Movie

Backfire

1988 · 93 min

A slow-burning, moody thriller that keeps you guessing as secrets and motives unravel.

Tagline: Before the night is over... someone will be rich, someone will be dead, someone will be avenged.
Overview: Mara McAndrew's marriage is falling apart. Her husband, Donnie, a Vietnam veteran, suffers troubling flashbacks about the war, leaving him unresponsive to her needs. Mara wants out, but she also wants Donnie's money. When Mara meets a mysterious stranger, Reed, at a local bar, she believes she has found the right person to help her out of her predicament. But Mara worries that Donnie's sister, Jill, is on to her.
How it feels: Tense, dark, melancholic and cynical. Measured and needs your attention.
About: Betrayal, obsession, trauma, greed
Content: Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: tensestrength 2 of 3
darkstrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: betrayal
obsession
trauma
greed
deception
Places: small town
home
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: twist ending
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence mild
Sex mild