Psychological Drama
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Movie Review: House of Games (1987)
House of Games, released in 1987, marks playwright, filmmaker, and author David Mamet’s foray into movie direction. It is a neo-noir hidden gem with a twisted plot, a series of twists, and a twisted ending that would make its way onto the best movies list of numerous critics. The cast features Joe Mantegna and Lindsay… Read more
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Movie Review: Blow Up (1966)
Blow-Up, an adaptation of Julio Cortázar’s short story “Las babas del diablo,” is the first English movie directed by legendary Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni. Antonioni is known for making mood pieces. Film critic Arthur Knight wrote that Blow-Up is a defining movie, akin to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Antonioni’s masterpiece would influence the works of… Read more
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Movie Review: Wait Until Dark (1966)
“Wait Until Dark” is a chilling psychological thriller directed by Terence Young and adapted from a play of the same name by Frederick Knott. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Crenna, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Jack Weston, and Julie Herrod in lead roles, the movie is a gripping nail-biter from start to finish. Frederick Knott, the… Read more
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Movie Review: Obsession (1976)
In my past review of “Body Double,” I mentioned that it was a homage to both Hitchcock movies, “Rear Window” and “Vertigo.” “Obsession,” a movie he made earlier in 1976, is another of his tributes to “Vertigo,” and closer in plot to the Alfred Hitchcock classic. The movie opens with a loud, almost jarring background… Read more
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Movie Review: Match Point (2005)
From esteemed director and filmmaker Woody Allen comes “Match Point,” a movie which on its surface appears like a psychological thriller but packs within it so much more. Let us begin with the plot. In London, England, a former Irish tennis professional, Chris Wilton (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), accepts employment at an elite Tennis club. Here… Read more
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Movie Review: Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
“Shadow of a Doubt,” directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is considered by many to be his best movie. Most critics compare it favorably to “The Stranger,” which came three years later, but I’ll have more to say on this towards the end. In the opening scene, a man (Joseph Cotton) seems to be enjoying a siesta… Read more
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