The Serpent (2021)

 

The twisting, real-life story of Charles Sobhraj, a murderer, thief and seductive master of disguise, who was a hidden darkness in the mid-70's on Asia's hippie trail.

Solid,  extensive mini-series is captivating due to its terrifying subject, offers good locations details and adequate performances, but its narrative is a bit too complex and serendipitous and it ultimately fails to shed light on its protagonist's motivation.

 

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

A wealthy art gallery owner receives a draft of her ex-husband's new novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.

Brilliant direction and cinematography and an excellent cast can't quite conceal the inconsistency of embedding a fictitious thriller within a romantic revenge tale and making it its trigger; the ending therefore is more powerful than the novel and would work even without all the contrivance.