The Rewatchables: ‘Blackhat’ | Michael Mann’s Underrated Hacker Film | The Ringer

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Chris Ryan make sure they are doing the time and the time isn’t doing them by rewatching Michael Mann’s 2015 film, ‘Blackhat,’ starring Chris Hemsworth, Tang Wei, and Viola Davis.
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[@realericrich]

56:19 Wayne Jenkins -- The Ringer needs to start timestamping these.

[@christopherjarrett9067]

I fucking love Blackhat.

[@bchainz]

I listened to this on Spotify first…didn’t know CR was in shorts the whole time

[@tobiogunyemi7631]

Hahaha

[@notinspectorgadget]

And they are hiked UP

[@shanecochran2491]

The only Michael Mann movie he did not have final cut on was the horror film The Keep Paramount 1983.

[@plissken2156]

Mann revisits the same common-thread theme in all his crime films: the tough independent outsider who becomes a ward of the state (either through the penal system or through the military) and there he learns the politics and tactics on how to survive in a brutal society with the same "time is luck" mentality. - Rain Murphy (Peter Strauss) in The Jericho Mile (1979) - Frank (James Caan) in Thief (1981) - The Band in Band of the Hand (1986) - Patrick MacLaren (Alex McArthur) in L.A. Takedown (1989) - Neil McCauley (Robert DeNiro) in Heat (1995) - Vincent (Tom Cruise) in Collateral (2004) - John Dillinger (Johnny Depp) in Public Enemies (2009) - Nick Hathaway (Chris Hemsworth) in Blackhat (2015) Basically all chips from the same block.

[@toddkonrad2407]

I’ll take a Rewatchables for The Jericho Mile anytime. It’s The Big Bang for Mann’s entire crime film career.

[@David-iv6je]

Mostly kinda flat characters. Cliches.

[@paredown.]

This is like the disaster couple that’s been talking about getting married for years while everyone stands by in silence, quietly praying that they will eventually break up. Now we’re all at the wedding, watching the ceremony in stunned horror and morbid fascination.

[@_Waingro]

You must be a COD

[@ryanmarshall3487]

Bravo. This feels like it’s a perfect description. I’m just now starting it, but this is almost the exact way of putting to words what I’m feeling right now.

[@David-iv6je]

I call pronoun abuse. "This" meaning "Blackhat" or "this meaning BS and CR? I assume you mean the movie. :) Simmons seems to like entertaining-for-guys thrillers that aren't really that good on any other level (directing, dialog, characters, etc.) I call them the "Metacritic Mid-50s Specials."

[@jimmymcfarland4184]

New to the channel. Watched your rewatchable of Heat… my top 5 film. Along with Thief… Watching Blackhat now. Saw it in the theaters. After watching your rewatchable Heat…. I feel like Helmsworth is an older Dominic. Really like Blackhat. Have you done a rewatchable Thief episode or Manhunter? Also have you seen Mann’s The Keep? Loving this podcast

[@stevengravelle2150]

When are you gonna do Eastern Promises? It’s rewatchable AF.

[@VegasLoungeAct]

I always enjoyed this movie. Not sure why it never got any love.

[@empireoflightz]

Just watched it for the first time, this, Thief and Manhunter were the only Mann movies I hadn't seen. Actually thought it was a really good movie until the very end where it dropped off a cliff, in particular the final set piece. The Indonesian crowd which fills the screen is treated as completely irrelevant horse meat. He kills a guy with a metal rod in the middle of hundreds of people who don't bat an eyelid, then he's waving a gun around aiming it at the bad guy through a bunch of people and still no one seems remotely bothered... only when the machine gun starts firing does anyone seem to care, and then the supposed "good guy" (Chris Hemsworth) is firing back at the bad guys but clearly hitting innocent people who are all around. It made no sense and was very underwhelming for a Michael Mann final showdown piece, kinda left a bitter taste... the whole charm of a Michael Mann movie is how brutally realistic he makes things (e.g. the computer hacking here which is very unconventional to film in such a true to life, non-flashy-graphics way - interesting this came out the same year as Mr. Robot which did the same thing) so just how UNrealistic it is in that final set piece kind of ruins it. shame because the rest of the movie I felt was mostly HoF Mann level, even if it was full of 'late era Michael Mann tropes' in how deadly serious it is, not a single person smiles, and very basic romance story and character motivations. Loved the computer hacking bits as I mentioned and the usual hypnotically realistic Mann visuals and most of the action set pieces before the final one. Loved the score too (at least the Atticus Ross bits which I think was most of it, not as much the stapled-on orchestral bits from the composer who did Elysium which didn't quite feel like they belong in the same movie)

[@Samuel88853]

It is a beautiful movie.

[@SaltyChip]

I’m sure I’m not the only one saying, “I guess I gotta watch black hat again.”

[@kheldaryt]

blackhat is good, directors cut is very good ...... the argument for it is simple.. take a scene like the plane leaving china scene, other movies/directors just aren't making that scene.... you want to say it's not perfect, fine but it's really good.

[@Leo-sd3jt]

Yeah, the director’s cut is so much better than what came out. It’s not perfect but the difference in quality is so big

[@liquid50hawaii]

Hawaii Stoners love CR🌴⚡

[@DZKMN74]

Bill.. the podcast is better than the movie 😂. I had never seen it.. got thru half and couldn’t stick it out. Still loved the episode, except being distracted by Chris’s🦵🤣😂. Love you guys!

[@farisbosnic1786]

56:37 Wayne Jenkins

[@daveyhavok1708]

Bring on The Keep!

[@olavbjortomt1596]

The Jericho Mile was released on blu-ray by Kino Lorber in 2018. But I think it recently went out of print (it was in its While Supplies Last sale section for ages).

[@SwissMarksman]

Can you guys re-do HEAT?

[@Diana-ch8cv]

the re-re-re-re Heat! after the last one with Michael Mann, the only way they can do it again is if they get Pacino and De Niro on the pod

[@TheDojo-no7cw]

Mann seems to struggle getting the sound editing locked in before theatrical releases - Public Enemies had the same issues as Blackhat

[@deaddropholiday]

This is a love story before a techno-thriller.

[@KevinOblivion]

I hate all the hate for Public Enemies. That movie rocks. I will not stand for the hate on Public Enemies.

[@Werewolfheartzzz]

A-fuckin'-Greed!

[@merthling]

This will not stand you know, this aggression will not stand man!

[@GoonerVen]

And if you want to do a proper hacker film. HACKERS. Ask Wendell Pierce

[@TheWaynos73]

I really enjoyed Blackhat. However the climax is ludicrous. This overweight evil hacker in a one on one knife fight with Thor?! Mann what were you thinking there? 😂🤦‍♂️

[@w2ttsy670]

I choose to look at it that the hacker is a keyboard warrior who has never had to face the real world (the dialogue sort of hints at this) and so he thinks he’s got the upper hand, but then reality catches up and he get his ass handed to him

[@merthling]

Dude got his arm snapped like a bread stick before being deaded by screwdriver perforation.

[@bchainz]

Still waiting for “Leon The Professional” Rewatchables ⏰

[@elsuenosalvadoreno]

56:20 Wayne Jenkins

[@GrandPryze03]

Amassing a bankroll to buy the redskins would have been the best movie villain motive of the century

[@Anish23420]

Michael Mann's movies always age incredibly well. Miami Vice and now Blackhat have reached cult status and are getting critically re-evaluated

[@themoviefan9990]

No

[@unropednope4644]

This is stunningly inaccurate. Nobody liked these movies then and no one likes them now.

[@biskit8050]

@@unropednope4644 Miami Vice is amazing

[@robertfray7737]

Miami Vice. I agree Blackhat . Not so much

[@qwertymanor]

I watched Miami Vice 2 weeks ago and I was bored halfway through.

[@AnAfricanShah]

Apex mountain for hacker movies?! This isn't even Apex mountain for Australian actors in the lead in hacker movies. Don't get me wrong it's not bad, I enjoyed it, but even though it was not close to accurate Swordfish is way more fun.

[@atatur123]

The Keep is Michael Mann's worst film. Not Blackhat or Public Enemies.

[@TepidShark]

I know it's ultimately an action movie so it's not really important but for nitpicks the bad guy's plan is very convoluted, right?

[@GoonerVen]

You guys did Blackhat before Black Rain? Really? Wtaf

[@thorodinson8185]

Please do ALI it’s totally a rewatchable

[@keeganshigh]

He was a draft dodging coward.

[@thorodinson8185]

@@keeganshigh lol. Vietnam was a pretty cool and just war wasn’t it? You must be a real and true patriot I bet! who has no doubt never left the states. Well, there’s a whole other world out there besides your shithole of a ‘free world’ you call a country. wake up.

[@Ngrove01]

A lot more upper thigh than I'm comfortable with in this episode...

[@iamsheep]

Problem is Chris Hemsworth is as convincing as an elite hacker like Margot Robbie would make a convincing nuclear physicist...

[@TheWaynos73]

He’s probably the only coder who could possibly get laid 😂

[@w2ttsy670]

I see this argument a lot. But if you work in tech (like I do), there are plenty of tech bros that are totally jacked, conventionally good looking, and have a cool social life.

[@iamsheep]

@@w2ttsy670 he’s a programmer/hacker. Not a tech bro

[@sellcryptonow6806]

A podcast about rewatchable movies does an episode about a movie describing how much it sucks in the first 3 minutes.

[@SaltyChip]

And I can’t wait to watch it for a 2nd time. For better or worse.

[@daveyhavok1708]

That’s not how I heard it.

[@HowManyRobot]

It's rewatchable because you have to watch it several times to figure out what the hell is going on.

[@blackkcinamacritic]

This movie is not good I don't care how many times you can spin it or watch it Michael Mann just had a miss

[@roycedot]

Pretty forgettable. Didn’t seem like a Mann movie. Thought it was a Ridley Scott

[@daveyhavok1708]

This movie looks absolutely nothing like a Ridley Scott movie

[@roycedot]

@@daveyhavok1708 Body of Lies

[@daveyhavok1708]

@@roycedot I think Blackhat has the signature Mann digital look. Body of Lies has the 00s Scott Free Productions film look. But I actually see what you’re saying now. Body of Lies and Blackhat are my favorite type of movie. They’re not the best versions of that type of movie, but I still love them.

[@roycedot]

@@daveyhavok1708 there is definitely some signature Mann look in Blackhat, especially the night shots, but Blackhat seems to have the least Mann style of his recent films, for example, it has a good amount of C.G. Heat (night shots), Miami Vice, and Collateral look pretty much identical, imo, but none of those use much C.G., iirc

[@daveyhavok1708]

@@roycedot I guess. I don’t think of Blackhat as having very much CGI. Especially compared to 99% of films made after 2015. The only obvious times are when they’re simulating the codes being sent. I thought those scenes were actually cool. And I hate CGI. Also, Heat looks completely different than any Mann film after Ali because he shot Heat on film. Blackhat, Public Enemies, Miami Vice, and Collateral are shot digitally after Mann experimented with digital cameras while shooting Ali.

[@themoviefan9990]

This movies is awful

[@emjay9733]

More garbage movies Bill likes 😭