Black Rain

Compared to other ‘80’s/‘90’s buddy-cop movies, Ridley Scott’s Black Rain stands out, not because of it’s originality - it absolutely isn’t, But because of it’s incredible atmosphere and tone. Japan looks stunning, dripping in neon with a cyberpunk vibe. Hans Zimmer understands the assignment and provides a score that enhances the aesthetic at every opportunity.

Unfortunately, that’s about where my praise ends. The plot is painfully bare bones and basic, especially with what I’ve come to expect from a Ridley Scott film, the characters are so stereotyped and given virtually zero arc to develop. This was Douglas’s first role after winning his Oscar, really odd choice to come back to - not that he shouldn’t have taken it.

Bit of a strange outlier in Ridley Scott’s filmography along with A Good Year, Black Rain almost feels like a Tony Scott film opposed to one of his, but I think it’s aesthetic deserves credit for the inspiration it’s clearly given out to films that followed.

Forgettable

Loved it