‘The Killing': Kubrick's Brilliant Noir-Heist Classic
Director Stanley Kubrick's third feature, 'The Killing' barely made a dent at the box office when it was first released in 1956 but is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heist films ever made.
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Forbes
2 days ago
- Forbes
‘Untamed' Review: Netflix's Best New Show Is A Murder Mystery With A Killer Setting
Untamed Two mountain climbers scale the sheer cliffside of Yosemite National Park's El Capitan in the opening moments of Netflix's new murder mystery miniseries, Untamed. This alone is enough to make me squeamish. I don't like heights. I've never understood the appeal of repelling up a mountain, only a dizzying drop to certain death below. Of course, this is no ordinary ascent. As they grapple their way up, a young woman topples down. She's caught in the rope, almost bringing the two climbers down with her. It's a harrowing moment. Light spoilers follow. What looks like a possible suicide is quickly revealed to be something far more sinister, and an investigation kicks off led by taciturn Investigative Services Branch (ISB) agent Kyle Turner (Eric Bana). Turner is a man of few words, the sort of grizzled, stoic mountain man that prefers a horse to a truck, and animals to people. He's also very good at his job, just as comfortable interrogating suspects as he is navigating perilous wilderness terrain. He's joined in his investigation by rookie National Park Service ranger Naya Vasquez (Lily Santiago) who left her police job in Los Angeles – and a bad relationship – behind to start a new life with her young son. Vasquez is as green as they come, but she's a quick learner. Turner doesn't really like working with people, but he's given no choice. Chief Park Ranger Paul Souter (Sam Neill) makes sure of that. From here, the investigation leads our heroes down an increasingly dark path, first to identify the young woman and then to find out if foul play was involved. Of course, peeling back the truth of the woman's death leads to many other unpleasant revelations. These involve illicit activity in the park as well as Turner's tragic backstory involving his now ex-wife Jill (Rosemarie DeWitt) and their son, who died several years earlier. Untamed The series reminds me a lot of other shows like The Killing, though it's able to fit the entire story into an economical six episodes instead of the 26 that make up that show's first case. In this sense, there's little new or innovative about Untamed. In fact, if The Killing and Taylor Sheridan's (excellent) movie Wind River had a baby, Untamed would be it. Much of the appeal here is in its two main leads: Eric Bana and Yosemite itself. Perhaps the series should have taken a page from Sheridan's biggest hit, Yellowstone, and used Yosemite for the title. It's mostly filmed in British Columbia, but it's gorgeous to look at regardless. The rich forest terrain, the stunning mountains, all that wilderness hiding so much of humanity's darkest secrets. Bana, meanwhile, really channels Pedro Pascal, or at least Pascal's performance in The Last Of Us. Like Joel, this is a man who lost a part of himself when he lost his child. He's turned to booze and solitude and his work to distract himself from the pain and grief of that loss. I kept imagining Pascal in the role, though I'm glad we got Bana instead. Both are fine actors, but Pascal is simply in too many things these days, and Bana is terrific here, tapping into that rugged mountain man exterior while at the same time revealing a much more emotionally charged interior world. Untamed also made me wish that we'd get another season of True Detective from its original creator, Nic Pizzolatto, set in this kind of rugged wilderness. All three seasons of Pizzolatto's True Detective did such a great job of creating a sense of place (whether or not Season 2 worked all that well, the southern California it gave us was remarkably bleak in a way I've never really seen before or since). Seasons 1 and 2 captured the deep south and the Ozarks in grim splendor, making the places come alive in a way that few other shows have ever been able to achieve. Untamed never quite makes Yosemite feel like a real place, no matter how gorgeous the scenery. What it does do is give us a compelling, if not particularly original, mystery in a tight six-episode run, filled with good characters that are easy to root for (or against) and some nice twists and turns to keep us on our toes. This isn't an action-packed series. It's much more about following the clues down whatever mineshaft they lead. There are some moments of tension and even a couple good gunfights, but this is more detective work than shoot-em-up, which I appreciate. Is it groundbreaking? Not at all. Is it a bit too predictable? Absolutely. Is it still a fun watch with some good detective work and emotional beats that keep you invested in the main characters. I certainly thought so. No, this is not on the same level as True Detective, Mare Of Easttown or Happy Valley, but it's a solid watch that doesn't outwear its welcome. Give it a shot. P.S. It's kind of funny that Turner is an ISB agent, because when I think of ISB agents I think of these fine Imperial Security Bureau employees, just doing their best to maintain order in the galaxy: ISB
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's ‘Assassin's Creed' Live-Action TV Series Has (Finally) Been Officially Greenlit
It's been nearly five years in the making, but the live-action Assassin's Creed series at Netflix is finally greenlit with Roberto Patino (Westworld, Sons of Anarchy) and David Wiener (Halo, The Killing) as creators, showrunners and executive producers, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The blockbuster Assassin's Creed gaming franchise from French video game publisher Ubisoft first launched in 2007. The games have gone on to sell more than 230 million copies worldwide. More from The Hollywood Reporter Colin Farrell's Netflix Movie 'Ballad of a Small Player' From Edward Berger Gets Fall Release, First Look 'Amy Bradley Is Missing,' But the Netflix Docuseries Filmmakers Think They Know Where She Is Filming Underway on Season 2 of Netflix's 'Geek Girl,' Layton Williams Joins Cast Assassin's Creed jumped from consoles to the big screen in 2016 via Twentieth Century Fox. The movie version made $240 million at the worldwide box office. The Netflix series' logline reads: 'Assassin's Creed is a high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions — one set on determining mankind's future through control and manipulation, while the other fights to preserve free will. The series follows its characters across pivotal historical events as they battle to shape humanity's destiny.' The Assassin's Creed TV show follows other gaming adaptations at Netflix, like Castlevania, Arcane, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and the upcoming Splinter Cell: Deathwatch. 'We've been fans of Assassin's Creed since its release in 2007. Every day we work on this show, we come away excited and humbled by the possibilities that Assassin's Creed opens to us,' Wiener and Patino said in a joint statement. 'Beneath the scope, the spectacle, the parkour and the thrills is a baseline for the most essential kind of human story — about people searching for purpose, struggling with questions of identity and destiny and faith. It is about power and violence and sex and greed and vengeance. 'But more than anything, this is a show about the value of human connection, across cultures, across time,' they continued. 'And it's about what we stand to lose as a species, when those connections break. We've got an amazing team behind us with the folks at Ubisoft and our champions at Netflix, and we're committed to creating something undeniable for fans all over the planet.' Peter Friedlander, Netflix's vice president of scripted series, added, 'When we first announced our partnership with Ubisoft in 2020, we set out with an ambitious goal to bring the rich, expansive world of Assassin's Creed to life in bold new ways. Now, after years of dedicated collaboration, it's inspiring to see just how far that vision has come. Guided by the deft hands of Roberto Patino and David Wiener, the team has carefully crafted an epic adventure that both honors the legacy of the Assassin's Creed franchise and invites longtime fans and newcomers alike to experience the thrill of the Brotherhood as never before.' In addition to Wiener and Patino, executive producers on the streaming series include Gerard Guillemot, Margaret Boykin, Austin Dill for Ubisoft Film & Television, and Matt O'Toole. 'We are so excited to work alongside Roberto, David, and our Netflix partners to bring this beloved franchise to series,' Boykin, executive producer and head of content at Ubisoft Film & Television, said. 'We look forward to delivering an experience that speaks to the heart of what fans love about Assassin's Creed, while introducing its unforgettable worlds and timeless themes to new audiences worldwide.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Studio': 30 Famous Faces Who Play (a Version of) Themselves in the Hollywood-Based Series 22 of the Most Shocking Character Deaths in Television History A 'Star Wars' Timeline: All the Movies and TV Shows in the Franchise Solve the daily Crossword
Digital Trends
11-07-2025
- Digital Trends
3 underrated Amazon Prime Video movies you should watch this weekend (July 11-13)
Finding a movie to watch on a hot July weekend can be difficult, especially when you feel like you've watched everything obvious. If you're sick of scrolling through Amazon Prime Video and spending more time looking at titles than actually watching one, then we've got you covered. We've pulled together a list of three underrated movies that are all available on Prime Video. While these movies might have made an impact upon their release, they aren't as well remembered as they should be. Here's why you should check them out. Recommended Videos We also have guides to the best new movies to stream, the best movies on Netflix, the best movies on Hulu, the best movies on Amazon Prime Video, the best movies on HBO Max, and the best movies on Disney+. Paths of Glory (1957) One of the great war movies ever made, Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory was also the first indication of just how great a filmmaker he would turn out to be. The film tells the story of a foolhardy mission ordered during World War I that travels down the chain of command all the way to the frontlines. When the mission goes awry, the commanders pick three soldiers who can take the fall for their mistakes. Paths of Glory is a comic tragedy, a movie about the way those in power play war games with the lives of actual people and eventually come to believe in their own self-justifications. You can watch Paths of Glory on Amazon Prime Video. Godzilla (2014) Say what you will about the rest of Legendary's Monster Universe, 2014's Godzilla is a remarkable example of what blockbuster filmmaking can be. Perhaps the most striking thing about this movie is that, unlike most Godzilla movies, it doesn't make much of an effort to attach you to its central characters. Instead, the monster is the main attraction, and Godzilla lives up to the billing. This movie wisely takes its time before unveiling the full beast to us, but when we finally get a chance to see him in totality, he definitely lives up to the billing. You can watch Godzilla on Amazon Prime Video. Capote (2005) Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the greatest actors of his generation, and Capote is the movie that finally won him an Oscar. Hoffman stars as Truman Capote, the famous author and socialite, and chronicles his time writing In Cold Blood, his most famous work. This is undeniably the most fascinating chapter in a fascinating life, but what makes Capote so remarkable is the way it leans into all of its main character's worst qualities. Hoffman gives a fully embodied performance, and while it's certainly more mannered than some of his other work, that doesn't make it any less emotionally enveloping. You can watch Capote on Amazon Prime Video.
