The 1990s were a time of change for the crime genre, and some of the best movies of the decade are must-watch material for cinephiles. Directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and David Fincher began revitalizing the landscape of the crime genre in the 1990s. There were gritty, realistic thrillers as well as stylized crime movies that sought to deconstruct the genre’s many tropes. To this day, the 1990s stand out as one of the best decades for crime movies, with a number of unimpeachable classics all produced in a few short years. Not since the glory days of…
Author: Ben Protheroe
The original Predator Movie follows a paramilitary unit in the jungle, and they each bring their own unique skills to the table. In some ways, Predator is a typical 1980s action movie, concerned with big muscles and big explosions. However, the sci-fi element is the first hint that Predator is more sophisticated and nuanced than other action movies of the era. Predator Also has elements of slasher horror, as the Predator gradually picks off the members of Dutch’s elite unit one by one. The original is still arguably the best Predator Movie of them all. The formula seems simple enough,…
Alfred Hitchcock developed his own unique style, and many other filmmakers have been inspired by his crime thrillers over the years. The term “Hitchcockian” describes any film that bears the hallmarks of Hitchcock’s work. That term doesn’t exist for most other directors, which just goes to show how original and immediately identifiable Hitchcock’s classics are. The Master of Suspense still inspires filmmakers long after his death. Hitchcock’s greatest hits share certain visual motifs, including blonde women, famous landmarks, and the use of staircases as visual metaphors. Their stories also often shared a few key ideas, like wrongly accused men, voyeurism,…
Action movies have the potential to combine their thrills with moments of comedy, which means that a fun action movie can be extremely replayable. There will always be a place for darker action films, but sometimes people prefer something light and fun. Fortunately, the action genre is diverse enough to have hard-hitting dramas and light-hearted comedies. Not all big action movies have to be as serious as Aliens, cooked or John Wick. Action comedies include everything from sci-fi parodies to crime films, and they’re often worth a lot of review. These films can become great comfort films because they are…
There are only a few TV seasons that boast a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, but they are worthy of this honor. Due to the quirks of Rotten Tomatoes’ review aggregation system, a single negative review can rob a show of its 100% score. There are many critically acclaimed TV seasons that fall short of full marks, and relatively few that have achieved this rare feat over the years. Some shows have multiple seasons with 100% scores, such as The thread, the good place and BoJack Knight, but these are exceptions to the norm. Most shows can consider themselves lucky…
The 1970s produced many propulsive heist thrillers, helping to shape the crime genre for decades. Heist films of the 1960s were typically classified by style. Films like Gambit, how to steal a million and 11 from the ocean presented a painless and gentle version of the crime. The following decade shook things up, reintroducing an element of danger that had been largely absent from the heist genre for years. Some of the best heist films ever made were produced in the 1970s, including Dog Day Afternoon and The sting. Although these films are just as funny as previous films such…
The 1980s produced many excellent action films, many of which have never been surpassed in terms of entertainment value. The big-budget blockbusters of the 1980s have a unique appeal. Years before overabundant CGI, long-running mega-franchises, and endless reboots took some of the shine away from multiplex popcorn movies, the 1980s was a great decade for original stories with tons of crowd-pleasing action. It’s no coincidence that some of the biggest action franchises of all time have their roots in the 1980s, like Lethal weapon and hard to die and Indiana Jones. All of these types of films combined fun ideas…
Science fiction is often designed to appeal to all ages, but R-rated science fiction films have the freedom to show extremely dark and violent futures. An R rating allows a science fiction film to become more violent and profane, meaning it can bring its story to an adult audience without worry. This lends itself particularly well to dystopian fiction, as some visions of the future leave no room for redemption and silver linings. The best dystopian science fiction films can show the bridge between the present and the dark future they portray. Often, these bleak futures are not merely intended…
Lately, crime series have become more complex, but sometimes simplicity is the limit of complexity. Ever since shows like True Detective Crime television is moving away from the old cable formula of easily digestible shows that follow a reliable formula. While these new, “prestige” dramas are brilliant in their own ways, many fans are looking for a simpler approach. Crime procedurals and crime comedies tend to be the richest sources for this type of show. When a show has more than 20 episodes per season, rather than the 10 or fewer that are becoming increasingly common, it helps to have…
When most people think of the spy genre, it’s hard to ignore the influence James Bond franchise, but there have been many other exciting spy films made over the past decade. Bye James Bond still very much a tone-setter, the spy genre is surprisingly diverse. Over the past few years, spy comedies, action films and historical dramas based on real events have been produced. Several other major spy franchises have peaked in the last 10 years, including Mission: Impossible And Kingsman, but there’s also plenty of room for original stories in the genre. Some of the most powerful spy films…