Paul Shenar’s Typical Vibe
Signature vibe

Highest-ranked title
Highest-ranked title
CriticCrunch has 5 Paul Shenar titles in its catalog, ranked by quality percentile. 1 sits in the Top 1% of all titles we track — including Scarface.
Recurring themes

After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.
Dir. Brian De Palma · With Al Pacino, Steven Bauer, Michelle Pfeiffer

Childhood friends Jacques and Enzo share a passion for the danger of free diving. Jacques, following in the footsteps of his father, who died at sea when Jacques was a boy, harbors a remarkable ability to adjust his heart rate and breathing patterns in the water, with his vital signs more closely resembling those of dolphins than men.
Dir. Luc Besson · With Rosanna Arquette, Jean-Marc Barr, Jean Reno

Hit man Cleve approaches writer/cop Dennis about a story for his next book: How Cleve made a living, working for one of the most powerful politicians in the country. To get the story right, they travel around the country to gather statements and evidence, while strong forces use any means they can to keep the story untold.
Dir. John Flynn · With James Woods, Brian Dennehy, Victoria Tennant

Baltimore, Maryland. Sylvia sees a girl being attacked from her lover Terry's bedroom window. The assailant flees and his victim is saved. But that same night another girl is found murdered.
Dir. Curtis Hanson · With Steve Guttenberg, Elizabeth McGovern, Isabelle Huppert

Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, he must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.
Dir. John Irvin · With Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kathryn Harrold, Sam Wanamaker