Marathon Man - 3/5

This movie is a capable thriller, but some of the tense scenes have cheap, underwhelming reversals. The setup is great and much of the runtime is devoted to dwelling in the uncertainty of the protagonist’s position. There’s a torture scene that seemed mostly pointless to dwell on in retrospect, and the ending is downright out of character. But for a tense, paranoid conspiracy thriller you could do a lot worse.

Closest comparison: It’s like Enemy of the State by way of Three Days of the Condor.

Setting: Espionage
Plot: Espionage
Tone: Thriller

Key Largo - 3/5

This movie is a stock Noir genre title, not great and not terrible. The tension, story, and even delivery are all uninspired. Even bankable stars like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Becall, and Edward G. Robinson are phoning it in.

Closest comparison: It’s like a much tamer Funny Games by way of To Have and Have Not.

Setting: Adventure
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Thriller

The Asphalt Jungle - 3/5

A solid entry in the heist genre, but little more. This movie is more matter-of-fact about its goings-on than most of this genre, with practical problems considered and addressed. In a genre flooded with far-fetched setups and over-the-top heists it’s refreshing to have more grounded story with characters that feel like they’ve been peeled up off the street

Closest Comparison: It’s like Rififi but with a less-impressive heist.

Setting: Crime
Plot: Heist
Tone: Adventure