Actor Ben Whishaw (1980)

No Time to Die (2021) is the latest installment in the James Bond franchise, marking its twenty-fifth film produced by Eon Productions. Madeleine Swann, as a young girl, witnesses her mother’s murder at the hands of terrorist Lyutsifer Safin. Safin’s family was previously assassinated by Swann’s father, Mr. White, under orders from Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In self-defense, Swann shoots Safin and escapes but falls into a frozen lake where Bond rescues her. Years later, after Blofeld’s arrest, Swann joins Bond on a trip to Matera where she convinces him to visit the grave of his former lover ...

The comedy film, Paddington 2 (2017), directed and written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby respectively, is a live-action animated sequel to the 2014 movie Paddington. Produced by Heyday Films and StudioCanal UK, it is based on the beloved stories of Paddington Bear by Michael Bond. The lovable bear, now living with the Browns in Windsor Gardens, offers his support to his neighbors in various ways. In order to purchase a special pop-up book of London for his aunt Lucy’s milestone birthday from Samuel Gruber’s antique shop, Paddington takes on odd jobs ...

The comedy-drama film, A Hologram for the King (2016), is a creation of writer, director, and co-composer Tom Tykwer. It is based on the novel by Dave Eggers published in 2012. Starring American salesman Alan Clay, the film follows his mission to sell a holographic teleconferencing system to the Saudi government and present it to their King. Clay was offered this opportunity due to his brief encounter with one of the King’s nephews. However, he carries baggage from a previous job where he witnessed layoffs and financial ruin caused by outsourcing production. ...

The historical adventure-drama film In the Heart of the Sea (2015), directed and produced by Ron Howard and written by Charles Leavitt, is based on Nathaniel Philbrick’s non-fiction book The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex. This true story follows the sinking of the American whaling ship in 1820, which served as inspiration for Herman Melville’s famous novel Moby-Dick. In 1850, Melville seeks out Thomas Nickerson, the last surviving member of the ...

Spectre (2015) is the latest James Bond film produced by Eon Productions. Tasked with a mission by his former boss, M, MI6 agent James Bond foils a bombing attempt at a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. After recovering a telltale octopus ring from the deceased attacker, Marco Sciarra, Bond uncovers his involvement with an enigmatic organization. However, upon returning to London, the new M – Gareth Mallory – reprimands Bond for acting without authorization. Meanwhile, M finds himself embroiled in a power struggle with Max Denbigh (dubbed ‘C’ by Bond), Director-General of the newly formed Joint Intelligence Service that combines ...

Paddington (2014), a live-action animated comedy film, was written and directed by Paul King. Based on Michael Bond’s beloved character Paddington Bear, the story was developed by King and Hamish McColl. In the depths of the Peruvian jungle, a British explorer comes across a group of bears with a love for marmalade. He dubs them Lucy and Pastuzo before bidding them farewell with an invitation to London. Forty years later, after their home is destroyed in an ...

Fargo (2014–2024) is an award-winning American black comedy crime drama TV show, created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. Inspired by the 1996 film of the same name, which was written and directed by the Coen brothers, it also takes place within the same fictional universe. The Coens were impressed with Hawley’s script and served as executive producers for the series. It first aired on FX on April 15, 2014, and follows an anthology format. Each season is set in a ...

Terry Gilliam’s science fiction masterpiece, The Zero Theorem (2013), takes place in a bizarre cyberpunk future of the mid-21st century. It follows the story of Qohen Leth, an eccentric and reclusive programmer who works for the ontological research division of a large company known as Mancom. Qohen, who refers to himself in plural form, spends his days crunching ‘entities’ and avoiding the noisy office by requesting disability leave or permission to work from home. He fears missing an important phone call that he has been waiting for years and is also dealing with a recent loss of hair, which he ...

Cloud Atlas (2012) is an epic science fiction film helmed by the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Adapted from David Mitchell’s 2004 novel, it tells a complex story with multiple plots taking place across six different time periods. As the narrative jumps between these eras, spanning centuries, each storyline gradually reaches a resolution. Interestingly, we see characters from previous eras appear in future ones through their writings. These recurring characters often have changed relationships with one another, with ...

Skyfall (2012) is the twenty-third installment in the iconic James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. Starring Daniel Craig as the titular MI6 agent and featuring Javier Bardem as his adversary Raoul Silva, the film sees Judi Dench reprising her role as M. Under the direction of Sam Mendes and written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and

Directed by Todd Haynes and co-written by Haynes and Oren Moverman, I’m Not There (2007) is a musical drama film that utilizes a nonlinear narrative, interweaving the stories of six characters who each represent a different aspect of Bob Dylan’s public persona. These personas include poet (Arthur Rimbaud), prophet (Jack Rollins/Father John), outlaw (Billy McCarty), fake (Woody Guthrie), ‘rock and roll martyr’ (Jude Quinn), and ‘star of electricity’ (Robbie Clark). According to production ...

The period thriller, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006), follows the life of notorious murderer Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. Directed by Tom Tykwer and written in collaboration with Andrew Birkin and Bernd Eichinger, the film is based on Patrick Süskind’s novel of the same name. Grenouille’s story is told through flashbacks, beginning with his sentencing for his crimes. Abandoned at birth in a French fish market ...