Fence TV series etc) was the hometeacher of Class 3D in Horai high school who during the graduation day was pushed down from 4th floor by one of her students. But instead of being dead, she found herself standing in front of the class on the first day of their previous year. Rina realized that she had gone back in time and decided to find out who among her 30 students that wanted to kill her within a year.

A House of Dynamite - Intelligently Done Gripping Thriller Drama From Various Angles

After several weeks of missing out watching new films on Friday in Netflix, last night I remembered to give this one a try. The brief synopsis sounded interesting, plus the involvement of many well known people made me intrigued. So let us get on with the movie then.

Brief Story Line

On what started as a normal day in Fort Geely Alaska, the team led by Major Daniel Gonzales (Anthony Ramos - Ironheart mini series, Hamilton etc) detected a nuclear missile that was of unkown origin and seemed to be heading towards the US in less than 20 minutes. The White House situation room team led by Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson - Silo TV series, Reminiscence etc) immediately coordinated with Secretary of Defense Reid Baker (Jared Harris - Morbius, Reawakening etc). STRATCOM Commander General Brady (Tracy Letts - Deep Water, The Post etc), Deputy NSA Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso - The Strangers: Chapter Two, The Night Agent TV series etc) and also the President (Idris Elba - Heads of State, H/JACK TV series etc) on how to handle. 

No Other Choice - Critically Acclaimed Movie with Heavy Topic Which Should Please Fans of Festival Films

After weeks of missing out on recent movies in the cinemas, yesterday my wife and I browsed through various options in several locations & decided to see this film. It was something that we were interested in due to the cast, though we did not have knowledge of the story. Anyway, after finishing our important errand in the morning, we finally head to the studio and saw the film at 3.20 PM.

Brief Story Line

Man-su (Lee Byung-hun - Concrete Utopia, Squid Game TV series season 2 & 3 etc) was a manager in paper factory for 25 years and living the dream life with his wife Miri (Son Ye-jin - The Negotiation, Thirty Nine TV series etc) and their two children & two dogs. However it suddenly turned bad when he lost his job.

After months of having difficulties in managing their finances, Man-su decided to go for the only available job. But he had to face stiff competition from people more suitable such as Gu Bum-mo (Lee Sung-min - Handsome Guys, The Queen Who Crowns TV series etc), Go Si-jo (Cha Seung-won - Uprising, Our Blues TV series etc) and the one still working in the company, Choi Seun-chul (Park Hee-son - My Name TV series, The Policeman's Lineage TV series etc). In order to ensure he got the job, Man-su really went to the most extreme. 

Eenie Meanie - Could Have Been Better Heist Thriller Movie

After some time focusing more on other streaming services, I started browsing Disney+ a couple of days ago and found this movie which was originally released on Hulu. Apparently it had been made available since 22 August so I missed it for more than a week. Although the synopsis was too brief, the thriller genre mentioned on Disney+ was what made me intrigued. Without further ado, here's more on the film.

Brief Story Line

Edie (Samara Weaving - Scream VI, Snake Eyes: G. I. Joe Origins etc) used to have a dark past since her teenaged years but managed to turn her life around by returning to college and working in a bank. However when her ex boyfriend John (Karl Glusman - Civil War, The Bikeriders etc) made a fatal mistake that hurt the business of major criminal Nico (Andy Garcia - Expendables 4, Ghostbusters 2016 remake etc), Edie had no choice but to fulfill his demand of working on a  heist.

(Mini Series) Hostage - A Fast Paced and Quite Intense Political Thriller Series

Once again Netflix has released another mini series last Friday. I was not aware about it until Saturday while browsing for new series to watch. Although the topic was intriguing but the political side made me a bit doubtful cause it was not exactly something I really looked forward to. However since this was the most interesting new show, I decided to give it a try. All right then, let's get to it now.

Brief Story Line

UK's Prime Minister Abigail Dalton (Suranne Jones - A Christmas Star, Gentleman Jack TV series etc) and French president Vivienne Toussaint (Julie Delpy - Before Midnight, On the Verge TV series etc) were having a summit to discuss on possible cooperation among the two countries. A lot was riding on the success of this summit for each leader who were assisted by Abigail's Chief of Staff Kofi Adomako (Lucian Msamati - Conclave, His Dark Materials TV series etc) and Vivienne's Secretary-general Adrienne Pelletier (Jehnny Beth - An Impossible Love etc) respectively.

(TV SERIES) Nine Puzzles - A Pretty Enjoyable Mystery Crime Thriller Disney+ Original Series

I noticed this series in the coming soon section of Disney+ few months back and thought the premise seemed interesting. When I found out that the finale was going to be released on 4th of June, I immediately began to watch it two days before, so I would be able to complete the series on that day. All right then, let's just get to it.

Brief Story Line

An excellent Seoul Criminal Profiler Yoon E-na (Kim Da-mi - Soulmate, Itaewon Class TV series etc) was the witness of her uncle's murder ten years ago and was suspected by the rookie police Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku - The Roundup, Big Bet TV series etc), though it was never proven. Because of the trauma that made her lost a bit of her memory, E-na had been seeing psychiatrist Dr. Seong Joo (Park Gyu-young - Sweet Home TV series, Love + Sling etc). In present day, a series of gruesome murders started where the killer left a piece of puzzle to E-na related to each of the crime.