Necrotongue

I had pretty mixed feelings about this one. It’s another British, mostly single-location crime drama that was enjoyable for the most part, especially thanks to the strong performances. Duncan Lamont, in particular, stood out for me after seeing him in back-to-back films. But… the twist with the "not-so-dead" husband just didn’t land. The idea of trying to blackmail someone with information that could get the blackmailer into even more trouble than the victim felt far-fetched, and I found it hard to believe the filmmakers were serious. It felt like the script underestimated the audience or wanted us to believe Barbara Everton was incredibly naive. Either way, it left me disappointed and took away from what could’ve been a solid film. 3*-

Honestly, I didn’t expect much going into The Teckman Mystery. Early on, when Mr. Chance returns to his apartment to find it trashed, and he’s about to call the police, I noticed a sinister shadow on the side of the desk. For a second, I thought the hero was about to be knocked out—until I realized it was just a crew member’s shadow. I had a good laugh and moved on. Overall, it's another British, mostly single-location film with a cozy vibe, and sure, there were a few logic gaps along the way, but I was entertained enough to bump up the score. / Lesson learned: Never back up without checking what's behind you!

I was really curious about this film because I figured if the filmmakers wanted to unravel a mystery in just 72 minutes, the plot would have to be pretty tight. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. If the director had cut out all the scenes where the main trio is just walking or traveling from one place to another (and they do a lot of that), we could’ve ended up with a fun, fast-paced half-hour adventure for fans of the genre who don’t mind a bit of over-the-top storytelling. Instead, we get a story that's almost painfully naive, with a bizarre finale at sea and characters behaving oddly throughout. The shootout in a random French alley felt like it was thrown in just to ramp up the tension, but it didn’t really serve any purpose, even in the broader context of the film. Overall, it’s a bit of an oddball. / Lesson learned: before watching, brush up on the difference between a ketch and a sailing sloop.