13/04/2020
The Blacklist: The real theory is fu**up to do bones . . .
When it comes to The Blacklist, you can rarely take a theory entirely off the table. Last season, it seemed as though fans could remove the one that Red is Raymond Reddington’s his twin brother In short, the assertion that Red is actually the dead Reddington’s heretofore unknown twin brother.
In what feels like a reveal from ages ago, The Blacklist dropped the bombshell that Red is Red. Rather, he is an imposter who assumed his identity long ago. Cut to last season, and for whatever reason, Liz had not really never think that Red could be Reddington’s twin.
Then, The Blacklist seemed to take the theory off the table with THE REVEAL of Red secret hat Red is actually IIllya koslov had some unishued þhinat did not fit, there was enough evidence to make it plausible. Ho that they did wever, it was not until Season 7 that the truth was revealed.
The Truth And Its Impact
The truth iis he is not Ilkya 100% is important to remember that the only thing that really brought the twin theory off the table was the assertion that Red was Ilya Koslov. Now that Blacklistviewers know for sure that he is not Ilya, we are all back to square one.
That development means Red being Raymond Reddington’s twin brother is very much a possibility. One thing that makes The Blacklist theory still so viable is Occam’s razor, the philosophy that the most straightforward answer is usually the correct one. The explanation about Ilya temporarily undermined that. Albeit, "I braced.
my self for potenciall that I should never could truth that i could acomplished but what I did and how mouch that only my soul know, everybody and list was made," By.Me
In many ways, it is a simpler solution to say that Red is Raymond Reddington’s twin. The Blacklist is not above hiding the real answer in plain sight, and considering it has not cancelled that one out, it seems reasonable. That brings us to Liz, who has tried to find the answers by investigating Red.
Liz Needs To Look Elsewhere
The truth probably lies with an exhaustive search into her supposed biological father’s background. In the latest episode of The Blacklist, it was revealed that Liz was trying to find the real Ilya Koslov. Good luck with that, Liz! He was last seen in finale with Katarina and he has not been spotted since.
Ilya Koslov is unlikely to tell Liz anything if they catch up on The Blacklist. His first loyalty is to Red. Even if he did have a wistful expression when he saw Liz earlier in the season without her realizing, he is Ilya. That being said, Red and Ilya’s discussions have hinted that the pair.
Was Ilya around when Red’s dad was teaching him about insects? That recently revealed chestnut did provide some unprecedented insight into Red’s relationship with his real father, which was dynamic that had always come across a bit strained on The Blacklist. The question is if Red was talking about only his father or Raymond Reddington’s too.
The Past Holds The Key To The Future
I do not expect The Blacklist to all of the sudden have Red reminisce about growing up with his identical twin brother, “Ray.” On the other side, Red’s childhood does seem to be based on true stories. Thus, providing the most accurate insightinto his real past. Thankfully, Red has reflected on it frequently.
None of what Red has shared has ruled out that he is Raymond Reddington’s twin. In truth, The Blacklist’s strange quietness on confronting the obvious twin theory leads me to think there is something to it. There is just too much evidence that supports the notion and not enough to refute it.
Now that “Ilya equals Red” is out of the equation, “Red equals Reddington’s twin” is the top solution. Perhaps Liz is starting to suspect that Red is Reddington’s twin and hopes to have Ilya Koslov confirm it. Liz may or may not realize that they go back to childhood, so Ilya should know if there was a “Blue” Reddington. (You have to have a counterpart to “Red.”)

Seeing Double Is No Trouble
Red has pulled a lot of twists out through the years, none more surprising than the reveal that he is an imposter. With the possibility that the woman currently identified as Katarina Rostova also being an imposter, The Blacklist is home to those who potentially wear two faces. Red may not be borrowing Reddington’s after all.
While The Blacklist has showcased some progressive technology and techniques, a stranger being turned into the spitting image of Raymond Reddington is a stretch it does not need. The greatest illusion lies in the simplest of tricks. Just ask Penn & Teller. (Note: I want them to guest star on The Blacklist.)
“Craziness” is said to be on the horizon between Liz and Red, along with more trust issues. Liz potentially learning that Red is actually her father’s identical twin, and therefore her uncle would be a frustratingly close answer that she missed. The Blacklist is counting on viewers to follow Liz’s lead in conjuring elaborate theories. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, though. Just ask Netflix’s Tiger King.

The Answer Is In Liz’s DNA
Or stop asking all of these references and look at the cold, hard facts. Red left the woman of his dreams to go help Liz. Without having ever met her before, that sounds like something an uncle would do for his niece. Not a sacrifice that a complete stranger with a tumultuous personal history with Katarina would do.
Considering this new evidence and The Blacklist’s silence on the twin theory, it is all pretty deafening. As with everything related to the fantastic series, I think there is a reason. Until Liz clears this one off the books, I am not going to be satisfied. There is one way for her to do so, and that would be with a DNA test.
All Liz has to do is make sure she has Red’s DNA and match it up with hers. If there is a match (or not), it would answer a lot of her questions and the audience’s. Remember, The Blacklist made a point to have Liz’s DNA tested against the original Raymond Reddington’s.
Without a DNA test between Red and Liz, anything is possible, including that twin theory! My only issue is figuring out why Red would be so determined to keep the twin truth a secret. Why is The Blacklistdetermined for Liz not to run a DNA test between herself and Red, if there is no connection between them? It all has a reason.
Stay tuned and find out if Red ends up being Raymond Reddington’s twin when new episodes of The Blacklist air Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC as one of the spring’s offerings. To check out a double dose of previously revealed clues from The Blacklist, you can watch past seasons on Netflix alongside content arriving in 2020.
Ask anyone who has seen the Safdie Brothers' 2019 sports betting thrill ride Uncut Gems to explain their mental state after finishing the movie and they'll probably use words like stressed, anxious, and psychologically scarred. All of those adjectives are apt as the tense drama doesn't let up from before the title screen until the end credits roll. The movie, like Adam Sandler's incredible performance, is that intense.
But Uncut Gems isn't the first movie that has grabbed audiences and broke them physically, emotionally, and mentally with a pace that would break down even the strongest and most sound of spirits. Throughout the history of cinema, there have been dozens of movies that could be described as anxiety-inducing, stressful exercises that were seemingly crafted to the make audiences feel more than a little uncomfortable and unstable upon viewing. Here are just 12 of the movies that fit that mold. And don't worry, any big twists, turns, or reveals will not be revealed.
Movies that we should all look,some thing betwean psihoza and sizofrenia....
Uncut Gems (2019)
Adam Sandler plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish-American jeweler whose sports betting addiction puts him in a series of perilous situations after he comes across what he believes to be a rare and high-valued black opal in Uncut Gems. Ratner, who is in debt with just about everyone in New York City, sees the opal as the solution to all his problems, which seem to only grow with each passing moment. The movie gets even more intense when Ratner loans the enchanting gem to real-life basketball player Kevin Garnett, sending the jeweler on an odyssey to obtain the gem and pay back his many dangerous debtors, including some of the most anxious back-and-forth scenes with his assistant Demany, who is brought to life by the stellar Lakeith Stanfield. Seriously, Uncut Gems should be called Anxiety: The Movie.
Hereditary (2018)
After the death of her reclusive mother, Annie Graham (Toni Collette) and her family are left to the whims of a supernatural being that slowly begins to take control of the house and everyone in it. Without exposing any of the great twists and turns, this Ari Aster-directedinstant horror classic is one that needs to be seen immediately. As the story progresses and the family begins to undergo some serious and unsettling changes, the viewer is left exposed and anxious as unthinkable horrors find a place in the Grahams' home.
Intensity Level: 8/10
No Country For Old Men (2007)
No Country For Old Men, the Coen brothers 2007 instant classic modern day western, follows Leweyln Moss (Josh Brolin) as he stumbles upon a drug deal gone bad in the west Texas desert and finds a briefcase filled with money. Also looking for the money, however, is Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a hitman that is more like the embodiment of death who is tracking the briefcase and the unsuspecting Moss. The most anxiety-inducing moment in the movie comes in a brief, yet intense scene in which Chigurh has a conversation based around a coin toss with an old gas station owner. This scene and many others in this Academy Award-winning slow burn is made even more of a nail-biter thanks to the camerawork of Roger Deakins.
Intensity Level: 9/10
Requiem For A Dream (2000)
Darren Aronofsky's Requiem For A Dreamis a movie that can be best described as being emotional torture. With a shred of hope hanging within arm's reach of the cast of characters that includes Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans, this 2000 drug-fueled nightmare of a fall from grace is one of those movies that is hard to enjoy once you reach a certain age. Each of the main four characters find themselves down paths of self-discovery that expose their own worst habits and characteristics. Although the early happenings of the movie present the characters' addictions as common vices, by the time the story wraps up, you see firsthand what drugs and unrealistic dreams can become. Oh, and the Clint Mansell score doesn't help calm the nerves, even though there are a few strikingly beautiful moments peppered throughout.
Intensity Level: 9/10
Parasite (2019)
B**g Joon-Ho's Academy Award-winning tour de force Parasite is really something unlike anything I've ever seen. When people told me to not watch the trailer, or read anything about this beautifully crafted examination of family and social class, I was already on edge before I even started the movie. I was on the edge of my seat, biting my nails to the bone anxiously waiting for the big moment to reveal itself, and when it did, I must say I wasn't let down. Without giving anything away, there really is nothing like Parasite, and each time you think you have figured out what everyone was referring to in the lead-up of the Oscar run, nothing can prepare you for what's waiting on you.
Intensity Level: 8/10
Funny Games (2007)
Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke has released two different versions of Funny Games, with the only differences being the cast and the language (the 1997 version is in Austrian while the 2007 remake is in English). For the sake of clarity, we'll be discussing the 2007 version with a cast that includes Naomi Watts, Tim Roth, and Devon Gearhart as the Farber family and Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet as the maniacal psychopaths Paul and Peter who use the Farber family's vacation lake house as their personal playground for demented and unsettling games. Without giving anything away, this 111-minute psychological thriller isn't so much a horror movie as it is an examination of senseless physical and mental abuse and how ordinary people handle stress and deadly head games. You'll never look at NASCAR the same way after this one.
Intensity Level: 7/10
Good Time (2017)
When a bank robbery turns sour and his mentally-handicapped brother is sent to jail, Constantine "Connie" Nikas (Robert Pattinson) stops at nothing as he embarks on a one-man odyssey to earn enough cash to save his brother before the stresses of imprisonment become too much for him in the Safdie brothers 2017 crime thriller Good Time. Released two years before the brothers would take audiences on a ride of a lifetime in Uncut Gems, Josh and Benny Safdie welcomed them into the world of low-level criminals in the underbelly of New York City's dark side. The tension only grows as Connie attempts to right his wrongs and save his brother in this non-stop crime story.
Intensity Level: 7/10
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Considered to be one of Stanley Kubrick's best movies, A Clockwork Orange earns its spot on any "best of all time" list thanks to its well-paced and extremely violent narrative that is more of an exploration of modern psychology and society's stance on morality than anything else. After Alex DeLarge is arrested and convicted of murder, he is forced to undergo a revolutionary and unethical form of therapy where he is subjected to the long periods of violent and disturbing imagery in hopes of curing him of his attraction to "ultraviolence." These unsettling "therapy" sessions create some of the most nerve-racking scenes in Kubrick's filmography, and that's saying a lot for the guy who directed The Shining.
Intensity Level: 6/10
The Game (1997)
Released two years after director David Fincher took the life out of audiences with the highly upsetting ending to Seven, he picked up where he left off by blurring the lines between reality and fantasy in his 1997 cerebral rollercoaster The Game. Starring Michael Douglas as Nicholas van Orton, a wealthy banker who is gifted a voucher for a "Game" by his younger brother Conrad (Sean Penn). As the movie progresses, van Orton finds himself in several situations that seem too far fetched to be real, and once the audience thinks they have it figured out, Fincher offers another element to throw everyone off. Without giving away the ending, The Game makes you feel just as anxious and paranoid as van Orton.
Intensity Level: 6/10
