Actor Aaron Eckhart (1968)

Midway (2019) is a war film that depicts the crucial Battle of Midway, which marked a turning point in the Pacific Theater during World War II. In December 1937, American naval attaché intelligence officer Lieutenant Commander Edwin T. Layton receives a warning from Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto during a state function. The Japanese leader emphasizes that their country’s dependence on imported oil means they would be forced to declare war if the US were to threaten their supply. And so it happens on December 7, 1941, when Japan launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor after the US cuts off their oil supply. In response to this act of aggression, Lieutenant Richard ...

Directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Todd Komarnicki, Sully (2016) is an American biographical drama film based on the 2009 autobiography Highest Duty by Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles. The movie follows the events of January 15, 2009, when Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles took off in US Airways Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport. Shortly after takeoff, their Airbus A320 collided with a ...

The film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s 1998 novel, The Rum Diary (2011), was directed by Bruce Robinson. Paul Kemp is a struggling author who takes a job at a newspaper in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is quickly introduced to the ins and outs of the newspaper world by Sala, a staff photographer who predicts the newspaper’s eventual downfall. After settling into a hotel, Kemp crosses paths with Chenault, an alluring woman he meets while lounging on a boat in the ocean. Despite getting off on the wrong foot with his editor, E.J Lotterman, due to a night of ...

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Chris Bertolini, Battle: Los Angeles (2011) is an American military science-fiction action film set in a world where hostile alien spacecraft suddenly make landings off the coasts of major cities. As Los Angeles is evacuated, a group of Marines from Camp Pendleton, led by Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, are called in. Despite his plans to retire, Nantz is assigned to the 1st Platoon, Echo Company, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines under the command of 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez. The platoon sets up a forward operating base ...

The superhero film, The Dark Knight (2008), was directed by Christopher Nolan and co-written with his brother Jonathan. It serves as the sequel to Batman Begins (2005) and is the second installment in The Dark Knight Trilogy. In Gotham City, a group of masked criminals stages a robbery at a mafia-owned bank. Amid betrayals and killings, the mastermind behind the heist is revealed to be none other than the Joker, who escapes with the stolen money. To combat organized crime in Gotham, Batman teams up with district attorney Harvey Dent and police lieutenant ...

The Black Dahlia (2006), an American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Brian De Palma and written by Josh Friedman, is based on the 1987 novel of the same name by James Ellroy. The plot is inspired by the widely sensationalized murder of Elizabeth Short. LAPD detectives Dwight ‘Bucky’ Bleichert and Lee Blanchard are partners, paired after engaging in a boxing match to raise public support for the department. During this time, Lee introduces Bucky to his girlfriend Kay Lake, and the three become ...

The American satirical black comedy film, Thank You for Smoking (2005), written and directed by Jason Reitman, follows the story of Nick Naylor. As a Big Tobacco spokesman, Naylor relies on ‘research’ from the ‘Academy of Tobacco Studies’, where he serves as vice-president. Despite increasing pressure from anti-tobacco campaigns and declining numbers of young smokers, Naylor remains confident in his job. He meets regularly with his friends – firearm lobbyist Bobby Jay Bliss and alcohol lobbyist Polly Bailey – playfully referring to themselves as the ‘Merchants of Death’ or ...

Directed by Ron Howard, The Missing (2003) is a gritty American Western. Starring Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, the film is adapted from Thomas Eidson’s novel The Last Ride, published in 1996. Set in late 19th-century New Mexico, the story follows Samuel Jones as he seeks to reconcile with his daughter Magdalena ‘Maggie’ Gilkeson, after leaving her and her mother many years ago. However, Maggie refuses to forgive him for causing her ...

Paycheck (2003) is a science fiction action film directed by John Woo. Written by Dean Georgaris, it is adapted from Philip K. Dick’s short story of the same name. Set in the near future, the story follows Michael Jennings, a talented reverse engineer who improves upon his clients’ technology by analyzing their competitors’. To ensure confidentiality, Jennings undergoes memory wipes with the help of his friend Shorty. One day, he is contacted by his old college roommate James Rethrick, who offers him a ...

Directed by Jon Amiel, The Core (2003) is an American science fiction disaster film. A series of diverse incidents involving the Earth’s magnetic field prompts geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes and his colleagues, Dr. Serge Leveque and Dr. Conrad Zimsky, to conclude that the rotation of the Earth’s molten core has ceased. If not reactivated, this would result in the collapse of the field within months, leaving the surface vulnerable to harmful solar radiation exposure. To address this crisis, the U.S. government initiates a covert project to construct a vessel capable of drilling into the core and deploying ...

The American neo-noir psychological mystery drama film, The Pledge (2001), directed by Sean Penn, follows the story of Jerry Black, an aging Reno detective. On the night of his retirement party hosted by his department, Captain Pollack presents Jerry with tickets for a fishing trip in Mexico. However, their celebration is abruptly cut short when a murdered child, Ginny Larsen, is discovered. Jerry and Detective Stan Krolak quickly head to the crime scene. After breaking the tragic news to Ginny’s parents, Margaret Larsen makes Jerry promise on a cross made by their daughter that he will catch the killer. The next ...

Erin Brockovich (2000), an American biographical legal drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant, follows the story of an unemployed single mother of three children in 1993. After being injured in a traffic accident involving a doctor, Erin decides to sue him with the help of her lawyer, Ed Masry. Despite their expectations of winning, Erin’s explosive behavior during cross-examination results in losing the case and Ed refusing to take her calls. However, one day she shows up at his office seeking a job, as he had previously mentioned ...

Directed by Oliver Stone, Any Given Sunday (1999) follows the struggles of fictional American football team, the Miami Sharks. The once-dominant team is struggling to secure a spot in the 2001 AFFA playoffs, under the leadership of long-time coach Tony D’Amato. However, tensions arise between D’Amato and young team owner Christina Pagniacci, as well as his expected successor Nick Crozier, who serves as offensive coordinator. In a pivotal game during the thirteenth week of the season, both starting quarterback Jack ‘Cap’ Rooney and backup player Tyler Cherubini are injured and unable to play. In ...