All the President's Men (1976) - 2/5

This is a very boring docudrama about reporters and the Watergate scandal. The pacing is impressively bad, so much so that it’s ubiquitously unclear what key persons of interest mean to the investigation at large, and the goalposts keep moving without resolution. The film seems to think it’s a thriller but has no teeth, even including one confusing jumpscare with nobody there in an empty parking garage. Presumably it may make more sense to someone know knows the subject matter very well, but that philosophy is antithetical to the fundamental concept of filmmaking.

Content warning: language

Closest comparison: It’s like Kill The Messenger by way of ‘Good Night and Good Luck’.

Setting: Journalism
Plot: Investigation
Tone: Drama

Three Days of the Condor - 3/5

This movie is a slow burn thriller, with a solid central premise and an endearing performance from Robert Redford who sells the everyman nature of his character caught up in all of the deep state goings-on. Unfortunately, the slow burn is too slow for the level of story and audience engagement, and the narrative is over reliant on technology for its solution, which is now very dated. Still, it’s fun to see a thriller that’s not reliant on action but sticks to its main principles throughout the runtime while still delivering an enjoyable, interesting story.

Closest comparison: It’s like a slower, more dated Mission Impossible (1996)

Setting: Spy
Plot: Thriller
Tone: Occasional Action