Nerdy Squirrel Reviews by Pasckie Pascua

“Ripley” Netflix) neo-noir psychological thriller , written and directed by Steven Zaillian , based on Patricia Highsmith 's 1955 crime novel “ The Talented Mr. Ripley .” Story: In New York in 1960, Tom Ripley is a down-at-the-heels con-man . Unaware of his situation, a wealthy man hires him to convince his prodigal son to return home from Italy. But Tom's introduction to Dickie Greenleaf's comfortable and leisurely life abroad turns out to be "the first step into a complex life of deceit, fraud and murder.”         I saw 1999's “The Talented Mr. Ripley” Anthony Minghella , starring Matt Damon as Tom Ripley , and Jude Law , Gwyneth Paltrow , Cate Blanchett , and Philip Seymour Hoffman . (There was a 1960 French version, starring Alain Delon.) Characters are minimized in “Ripley” but the thriller storytelling remains.        “Ripley” series gained critical praise for its writing, directing, craftsmanship, and p...

“The Promised Land” a.k.a. Danish “Bastarden” (2023, Hulu), epic historical drama film directed by Nikolaj Arcel and written by Arcel and Anders Thomas Jensen . Based on the 2020 book “The Captain and Ann Barbara” by Ida Jessen . The main character Captain Ludvig Kahlen is a real historical figure although the movie and book largely dramatized the real events at that time.          Plot: In 1755, Captain Ludvig Kahlen , an impoverished Danish officer of humble birth, retires after 25 years of service in the German Army with a measly pension. He obtains permission from the Royal Danish Court to build a property on the barren Jutland moorland for land cultivation . He hopes to establish a settlement on this land, and in return for that he requests from the Court the privilege of a noble title with an associated manor . Soon after arriving at the site of his prospective homestead , he comes into conflict with Frederik Schinkel, a local magistr...

“Longlegs” (2024, Hulu) thriller horror film written and directed by Osgood Perkins . Story: In 1974 Oregon , a young girl with a Polaroid camera follows a mysterious voice and encounters an erratic man in pale makeup. 20 years later, FBI agent Lee Harker, who exhibits possible clairvoyance , is assigned by her supervisor William Carter to a case involving a series of murder–suicides in Oregon.         Pre-watch info: This movie received critical acclaim and grossed $126 million worldwide on a budget of less than $10 million. Sure, horror films command lucrative box-office dough but $116 million gross by an indie is huge. So there!        Relatively unknown Maika Monroe is that agent, Lee Harker. She's fine in the scary/confused look but she lacks the steely, insistent defiance that muffled the lost-girl vulnerability of Jodie Foster's Clarice Starling in 1991's “The Silence of the Lambs.” But the showtime b...

“Paradise” (Hulu) political thriller . Premise: Set in a city-sized underground bunker in Colorado three years after a doomsday event , the series follows United States Secret Service agent Xavier Collins as he seeks to discover the truth behind the killing of the President of the United States.        Science fiction? The premise reminds us of a similar plotline that Apple TV+'s “Silo” pursues. But regardless of the media hype that “Paradise” generates, this “thriller” doesn't thrill me that much. I guess it is just too predictable to me and the dialogues, cliché.         My indifference: Why was Agent Collins, the President's priority citizen in the giant bunker over others? What really happened to the world? A natural (environmental) collapse or a nuclear war? Unclear. And more but I don't want to spoil your interest or thoughts who'd be the assassin.         Sterling K. B...