Actor David Strathairn (1949)

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) is based on Delia Owens’ novel of the same name and was directed by Olivia Newman. The screenplay was written by Lucy Alibar, with production by Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter. Set in a North Carolina marsh in 1953, the story follows Kya’s life after her family falls apart. Left alone with their abusive and alcoholic father, Kya eventually finds herself abandoned at just seven ...

Nightmare Alley (2021) is a neo-noir psychological thriller film co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Based on William Lindsay Gresham’s novel of the same name from 1946, it is the second adaptation following the 1947 version. In 1939, Stan Carlisle sets ablaze a rundown house after hiding a corpse under its floorboards. Later that night, while attending a carnival, he witnesses a disturbed individual consuming a live chicken as part of the geek show. Meeting Bruno, the strongman of the carnival, Stan is offered a temporary job for the evening. After being ...

Nomadland (2020), an American drama, showcases Chloé Zhao’s talents as writer, producer, editor and director. Jessica Bruder’s book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century inspired the film. In 2011, Fern loses her job at the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada after it shuts down. She had been working there for years with her husband who recently passed away. To embark on a new journey, Fern sells most of her belongings and buys a van to travel the country in search of work. Eventually, she lands a seasonal job at an Amazon fulfillment ...

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) is an American monster film directed and co-written by Michael Dougherty. As a sequel to the 2014 film Godzilla and the third installment in the MonsterVerse, it follows five years after the initial discovery of Titans, colossal creatures that have emerged from hiding. Dr. Emma Russell, a paleobiologist working for Monarch, an organization dedicated to studying Titans, and her daughter Madison witness the hatching of Mothra, a larva Titan. Emma uses the ‘Orca’, a frequency-emitting device designed to control Titan behavior, to calm Mothra. Meanwhile, ...

Godzilla (2014) is an American monster film directed by Gareth Edwards and produced by Legendary Pictures. It is a remake of Toho Co., Ltd.’s Godzilla franchise, making it the 30th installment of the series. This movie also marks the first in the MonsterVerse and the second Godzilla film fully produced by a Hollywood studio. The story begins in 1954, when a prehistoric alpha predator, Godzilla, is drawn to Bikini Atoll with plans to destroy him using a nuclear bomb. Fast forward to 1999, where Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham are studying a similar monster’s ...

The American biographical historical drama film Lincoln (2012) was brought to life by director and producer Steven Spielberg. With a focus on Lincoln’s efforts in early 1865, the film showcases his determination to abolish slavery and involuntary servitude through the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. As the Civil War nears its end with the defeat of the Confederate States, President Abraham Lincoln shares his concern that his 1863 Emancipation Proclamation may not hold up in court post-war, and that the proposed Thirteenth Amendment may face defeat from returning slave states. ...

The psychological legal crime thriller film Fracture (2007) stars Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, with direction by Gregory Hoblit. The story revolves around wealthy Irish aeronautical engineer Theodore ‘Ted’ Crawford, who discovers that his wife Jennifer is having an affair with police detective Robert Nunally. In a heated confrontation, Crawford shoots his wife and confesses to the act when Nunally arrives on the scene. Despite her injuries, Jennifer survives but remains in a coma. Crawford is arrested for attempted murder and awaits trial in jail. ...

The action-thriller film, The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), directed by Paul Greengrass, has an entirely different plot than the 1990 novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. After being pursued by Kirill, Jason Bourne must evade Moscow police while wounded and confront more memories of his time in Operation Treadstone. Six weeks later, CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy reveals a taped confession from Ward Abbott, the former head of Treadstone, to Director Ezra Kramer. Meanwhile, journalist Simon Ross from The Guardian discovers information about Bourne and Operation Blackbriar ...

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) is a riveting historical drama directed by George Clooney that delves into the world of American television news. At a gathering titled ‘A Salute to Edward R Murrow’ on October 25, 1958, Murrow delivers a powerful speech addressing Senator McCarthy and other prominent figures. The film then transports us back to October 14, 1953 at CBS Studios, where an on-screen caption reveals McCarthy’s claim of over 200 Communists in the US government. With this latest development, Fred Friendly and the news team discuss potential stories for their upcoming episodes. Murrow makes it ...

A film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s comedic play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999), was written, produced, and directed by Michael Hoffman. Set in the 1890s in Monte Athena, a fictional Italian kingdom, the story follows the preparations for Duke Theseus and Hippolyta’s wedding banquet. During this time, Egeus, father of young Hermia, approaches the Duke to request his support in forcing his daughter to marry Demetrius. Egeus threatens that Hermia will die if she does not comply. In response, Theseus offers Hermia four days to decide between ...

Set in 1953 Los Angeles, L.A. Confidential (1997) is a classic neo-noir crime film directed, produced, and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The story follows the LAPD as they work to repair their public image after years of corruption. Sergeant Edmund Exley, known for his ambition and drive, is constantly compared to his late father who was also a well-respected detective. It is believed that his father’s killer goes by the name ‘Rollo Tomasi’, a symbol of all elusive criminals. Meanwhile, narcotics sergeant Jack Vincennes is more interested in chasing fame and collaborating with tabloid journalist Sid ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne (1995) is an American psychological thriller drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The story follows Dolores Claiborne, who works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer, Vera Donovan, on Little Tall Island in Maine. One day, Dolores and Vera have a struggle which results in Vera falling down the stairs. After this incident, Dolores is caught by the mailman who sees her standing over Vera with a rolling pin. Unfortunately, Vera passes away and a murder investigation begins. In light of these ...

The River Wild (1994), an American thriller directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Denis O’Neill, tells the story of a Boston couple, Gail and Tom Hartman. Due to Tom’s demanding job as an architect, their marriage is strained. To escape the tension, Gail takes their son Roarke on a rafting trip down Idaho’s Salmon River. Accompanied by their dog Maggie, they leave behind their daughter Willa with Gail’s parents in Idaho. Unexpectedly, Tom joins them at the last minute after staying in Boston. During their journey, they encounter three friendly ...

Sydney Pollack directed The Firm (1993), an American legal thriller. Mitch McDeere, a top Harvard Law School graduate, is offered a lucrative position by boutique law firm Bendini, Lambert & Locke in Memphis, Tennessee. He and his wife Abby relocate there as he prepares for the Tennessee bar exam. Mitch receives guidance from senior partner Avery Tolar on the firm’s strict values of loyalty, confidentiality, and high fees. Despite the enticing perks such as a new house, a Mercedes-Benz, and paid-off student loans, Abby resents the firm’s interference in employees’ personal lives. Despite working long hours, Mitch passes the bar exam but this ...

A sports comedy drama film directed by Penny Marshall, A League of Their Own (1992) follows the story of Dottie Hinson attending the opening of an exhibit for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League in 1988. Seeing her former teammates and friends sparks memories of 1943 when World War II threatened to shut down Major League Baseball. In a desperate attempt to keep baseball alive, Chicago Cubs owner Walter Harvey convinces his colleagues to fund a women’s league, led by Ira Lowenstein. Soon after, scout Ernie Capadino is impressed by Dottie’s skills as a catcher during an industrial-league ...

Directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick, Memphis Belle (1990) is a British-American war drama film. The B-17 Flying Fortress and her crew have been tasked with completing 25 missions in order to finish their tour of duty. As part of the squadron, they are assigned to attack a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft manufacturing plant in Bremen, Germany. While initially accompanied by P-51 Mustangs, the short-range fighters must later withdraw, leaving the bombers vulnerable on their journey to and from the target. The success of the mission is crucial as Belle ...