10s Movie Review - The Lie

Director: Veena Sud
Genre: Thriller/ Drama
Runtime: 97 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Mireille Enos, Peter Sarsgaard Joey King

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 48: A THRILLER
 
Description: Jay (Peter Sarsgaard) and his daughter Kayla (Joey King) are on their way to dance camp when they spot Kayla’s best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer her a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.

Review: “The Lie” tells the story of Kayla and her divorced parents Jay and Rebecca. On their way to a ballet camp, Kayla and Jay run into a friend of Kayla’s, all alone at the bus stop. They decide to give her a ride, since this Britney also has to go to camp.

When Britney needs to pee, Jay pulls the car over on the side of the road. The girls walk into the woods, in the middle of nowhere. When Jay hears a scream, he finds his daughter sitting on a bridge. But where is Britney?

All three main characters, Kayla, Jay and Rebecca, are incredibly unpleasant people. In a movie like this, its important that you can sympathize with at least one of them. You just simply can’t with this family. And these people are so stupid and make all the wrong decisions. I understand that Jay and Rebecca are parents that want to protect their daughter. But not of the decisions they make, think it’s the best for Kayla, are thoughtful or understandable. It made no sense at all.

The acting is really good though and they did the best with the material they had. And the film has some surprising twists, it’s not all that predictable. But, that ending is just…. I just couldn’t deal with that. And again makes no sense. No person in the right mind would think that what actually happened is a good idea. And that ending made this film from not so great to downright silly.

Rating: 2 / 5

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 4)

Season: 4
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 6
Year: 2014
Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Gregg Henry, Tyler Ross, Joan Allen

Description: While covering up a secret, Linden (Mireille Enos) and Holder (Joel Kinnaman) are assigned a new case: a brutal case of a family with ties to a military academy.

Review: Season four begins after the terrible events of the final episode of season three. From then on, Holder and Linden must pull out at all stops to keep their lives as normal as possible. Above all, no suspicion must fall on them, and a small mistake lurks.

WARING! THIS REVIEW MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS I YOU HAVEN”T WATCHED THE PREVIOUS SEASON

Linden is struggling with the betrayal and loss of her lover. Consequently, her feelings are double in the face of his death. This very well portrayed by Mireille Enos. Her relationship with Holder is severely strained and a new gruesome case helps for a while.

Holder takes over the lead for a while and it works. He tells Linden what she should and should not so and emphasizes their position. Holder would, in this case, do everything for Linden. But he is also processing events, and as a former addict, that does not come easily to him. Both deal with a hard time at work, but also in their private lives. The new case weighs heavily on their shoulders.

The case they are dealing with is the family Stansbury, who is brutally murdered. Only the son, Kyle, manages to survive. He is a student at a military academy, and this is now his safe haven. The ice-cold head of this military school, Colonel Margaret Rayne, is one Holder and Linden have to deal with. Rayne does everything to keep Kyle safe.

This season only has six episodes, so not a lot of time to develop the same atmosphere and mystery as in the previous seasons. But still the case was interesting enough. It sadly never reaches the same level as the other seasons, but it has a very satisfying ending for Holder and Linden.

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 3)

Season: 3

Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery

Number of episodes: 13

Year: 2011

Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Elias Koteas, Peter Sarsgaard, Hugh Dillon, Amy Seimetz, Gregg Henry

Description: Detective Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and his new partner (Gregg Henry) investigate the murder of a 16 year-old hooker who was stabbed and had her throat slit. Holder notices a similarity between this death and one that Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos) investigated a few year before. In that case, Ray Seward (Peter Sarsgaard) was convicted of killing his wife and is now on death row awaiting execution.

Review: Season 2 finally solved the case of Rosie Larsen’s murder, time for a new mystery. In the third season, Holder has a new partner and Linden has moved to a quitter place away from her detective job. When Holder is working a case of a young hooker who was murdered, he sees similarities in the way she was killer, to a case Linden worked on years ago. In that case, Ray Seward was convicted of murdering his wife and is now awaiting execution. Holder and Linden get together again to solve the mystery.

This season starts slow, but eventually becomes interesting. I wasn’t as invested in this season as I was in the first two, but again it was intriguing and exciting enough for me to enjoy it. We see a different side of both Holder and Linden and I love their dynamic as a duo, on and off the job.

Peter Sarsgaard has a very important role in this season, as the convict on death row, Ray Seward. What a performance. Very impressive, especially when you learn the truth of his case and the cases Holder and Linden are working on now.

Unlike the case of Rosie Larsen, this case was primarily solved in one season, but that ending will be taken in to the final fourth season. I’m curious how they are going to deal with that.

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 13
Year: 2011
Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James, Michelle Forbes, Brent Sexton, Kristen Lehman, Eric Ladin

Description: A police investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.

Review: When season 1 revolved around the question of who killed Rosie Larsen, we were still left with that question at the end of the first season. In season 2, we finally get the answer.

WARNING! THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

At the end of the first season, we are left to think that Darren Richmond, who’s running for mayor, killed Rosie. He was shot by a family friend of the Larsens. But the investigation continues and detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder still have more questions than answers.

Many people are suspected and a whole conspiracy to cover up Rosie’s murder comes to light. But nothing is what it seems. And just when you think Linden and Holder have finally solved the mystery, new clues are found. It isn’t until the very end we learn what really happened. A reveal upon a reveal. I never saw it coming, who the killer of Rosie eventually turned out to be. Very well done by the writers.

Of the many characters we meet and get to know, Sarah Linden is the most interesting one. She is very flawed and has inner demons she is constantly struggling with. And Mireille Enos does a fantastic job as Linden, she is so strong in her role.

At the end of the last episode, there is a build-up to a new mystery. “The Killing” has two more season, that I will definitely check out. A lot of praise for this murder mystery crime show. Can’t believe I haven’t found this earlier.

TV Show Review - The Killing (Season 1)

Season: 1
Genre: Drama/ Crime/ Thriller/ Mystery
Number of episodes: 13
Year: 2011
Starring: Mireille Enos, Joel Kinnaman, Billy Campbell, Liam James, Michelle Forbes, Brent Sexton, Kristen Lehman, Eric Ladin

Description: A polive investigation, the saga of a grieving family, and a Seattle mayoral campaign all interlock after the body of 17-year-old Rosie Larsen is found in the trunk of a submerged car.

Review: “The Killing” is an American remake of the Danish series “Forbrydelsen”. The eniter first season revolves around one question: Who killed Rosie Larsen? After thirteen episodes, it is safe to say that you have absolutely no idea of who killed Rosie.

The first season takes please over two weeks, which is a very plausible time to not have solved a murder investigation. “The Killing” shows how patient you really have to be as a detective. The series covers the story of Rosie Larsen’s murder through three storylines.

The first is that of detective duo Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder. Linden is the passionate and just too dedicated side of the duo, where here partner is a direct transfer from the narcotics team. The second storyline is that of Rosie’s parents, Mitch and Stan, trying to cope with the loss of their daughter. As a third storyline, there is a political campaign of Darren Richmond. At first the link seems to be there only because Rosie was found in one of the campaign cars. But there is more to it.

You trying to piece the puzzle, one by one. All storylines are very interesting, although the one of the detectives is the best of the three. “The Killing” shows the emotional, political and police sides of the murder investigation. It delves deeply an personally into the characters.

Even though the series first season didn’t provide us with an answer to that one question, reason enough to continue to watch it. A very strong and interesting mystery thriller series.