Actor Ewan McGregor (1971)

Birds of Prey (2020) is an American superhero film directed by Cathy Yan and written by Christina Hodson, based on the DC Comics team the Birds of Prey. Several years after defeating the Enchantress, Harley Quinn finds herself abandoned by the Joker and thrown onto the streets of Gotham City. She is taken in by Doc, owner of a Taiwanese restaurant, where she starts to recover from her broken relationship. In an effort to move on, Harley cuts her hair, adopts a spotted hyena, and takes up roller derby. It’s during a night out at a club owned by crime boss ...

Doctor Sleep (2019), an American supernatural horror film, is the work of director Mike Flanagan and is based on Stephen King’s 2013 novel with the same title. Acting as a sequel to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 film The Shining, it follows Dan Torrance who continues to suffer from the traumatic events that occurred at the Overlook Hotel. The spirits of the hotel now haunt him in search of his ‘shining’. With guidance from the ghost of Dick Hallorann, Dan learns how to trap these ghosts in psychic ...

T2 Trainspotting (2017) is a British black comedy drama film, directed by Danny Boyle and written by John Hodge. It takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland and is based on characters from Irvine Welsh’s novels Trainspotting and Porno. Two decades after his betrayal and escape with the majority of their scam money, Mark Renton returns to Edinburgh for the first time. He seeks out his former companions Spud and Simon, but they are both struggling just as much as when he left them. Spud had briefly turned his life around but has since fallen back into despair, even ...

The American action comedy film, Mortdecai (2015), was directed by David Koepp and written by Eric Aronson. It is based on the novel series of the same name, specifically the first book Don’t Point that Thing at Me, written by Kyril Bonfiglioli. In Hong Kong, Lord Charlie Mortdecai, a self-proclaimed ‘art dealer’ and swindler, is approached by one of his victims, a gangster named Fang. With the help of his loyal manservant Jock, Mortdecai narrowly escapes harm. Back in London, he and his wife Johanna brainstorm ways to pay off their hefty tax debt. Meanwhile ...

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 ...

August: Osage County (2013), a film directed by John Wells, is a tragicomedy based on Tracy Letts’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Set in the scorching month of August in rural Pawhuska, Oklahoma, the story centers around Beverly Weston, a once-famous poet struggling with alcoholism. He hires Johnna, a young Cheyenne woman, to work as a live-in cook and caregiver for his wife Violet. Violet is battling oral cancer and a narcotic addiction. After Beverly disappears, Violet turns to her sister and daughters for help. Along with her husband Charles Aiken, Violet’s ...

The Impossible (2012) is a disaster drama film directed by J. A. Bayona and written by Sergio G. Sánchez, based on the real-life experience of María Belón and her family during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Doctor Maria Bennett, her husband Henry, and their three sons Lucas, Simon, and Thomas are on a Christmas holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand when disaster strikes. Arriving on Christmas Eve at the Orchid Beach Resort, they settle in and start to enjoy their vacation. But just two days later, on December 26, everything changes as the massive tsunami hits the area. Amidst ...

The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) is a satirical black comedy war film directed by Grant Heslov and adapted by Peter Straughan. It begins with U.S. Army General Dean Hopgood’s failed attempt to use paranormal abilities to pass through a solid wall. Ann Arbor Daily Telegram reporter Bob Wilton is left by his wife for the editor, leading him to fly to Kuwait to cover the Iraq War. There, he crosses paths with retired U.S. Army Special Forces operator Lyn Cassady, who shares that he was part of a unit training psychic spies in skills such as invisibility and remote ...

Angels & Demons (2009) is an American mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Akiva Goldsman and David Koepp, adapted from Dan Brown’s novel of the same name. Following the sudden death of Pope Pius XVI, the Catholic Church prepares for the papal conclave to elect his successor in Vatican City. During this time, Father Patrick McKenna serves as temporary ruler of the Vatican as Camerlengo. Meanwhile, scientists Father Silvano Bentivoglio and Dr. ...

Cassandra’s Dream (2007) is a crime thriller drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Filmed in England, it is a collaboration between the United States, France, and the United Kingdom. Brothers Terry and Ian grew up in South London under the care of their parents – their father Brian, who owns a restaurant, and their mother Dorothy, who instilled in them admiration for their uncle Howard. Howard is a renowned plastic surgeon and entrepreneur with practices in Switzerland, the US, and China. The brothers purchase a sailboat named after Terry’s lucky greyhound for a bargain, despite its excellent ...

Robots (2005) is an American animated sci-fi adventure comedy film set in a world inhabited by sentient beings made of metal. The story follows the journey of Rodney Copperbottom, a young and ambitious inventor who looks up to Bigweld – a renowned entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of Bigweld Industries. The company not only employs other inventors but also provides spare parts for robots in need. Inspired by Bigweld’s motto of ‘seeing a need and filling it’, Rodney creates his own flying robot named Wonderbot to help his father Herb, who works as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. However, when Herb’s boss catches them in the act, ...

The Island (2005) is an American science fiction thriller film, directed and co-produced by Michael Bay based on a story by Tredwell-Owen. On July 19, 2019, residents of a secluded compound, including Lincoln Six Echo and Jordan Two Delta, are governed by strict rules as they believe the outside world is no longer habitable except for one pathogen-free island. In this dystopian setting, a lottery determines who gets to leave the compound and live on the island each week. However, Lincoln begins experiencing dreams that he knows are not his own memories. When Dr. Merrick, ...

Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005) is an epic space opera film directed and written by George Lucas. While above Coruscant, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker embark on a rescue mission to save Supreme Chancellor Palpatine from General Grievous, a cyborg Separatist commander. Their plans are disrupted when they encounter the Sith Lord Count Dooku, whom Anakin ultimately defeats. Despite their success, Grievous manages to escape as the flagship sustains damage and crashes onto Coruscant. Upon returning to the planet’s surface, Anakin is reunited with his wife Padmé Amidala. However, he soon ...

Big Fish (2003), directed by Tim Burton and based on the novel Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions by Daniel Wallace, follows the life of Edward Bloom. At his son William’s wedding, Edward reminisces about the day Will was born, claiming to have caught a giant catfish with his wedding ring as bait. Growing up, Will often heard these fantastical stories, but never believed them to be true. This caused a rift between him and his father. However, when Edward is diagnosed with cancer years later, Will and his pregnant wife Joséphine visit Edward at their ...

In the epic sci-fi film Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002), directed and co-written by George Lucas, the Galactic Republic faces a new threat ten years after the events on Naboo. The Separatist movement, led by former Jedi Master Count Dooku, poses a danger to the Republic. Senator Padmé Amidala, who was once Queen of Naboo, travels to Coruscant to vote against creating an army to assist the Jedi in fighting this threat. However, upon her arrival, she narrowly escapes an assassination attempt and is placed under the protection of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker. After foiling ...

Moulin Rouge! (2001) is a jukebox musical romantic drama film helmed by Baz Luhrmann. Set in 1900 Paris, the story follows Christian, a young writer mourning the loss of his beloved. He takes to his typewriter to pen their love story. In the Montmartre district, he joins the Bohemian movement and meets Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his troupe who are working on a play called Spectacular Spectacular. With Christian’s help, they finish the play and head to the Moulin Rouge in hopes that Satine, the star performer and courtesan, will be impressed by Christian’s talents and convince Harold Zidler, the proprietor ...

Black Hawk Down (2001) is a war film directed and produced by Ridley Scott, co-produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, and written by Ken Nolan. Based on journalist Mark Bowden’s 1999 book of the same name, it revolves around the events of 1992 when the United Nations Security Council authorized a military operation with a peacekeeping mandate in southern Somalia during the civil war and famine. However, tensions arise between UNOSOM II and Mogadishu’s militia loyal to ...

George Lucas wrote and directed Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), an epic space opera film. The Trade Federation disrupts peace in the Galactic Republic by blockading Naboo with plans to invade. Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum sends Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. However, Darth Sidious, a Sith Lord and secret supporter of the Trade Federation, orders the Viceroy to kill the Jedi and begin their invasion using battle droids. The Jedi manage to escape and seek refuge on Naboo. During their time there, Qui-Gon ...

Velvet Goldmine (1998), a musical drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes from a story by Haynes and James Lyons, follows British journalist Arthur Stuart as he delves into the mysterious withdrawal of 1970s glam rock icon Brian Slade. Stuart interviews those involved in Slade’s career, each recalling their experiences which become a vignette for that particular segment of Slade’s life. Along with exploring the vibrant rock shows, fashion, and journalism of 1970s Britain, the film also touches on ...

A film called A Life Less Ordinary (1997) is categorized as a British romantic black comedy. In this movie, angels from Heaven have the duty of ensuring that humans on Earth find true love. One particular angel, known as the ‘Captain’ and named Gabriel, becomes disgruntled when reviewing the performance of angel partners O’Reilly and Jackson. He notices that all of their recent cases have resulted in either divorce or misery for the couple involved. To shake things up, Gabriel suggests a new approach: if their next assigned pair fails to fall and remain in love (which he admits is a challenging task), O’Reilly and Jackson must remain on Earth ...