Film Evaluation: 10 To Midnight (1983)


Style: Crime Thriller  

Director: J. Lee Thompson  

Starring: Charles Bronson, Wilford Brimley, Lisa Eilbacher, Andrew Stevens, Gene Davis  

Working Time: 102 minutes  

Synopsis: In Los Angeles, disturbed younger man Warren Stacey (Gene Davis) murders an workplace colleague who rejected his advances, and commits the crime whereas bare. Detectives Leo Kessler (Charles Bronson) and Paul McAnn (Andrew Stevens) examine, and Leo realizes the sufferer was a pal of his daughter Laurie (Lisa Eilbacher), a nursing pupil. When Stacey kills once more, Leo grows more and more annoyed by the dearth of conclusive proof. He bends the legislation in an try and safe a conviction, and Stacey retaliates by focusing on Laurie.

What Works Nicely: This surprisingly managed crime thriller finds Charles Bronson in respectable type, making full use of a fairly participating plot and an ethical dilemma within the hole between legislation and justice. With Gene Davis delivering a disturbing portrait of evil hiding in plain sight, the villain Warren Stacey is launched early as a worthwhile foe, and his penchant for committing murders whereas nude injects kink to his sexual deviancy. Lisa Eilbacher provides engagement as Bronson’s daughter, whereas Wilford Brimley supplies veteran expertise because the police chief.

What Does Not Work As Nicely: Director J. Lee Thompson’s straight-ahead model is in line with B-movie fundamentals. The dialogue is usually both creaky or cringey, a couple of scenes meander into slasher/horror territory as an pointless gateway to gore, and the romance between McAnn and Laurie settles into lukewarm clunkiness.

Key Quote:

Leo: You go in that courtroom and overlook what’s authorized and do what’s proper.

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