Run Hide Fight - 4/5

This is an all-out action thriller, well conceived and smoothly executed. It’s appropriately intense, but instead of using its theme for mere shock value it uses it to amplify its message. The nudity is unnecessary, but thankfully well-telegraphed. Other than that, the movie is hard-hitting with outstanding, visceral acting to deliver the impact. It’s refreshing to see such a grounded story with relatable stakes and a message that isn’t pretentious, but practical.

Content warning: language, violence, female nudity

Closest comparison: It’s like Die Hard by way of Heathers.

Setting: High School Drama
Plot: Action Thriller
Tone: Terror Drama

In the Blood (2014) - 4/5

This is a harrowing hostage rescue movie that flips the genre on its head and while firing on all cylinders. It has brutal interrogation scenes reminiscent of Man on Fire that show the lengths people are willing to go to save someone they love. The plot also kicks into gear at unexpected points, leaving the audience in tension and expecting the worst. It’s not for the faint of heart, but for those who enjoy the genre this is an underrated gem.

Closest comparison: It’s like Rambo: Last Blood by way of Man on Fire.

Setting: Exotic Adventure
Plot: Hostage Rescue
Tone: Harrowing Action

The Devil's Own (1997) - 4/5

This is a meaty, slow-burn drama that really delivers on its complex moral narrative. Where many films try to convey the complex nature of morality and only end up becoming messy themselves, The Devil’s Own very cleanly demonstrates the complexity if its point. Although there are several action scenes it’s solidly in the drama genre, with most of the runtime simmering in the subtleties of a lie in the family dynamic. It’s riveting to watch the story unfold with actors whose presence alone chews the scenery with the best of the best.

Closest comparison: It has the undercurrents and style of Patriot Games with the down-to-earth simplicity of The Irishman.

Setting: Thriller
Plot: Crime
Tone: Drama

Dead Heat (1988) - 2/5

This movie is a campy trudge with bad special effects (even for the time) and only a few chuckle-worthy jokes. It’s not interesting enough to pass for sci-fi or fantasy, not scary enough to pass for thriller or horror, and not funny enough to pass for adventure or comedy. It’s saved from truly awful territory by the charisma of the actors that seem to take everything with a grain of salt. Just watch Underworld or Turner and Hooch or any of the Lethal Weapon movies or Supernatural instead.

Closest comparison: It’s like an episode of Supernatural by way of Lethal Weapon.

Setting: Buddy Cop
Plot: Detective
Tone: Comedy