F/X

F/X (1986) is an American action thriller you can watch online on iFILM. Rollie Tyler is Hollywood's sharpest special-effects man, and the Justice Department hires him to fake the killing of a mob informant before he testifies.

The staged hit goes off without a hitch. Then the witness vanishes, the agents who hired Rollie turn on him, and suddenly he's the prime suspect in a real murder. Nobody believes the effects guy. To survive, he leans on the only craft he knows: squibs, smoke, prosthetics and rigged traps, the same tricks he uses to sell carnage on screen. Tailing him is a stubborn city detective, Leo McCarthy. Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy lead, with a young Angela Bassett in an early role.

Director Robert Mandel turns moviemaking itself into the hero's weapon, and the result moves fast with barely a dull stretch. It's a treat for anyone who enjoys clever chases and a look at pre-digital effects wizardry. Stream F/X (1986) online on iFILM.