suspense

Fear, suspense, terror — those aren’t really on the menu at one of these installments.

"In Berger's studious and elegant hands, every ceremoniously cast vote, every reaction shot, every severely worn regalia and every quietly eventful meal that the cardinals share is packed with breathless, skin-prickling suspense."

They often interrupt the momentum, and there’s not much of that to begin with, with no attempt to create suspense regarding the verdict or any grand plan Arthur or Lee might hatch.

The way they held out the suspense for so long, Michael Giacchino’s score comes in, and then Three Dog Night kicks in?

Because it seems so obvious what’s actually going on, all suspense is drained from this story and it becomes a grim endurance test, watching a mother abuse her starving children with her psychosis.