This movie is a dependent sequel to Chinatown, and you may be somewhat lost unless you have a good recall. It’s not as sordid as its predecessor but it’s also not as gripping, plodding along vaguely until it peters out at the final solution. It retreads many of the superficial beats of the first film, too, using formula as ersatz meaning.
Closest comparison: It’s like The Long Goodbye by way of Chinatown.
Setting: Noir
Plot: Detective
Tone: Detective
This is a good modern take on the werewolf formula, exchanging manors on the moor for business suits in the city. The special effects are mostly confined to the end and the sexuality is strong by ‘90s standards by tame for today. It’s more of a character piece about a man becoming assertive in a business environment than it is about classic monster tropes, which keeps it unique and interesting. And with a very reasonable two hour runtime it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Closest comparison: It’s like Wolfman (2010) by way of Wall Street (1987).
Setting: Drama
Plot: Horror
Tone: Corporate Thriller
Film Noir used to be a morally gray private eye investigating an unusual murder, wrestling with the morality of it all but ultimately doing the right thing in the end. By the ‘70s it turned into a genre where the endings were instead nihilistic and grim. This movie is the epitome of that turning point. The bleak plot and tone are balanced out by the superb acting and dialogue. It’s the kind of movie that students watch to understand historical context, but nobody watches just for fun.
Closest comparison: It’s in between The Maltese Falcon and L.A. Confidential, both tonally and temporally.
Setting: Film Noir
Plot: Mystery
Tone: Thriller
