Actor Keanu Reeves (1964)

Directed by Malcolm Venville, Henry’s Crime (2010) is an American romantic comedy crime film about a man living a stagnant life in Buffalo, New York. Henry works the night shift as a toll collector and seems to lack ambition or purpose. Debbie, his wife, is dissatisfied with this. When Eddie, a friend, visits one morning and asks Henry to fill in for an ill player in their baseball game, Henry agrees. However, trouble arises when Eddie convinces Henry to stop at an ATM on their way to the game. Unexpectedly, Eddie and two others rob the Buffalo Savings Bank and implicate Henry as an accomplice. As a result of this ...

Rebecca Miller’s film, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009), follows the tumultuous life of its titular character. Growing up as the youngest and only girl in a large Christian family, Pippa’s childhood was overshadowed by her neurotic mother Suky’s obsessive focus on her appearance. As a teenager, Pippa learns that her mother self-medicates with amphetamines to cope with intense mood swings. Seeking refuge from her dysfunctional family, she moves in with her aunt Trish and her partner Kat, who live in a lesbian menage. However, when Trish discovers Pippa’s involvement in erotic photo shoots ...

Directed by David Ayer, Street Kings (2008) is an American action thriller film. The protagonist, Tom Ludlow, is a detective for the LAPD’s Vice-Special unit who has struggled with alcoholism following his wife’s death. In his latest undercover mission, he arranges a meeting with Korean gangsters under the guise of a firearms deal as he believes they have abducted two teenage girls. During the encounter, Ludlow allows himself to be beaten and robbed before tracking them down using a device on his stolen vehicle. Upon arriving at their hideout, he takes swift action to eliminate the gang members, fabricates ...

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) is an American science fiction film, serving as a remake of the 1951 film with the same title, which was originally based on the 1940 short story Farewell to the Master. Way back in 1928, a lone mountaineer exploring the Karakoram mountains in India comes across a glowing sphere. After losing consciousness, he wakes up with a scar on his hand and finds that the sphere has vanished. Fast forward to present day, an unidentified object is spotted heading towards Earth from Jupiter’s orbit with potential to wipe out all life. In response, the U.S. government hastily enlists a team of scientists, including Helen Benson ...

The film The Lake House (2006) is a fantasy romance directed by Alejandro Agresti, with David Auburn as the writer. That same year, Kate Forster, a doctor, leaves her rental lake house near Chicago and begins working at a downtown hospital. In order to make sure her mail gets forwarded, she leaves a note in the mailbox. She also mentions the pawprints on the front walkway and a box in the attic that were there when she moved in. Two years prior, architect Alex Wyler moves into the same lake house and discovers Kate’s letter. Confused, he realizes there are no pawprints ...

A Scanner Darkly (2006), directed and written by Richard Linklater and based on Philip K. Dick’s novel of the same name, tells the story of a United States that has failed in its fight against drugs. The country is plagued by Substance D, a potent drug that causes strange hallucinations and has resulted in approximately 20% of the population becoming addicted. In an effort to combat the epidemic, the government has implemented an extensive surveillance system and enlisted undercover agents and informants. One such agent is Bob Arctor, tasked with infiltrating the ...

Thumbsucker (2005) is an American indie comedy-drama film by first-time director Mike Mills. It follows the story of Justin Cobb, a timid 17-year-old living in suburban Oregon with his family of four. His persistent thumb-sucking has caused significant dental issues, much to the disapproval of his father. To avoid making his dad feel old, Justin refers to his parents as Mike and Audrey. Audrey, a nurse, becomes infatuated with actor Matt Schramm and enters a contest to win a date with him. She claims it’s all in good fun but is overly concerned with looking attractive for the opportunity. Meanwhile, Justin ...

The American superhero horror film, Constantine (2005), marked Francis Lawrence’s directorial debut. In Mexico, a scavenger discovers the tip of the spear that pierced Jesus Christ in a ruined church, but becomes possessed after taking it to Los Angeles. John Constantine, a cynical occult expert, helps exorcise a demon from a young girl and learns about a treaty between Heaven and Hell that should prevent this type of possession. With terminal lung cancer, Constantine seeks an extension to his life by working with the half-breed angel, Gabriel, to deport Hell’s forces. However, Gabriel reminds him that ...

Something’s Gotta Give (2003) is an American romantic comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Nancy Meyers. The story follows Harry Sanborn, a wealthy New York record company owner whose preference for dating younger women is put to the test when he meets Marin Klein. As they head to her mother’s beach house in the Hamptons, little do they know that they will be joined by Erica Barry, a playwright and Marin’s mother, as well as Erica’s sister Zoe. After an awkward dinner, things take a turn for the worse when Harry suffers a heart attack during foreplay with Marin and is rushed to the ...

The Animatrix (2003), a groundbreaking adult animated science fiction anthology film, was produced by the Wachowskis. Through nine captivating short films, it delves into the origins of The Matrix film series, including the epic war between humans and machines that resulted in the creation of the iconic Matrix. Not only does it provide insights into the universe, but it also connects to other franchises that have followed suit with similar projects over time. 01: The Second Renaissance Part I. During the mid twenty-first century, human flaws of vanity and ...

The Matrix Revolutions (2003), the third film in The Matrix series, was released six months after prior and was written and directed by the Wachowskis. It picks up immediately after the events of The Matrix Reloaded. Neo and Bane are still unconscious on the ship Hammer’s medical bay when the movie begins. Inside the Matrix, Neo is stuck in a zone called Mobil Ave, situated between the machine world and the Matrix. Here, he meets a group of programs, including a girl named Sati. The ‘father’ informs Neo that this area is controlled by a program called the Trainman, who is loyal to the ...

The Wachowskis’ science-fiction action film, The Matrix Reloaded (2003), continues the story of The Matrix. Neo and Trinity have now become romantically involved six months after the previous events. Morpheus receives an urgent message from Captain Niobe of the Logos for an emergency meeting among all ships in Zion. It has been discovered that an army of Sentinels is rapidly approaching Zion and will arrive in just three days. In response, Commander Lock orders all ships to return to Zion to prepare for defense. However, Morpheus requests that one ship remain behind to contact the Oracle. Inside the ...

Hardball (2001) is an American sports drama/comedy film directed by Brian Robbins. Conor O’Neill, a gambler, finds himself in debt with two bookies after secretly betting $6,000 on his late father’s account. A corporate friend suggests that he coach a team of troubled African-American fifth graders from Chicago’s ABLA housing projects for ten weeks in exchange for a weekly payment of $500. Focused on getting his paycheck, Conor arrives at the baseball field to meet an eclectic group of players, including Andre Ray Peetes, a witty captain who forms a strong bond with Conor; Kofi Evans, a hot-tempered ...

Sweet November (2001), the film directed by Pat O’Connor and set in San Francisco, tells the story of Nelson Moss, a hardworking advertising executive. One day, he meets Sara Deever, a woman unlike anyone he has ever met. When she cheats on her driving test and he tries to confront her, she charms him with her request for him to spend a month with her, promising to change his life for the better. On the first night of November, after Nelson is fired and dumped on the same day, they sleep together. The next day, Sara’s close friend Chaz arrives and refers to Nelson as ‘November’. As they spend ...

The Gift (2000) is the American paranormal thriller film, directed by Sam Raimi and written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, centers around widow Annie Wilson, a clairvoyant in Brixton, Georgia. She has visions of her grandmother and uses her abilities to help others. After Jessica King, the fiancée of the school principal Wayne Collins, goes missing, Annie receives a vision that she has been killed and thrown into the pond. Despite initial skepticism from local sheriff Pearl Johnson, Annie informs him of her vision ...

The Watcher (2000) is an American thriller film directed by Joe Charbanic. In the film, FBI Special Agent Joel Campbell fails to save a young woman from a serial killer he has been pursuing in Los Angeles. Stricken with guilt, Campbell leaves his job and relocates to Chicago, where he suffers from agonizing migraines. In an attempt to cope with his emotional distress, Campbell seeks therapy from Dr. Polly Beilman and remains isolated from others. However, his quiet life is interrupted when a woman is murdered in his apartment building. Upon receiving a photo of the victim in the mail, which was sent three days prior to ...

The sports comedy film The Replacements (2000), directed by Howard Deutch, centers around a professional football league that is facing a players’ strike with only four games remaining in the season. In response, the league’s owner, Edward O’Neil, reaches out to his former coach Jimmy McGinty and asks him to return and coach the Washington Sentinels for the rest of the season. O’Neil informs McGinty that winning three out of the four remaining games will secure their spot in the playoffs. However, McGinty agrees to return on one condition – that he has full control over selecting his own players ...

The Wachowskis brought us The Matrix (1999), a science fiction and action-packed film. At an abandoned hotel, Trinity is cornered by a police squad, but her superhuman abilities allow her to overpower them before fleeing. As she runs from both the police and a group of suited Agents with similar powers, she answers a ringing public telephone and disappears. Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo in the hacking world, becomes intrigued by constant online mentions of ‘the Matrix’. Trinity contacts Neo and informs him that Morpheus has the answers he’s seeking. However, Agent Smith and his team arrive at ...

The American drama film, The Last Time I Committed Suicide (1997), directed by Stephen T. Kay, is based on a 1950 letter from Neal Cassady to Jack Kerouac. Presented as a letter from Cassady’s perspective, the movie explores his life before and after his lover Joan’s suicide attempt. Jumping back and forth between these two time periods allows the audience to see Cassady’s active mind and constantly shifting thoughts. The story begins with Cassady sitting outside Joan’s hospital room on the day of ...

The American supernatural horror film, The Devil’s Advocate (1997), tells the story of Kevin Lomax, a successful defense attorney from Gainesville, Florida. He has built a reputation for never losing a case. During one particularly challenging case defending Lloyd Gettys, who is accused of child molestation, Kevin discovers his client’s guilt. Despite this realization, he continues to mount a fierce defense and ultimately secures a ‘not guilty’ verdict by discrediting the victim through aggressive questioning. This impressive display catches the attention of a New York City law firm, who invites Kevin to assist with jury selection. After ...