Thriller Reviews
Review: Legion
“Legion” is astronomically tiresome and teems with idiotic
dialogue bluntly performed by a limited cast. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: The Lovely Bones
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Director Peter Jackson condenses a frightful story of
loss into something between a Hitchcockian thriller and an Enya music video. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: Sherlock Holmes
This reworked version of Sherlock Holmes goes far beyond pipe sucking and deerstalker hats. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B+)
Review: Avatar
Despite teeming with
fantastical sights and sounds, "Avatar" remains a leaden viewing
experience. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: 2012
"2012" is disturbingly repetitive, obnoxiously noisy, and almost pornographic in length. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: The Fourth Kind
"The Fourth Kind" will likely tire audiences before it has a chance to swindle them. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: The Box
Director Richard Kelly gets overly ambitious, making "The Box" feel like amateurish stalling. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: Cirque du Freak: The Vampires Assistant
Director Paul Weitz offers up a joyless, verbose picture. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: Law Abiding Citizen
Despite thought-provoking material, "Law Abiding Citizen" is morphed into a contrived thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C+)
Review: Surrogates
Well-executed special effects, coupled with underwhelming plots and misguided performances, makes "Surrogates" an interesting failure. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: Paranormal Activity
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"Paranormal Activity" has few effective sequences, making all the heavy breathing and weeping a chore to endure. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: Public Enemies
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Director Michael Mann misses with "Public Enemies," losing himself in deafening filmmaking. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Skip this wasted effort from ineffectual filmmaker Tony Scott. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: The International
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"The International" is more concerned with protracted conversation than thrilling suspense. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C+)
Review: Twilight
Alternating between embarrassingly overindulgent and outright boring "Twilight" is a poorly contained unintentional joke. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: Lakeview Terrace
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Promising performances are wasted on a mediocre suburban
thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: Street Kings
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"Street Kings" offers a compelling look at police corruption. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: The Ruins
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"The Ruins" is a skin-crawlingly diabolical nightmare machine. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A-)
Review: Flawless
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"Flawless" proves to be an entertaining heist film. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B+)
Review: Funny Games
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Director Michael Haneke's fruitless remake is a complicated exercise in shock value. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: Vantage Point
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A serviceable, but absurd, thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: The Eye
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A poorly cast, sluggish thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: Untraceable
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Diane Lane can't save this forgettable thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: No Country for Old Men
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Visual mastery and thrilling incarnations of evil drive the latest Coen brothers film. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A-)
Review: Cloverfield
Desperate storytelling and empty thrills combine in this much-hyped thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: Cassandra's Dream
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A suspenseful psychological thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B+)
Review: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Tim Burton's adaptation is a blood-spurting, brave embellishment. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: I Am Legend
An introspective study on isolation-until the unimpressive special effects ruin EVERYTHING! Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C+)
Review: Awake
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A potentially disturbing premise is undermined by ghastly performances and a moronic plot. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: Sleuth
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Impeccable acting and strong direction make for an effective update. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: Rendition
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This political drama preaches the obvious and is a complete bore. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D-)
Review: Michael Clayton
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George Clooney gives a complex performance as the morally ambiguous lawyer at the center of this compelling thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A-)
Review: Mr. Brooks
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This idiosyncratic thriller aims to disturb rather than delight -- and it succeeds. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B+)
Review: Fracture
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Anthony Hopkins vs. Ryan Gosling isn't a fair fight. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: Vacancy
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Intelligent characters and excellent direction elevate this horror thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A-)
Review: Disturbia
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"Disturbia" fancies itself a thriller, but tonal shifts and a cheap suspense spoil the mood. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: Perfect Stranger
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Halle Berry's turn as a hardened journalist is almost as bewildering as this thriller's finale. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D-)
Review: Grindhouse
Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez let their fan-boy flags fly in this roaring homage to B-films. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A)
Review: The Lookout
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Director Scott Frank's intricate character development enhances this thriller's payoff. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A-)
Review: Premonition
Fate and time and all that other mind-bendy stuff get mushed up in this confusing thriller. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C)
Review: Hannibal Rising
It's official: Hannibal has been bled dry. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: Deja Vu
Stuck between a thriller and a sci-fi film, "Deja Vu" never comes together. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: C-)
Review: The Prestige
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A dark and dirty battle between magicians plays to director Christopher Nolan's storytelling strengths. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B+)
Review: The Grudge 2
This overt money-grab does little more than crib from the original "Grudge." Review by Brian Orndorf (Grade: D-)
Review: The Departed
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Martin Scorsese makes a triumphant return to the crime genre in one of the best films of the year. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: A)
Review: The Black Dahlia
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"Black Dahlia" is a gorgeous noir, but this adaptation's final scenes are weighed down by immense exposition. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: The Covenant
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Invented mythologies and camera-friendly actors can't mask the obvious: this is a horrible movie. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: The Quiet
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"The Quiet" certainly isn't a good film, but where else can you find a menagerie of cheerleaders, revenge and incest? Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: The Wicker Man
This film's saving grace is its unintentionally funny third act. Beyond that, it's yet another unnecessary remake. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D-)
Review: Snakes on a Plane
Web celebrity and a wacky title can't mask this film's deep flaws. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D)
Review: Miami Vice
Michael Mann delivers a vivid "Vice" update, but a disconnect between characters keeps the audience at arm's length. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
Review: Lady in the Water
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M. Night Shyamalan's intriguing bedtime story is brought to a grinding halt by the director's self-serving choices. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: D+)
Review: The Da Vinci Code
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The long-awaited "Da Vinci" adaptation is an expository thriller with a slow, but decent, payoff. Review by Brian Orndorf. (Grade: B)
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