Tag: thriller

Night of the Juggler (1980)

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Streaming on Kanopy (and available on all the main rental platforms) | imdb | trailer

NOTE: This is an update of a recommendation from January, 2024.

An ex-cop’s daughter is kidnapped by a psycho in dirty old New York City. This is loosely adapted from a novel of the same name. I was lucky enough to see a 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s print of this obscure action movie a few years ago. Up until the recent 4k restoration this was only ever officially released on VHS. James Brolin is great, and his nemesis, Cliff Gorman, is a recognizable bad guy in many ‘70s movies and TV series. When I saw this at Portland’s Hollywood Theatre, the programmer extraordinaire, Dan Halsted, wisely said that the real star of the film is New York City at its gritty peak. Times Square porno shops, dive bars, and grindhouse theaters feature prominently. Do not miss Night of the Juggler. It is a blast from start to finish.

Available on 4k UHD / Blu-ray from KL Studio Classics.

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The Mauritanian (2021)

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Streaming on Netflix | imdb | trailer

This is a dramatized version of the story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi, a Mauritanian man who was imprisoned for years with no charge in Guantanamo Bay. Critics did not like this film for some reason. I found it to be very effective. All performances were great, particularly the lead played by Tahar Rahim (from the previously recommended A Prophet). Things get surprisingly dark and weird during the interrogation segments. Some of the torture used was shocking even compared to what made the news at the time. It’s stunning that a human being endured it all. The Mauritanian is uncomfortable viewing, but I suggest you watch it anyway. 

Available on Blu-ray from Universal.

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Out of the Past (1947)

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Streaming on HBO Max | imdb | no original trailer available

Jeff runs a small town gas station and has led a quiet existence for three years. Then his old life as a private detective catches up to him and one of my favorite film noir stories begins to unfold. This is a real gem of ‘40s cinema. You have the always excellent Robert Mitchum in the lead role, and Jacques Tourneur in the director’s chair. Tourneur also made one of my top ‘50s horror films Curse of the Demon, as well as the recommended Nightfall, The Leopard Man and a 1964 episode of The Twilight Zone, Night Call, among many other highly regarded movies. In my book this might just be the single film noir that stands above them all. If you were going to watch one movie in this style, Out of the Past would be an excellent choice.

Available on Blu-ray from Warner Archives.

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Triangle (2009)

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Streaming on Amazon Prime | imdb | trailer

This is a solid psychological horror thriller that I suspect may have been missed by some of you weirdos. A group on a doomed yacht trip manage to be saved by a seemingly empty ship. Bad times follow. Our protagonist Jess keeps having experiences that foreshadow horrific events, and then gradually reveal what is really happening. Triangle really held my attention the first time I saw it. I recall being pleasantly surprised by where it all ends up, and I think there’s a good chance you will too. You will have to give some 15+ year old CG a pass, but it really is worth it.

Available on Blu-ray from Umbrella.

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The Prowler (1981)

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Streaming on YouTube (sign-in required) | imdb | trailer

This ‘80s slasher just barely squeaks by my usual criteria for this website. The flaw here is that the acting and story between kill scenes is pretty mediocre. However when the blood is flowing, The Prowler is spectacular. Tom Savini did the FX and the murder sequences are all very memorable. The killer’s outfit is really intimidating too. The other thing I like about this film is that it’s a non-franchise, all-in-one horror flick. You will most likely enjoy this one if you keep your expectations low, or just fast forward to the juicy stuff.

NOTE ON QUALITY: I have this linked to the version on YouTube because it’s totally free and uncut as far as I can tell. It looks a bit compressed, so if you’re a stickler for quality, check out JustWatch to see where else it is streaming (currently several places), or watch the disc.

Available on Blu-ray from Blue Underground.

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The Ghost Writer (2010)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I completely missed this Roman Polanski thriller when it came out. I caught it just recently and was very pleasantly surprised. Ewan McGregor is tasked with helping the former British PM (Pierce Brosnan) write his memoir. Funny thing… the guy with the ghost writing job before him died under mysterious circumstances. Yeah, you see where this is going. The good news is that the various crime thriller curveballs are unexpected and satisfying. Keep an eye out for a young Jon Bernthal.

Available on Blu-ray from Lionsgate.

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Companion (2025)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer (maybe skip this as it is loaded with spoilers)

I was pretty much blown away by this film right out of the gate. I don’t want to say too much about the plot in order not to spoil any surprises. It would be best experienced cold. The movie is essentially a sci-fi thriller, but you get a few doses of very graphic violence, and some well crafted dark humor too. Lead actress Sophie Thatcher is flat-out excellent (and I hear she is a Throbbing Gristle fan too). A few aspects of Companion reminded me of the Westworld original film and HBO series, as well as Ex Machina, BUT I still give it a 10/10. Do not miss this one.

Available on 4k UHD from Warner Home Video.

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Rolling Thunder (1977)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

Just in case you missed this among the slew of ‘70s and ‘80s action flicks, let me tell you about Rolling Thunder. A prisoner of war finally gets home from Vietnam and what happens? Some assholes attack his family, steal his money, and leave him disfigured. Does he decide to take this as a lesson in life and become a minister? Fuck no he doesn’t. He gets some sweet, sweet revenge. This movie is a damned good example of a “revenge-o-matic” as Quentin Tarantino calls them (in fact he named his film distribution company after it). It’s fast paced, features very good performances from William DeVane and a young Tommy Lee Jones, and has a kick ass ending. The screenplay was by none other than Paul Schrader, but unfortunately his work was lightened up a bit for the final version. Mr. Tarantino says the original script is fantastic, but I have yet to read it myself (it is on my list though). Even a tamed down Rolling Thunder is a great action film, and I rank it among the very best of the ‘70s.

Available on 4k UHD from Shout Factory.

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The Pledge (2001)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

I avoided this movie for years because of the cheesy TV ads, and yeah the above linked trailer is pretty bad too. Director Sean Penn is a bit of a wild card, which probably didn’t help either. However I gave it a watch just recently and was pleasantly surprised at how satisfying the film is. It does suffer from some of that big budget movie falseness, but none of it was too distracting. Thankfully there are more positives than negatives on display. In my book, this one and The Departed are tied for Jack Nicholson’s best late career performances. The other actors are pretty much all familiar faces, and they do a fine job as well. The reason this one stands out is that it is a remarkably dark movie and the ending is something I’ve never quite seen before. It is also worth noting that The Pledge is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s 1958 novella, and was made into several other films before this one. The first adaptation was called It Happened in Broad Daylight, and is still considered an excellent movie (I just added it to my watch list). The interesting thing is that Sean Penn’s version, written by Jerzy Kromolowski and Mary Olson-Kromolowski, is the most faithful to the novella. Yes, this definitely isn’t Chinatown, but it’s a solid crime thriller that I feel is worth your time.

Available on Blu-ray from Morgan Creek

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Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)

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JustWatch Streaming Info | imdb | trailer

A police precinct is in the process of closing when it is brutally attacked by a street gang. This seems like a really obvious recommendation choice, but it falls into the category of movies that younger people may have overlooked. Assault… is John Carpenter’s first proper film after the very short, and very silly, Dark Star. It is also one of only two works in his filmography I give a 10/10. The other is The Thing. I was lucky enough to see a 35mm double feature of both films about 20 years ago. Anyhow, here’s some fun facts for you: The first time I saw this I was on LSD. For a minute I was convinced that the street gang were actually aliens or possessed by a supernatural force. Well, that’s partially because one of the major influences on this film was The Night of the Living Dead. Carpenter directed the gang members to speak very little and act inhuman. Also, fans of Eraserhead may recognize lead actor Darwin Joston, who played a whacky pencil-factory clerk. One final “fact” is that the 2005 remake of this movie is shockingly good. See, I don’t hate on all “reimaginings”, just ones that suck.

Available on Blu-ray from Shout Factory (this would be the best way to see it for image quality).

If you are a fan of Anomalous Cinema, please consider supporting this site by donating any amount (even $1.00 is appreciated) via Venmo @vergeoflight or Paypal at this secure link. A Paypal account is not required. Thank you.