ReelViews for R movies

Sound of Metal, a 2019 Belgian-American drama from director Darius Marder, achieves its life-affirming aim in such a way that it never feels cloying or preachy. Featuring a forceful central performance by Riz Ahmed (best-known as either one of...

Boxing movies are like romantic comedies: they come in neat packages, follow tried-and-true formulas, and rarely challenge conventions.  There are outliers, of course, like Martin Scorsese's brilliant Raging Bull, but those are rare. For the...

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, there was a popular thriller trope in which a character (or group of characters) would form a connection with a stranger (or strangers) but, over time, the actions and motivations of one character would turn murderous....

If I were in a kind mood, I might say that The Specialist attempts to be an atmospheric, dramatic thriller. On the other hand, if I wanted to be truthful, I could note that this film has two obvious assets (both of which are used to maximum advant...

The villain of Species -- a new science fiction/action/thriller/gorefest from director Roger Donaldson -- is a sexy young alien named Sil (Natasha Henstridge). For most of the film, her primary problem is a massive case of sexual frustration. Eve...

Potential Spoilers: I reveal a little more about the plot than I normally do in reviews, primarily because I want to discuss the way the film progresses during its second half. There are no big "reveals" in the review - it's not the kind of movie t...

Place your foot on the accelerator. Press down. Watch the needle on the speedometer creep above fifty. Now you're trapped. Whatever happens, you can't drop below that level - if you do, you're dead, and everyone on the bus with you. It might n...

Spenser Confidential is a perfect Netflix movie – a mid-budget action/thriller featuring a recognizable star and not requiring much in the way of attention or dedication from a viewer. It’s the kind of film people might not feel compelled ...

After watching Spin Me Round, I’m not sure I’ll ever consider the “fine dining” of Olive Garden in quite the same way. A satirical twist on the normally saccharine rom-com genre, Jeff Baena’s feature (which he co-wrote with star Alison B...

No reasonable person could expect the long-gestating Spinal Tap II to match the comedic brilliance of the 1984 classic This Is Spinal Tap. Still, it’s disheartening to see just how far Rob Reiner’s follow-up has fallen. While the film does deli...