Thriller
Prisoners, by Denis Villeneuve, is an amazing demonstration of desperation, hope and moral destruction. The film follows the suspenseful search for two missing children, the father of one, Keller Dover(Hugh Jackman), a religious man, is sent over the edge and his morality is slowly degraded over the course of the film. The secondary character, detective Loki(Jake Gyllenhaal), represents the faith and dedication to his job and refusal to accept the worst. Prisoners also tackles themes of dark morality such as revenge and malice. Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal are praised for their incredible performances and are considered by many to be their best in their filmographies. Prisoners teach us to think about how far is too far when it comes to family, how violence deteriorates us and makes us unrecognisable. Prisoner's tone is one of the best when it comes to thriller, its cold, autumn setting reflects the helplessness of the characters. Prisoners is a masterfully made, modern thriller, detective movie that puzzles many and shocks others for its demonstration of moral destruction.
No Country for Old Men is a masterfully crafted work of suspense and masterful personification of the term ‘A game of Cat and Mouse’. No Country for Old Men follows ex Vietnam vet, Llewelyn Moss(Josh Brolin) in Texas, 1980, stumble across a large sum of money at the scene of a drug deal gone wrong, which then leaves him in a helpless cat and mouse game against the cartel and the terrifying hitman, Anton Chigurh(Javier Bardem), which is one of the most praised performances of all time. While this game of Cat and Mouse continues, the sheriff Bell(Tommy Lee Jones) attempts to get Josh Brolin into safety. The film is unique for its eerie lack of sound throughout its runtime. No Country for Old Men tackles interesting themes, its biggest of which is morality. The three protagonists all clearly represent areas of morality, the light, the dark and the grey. Its other more interesting theme follows the violent times and events that come with an ever changing world, leaving some feeling as if they lose their place in the planet. No Country for Old Men is a compelling and unique story of morality, change and greed with a one of a kind performance from Javier Bardem, which everyone should witness.
Se7en sets an unbelievably interesting tone from the moment the film is first played. Se7en is a detective film with a modern, yet still depressing tone. The plot follows the soon to be retired detective Somerset(Morgan Freeman) and the young, impulsive detective Mills(Brad Pitt), trying to solve the mystery of a killer who kills those who represent sin. The casting of Freeman and Pitt is a simple but well executed and perfected contrast of young and old, which works well for this movie. The film's rainy, LA atmosphere heavily compliments the dark and grim tone of Se7en. Se7en dives into the darkness of human nature, not only with sin, but how far humans can be pushed over the edge to do something terrible. Se7en contains one of the most shocking and memorable endings ever seen in cinema and one that I recommend you should witness.
The Silence of the Lambs, directed by Jonathan Deeme is a thriller masterpiece, by the book of the same name with many memorable tropes and characters. The film revolves around Clarice Starling(Jodie Foster), an FBI trainee tasked with getting to know the mind of a psychopathic serial killer by interrogating the infamous, Hannibal Lecter(Anthony Hopkins) to try and catch another serial killer, Buffalo Bill. The movie is known for its chilling scenes and monologues, particularly by Hannibal Lecter, like how he “Ate a man's liver because he was rude to him, or Buffalo Bill’s terrifying way of luring in women, referencing serial killer, Ted Bundy. Some really great shots are used in this movie, such as Hannibal Lecter's reflection with eyes covered by black shadows as he talks to Clarice. The main themes in The Silence of the Lambs are: Change as represented through the moth, the nature of evil, like how it can be manipulative or lustful and primal, as well as the gender dynamics, where the movie shows most men as lustful and gluttenous psychopaths, where women are seen as innocent and kind. The Silence of the Lambs is an incredible movie for mystery and suspense, the acting had won the movie an Oscar for Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins and the camerawork and themes amplify the story tremendously.
