Actor Max von Sydow (1929)

The American epic space opera film, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens  (2015), was co-produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. Three decades after the Battle of Endor, the once-defeated Galactic Empire has been replaced by the First Order, determined to overthrow the New Republic. In opposition, General Leia Organa leads the Resistance with support from the Republic. Searching for her missing twin brother Luke Skywalker, Leia enlists help from an old ally on Jakku, where Resistance pilot Poe Dameron receives a map to Luke’s whereabouts. However, their plans are interrupted when Kylo Ren ...

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) is an American drama film directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Eric Roth, based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. Nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who lives in New York City with his parents Linda and Thomas Schell, has autism. He shares a special bond with his father, as they embark on missions to uncover clues in search of New York City’s ‘lost Sixth Borough’. These tasks push Oskar to explore his surroundings and engage with others, ...

The action film, Robin Hood (2010), directed by Ridley Scott, is based on the legendary character of the same name. The story takes place in 1199 AD and follows Robin Longstride, a skilled archer serving in the army of King Richard the Lionheart. Having experienced the hardships of Richard’s crusade, Robin and his fellow soldiers find themselves in a siege at Chalus Castle. Tired and disenchanted, Robin speaks honestly about the King’s leadership when asked by him and as a result, he and his comrades – Allan A’Dayle, Will Scarlett, and Little John – end up in the stocks. When King Richard ...

Shutter Island (2010) is a gripping neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Martin Scorsese and adapted by Laeta Kalogridis from the novel of the same name by Dennis Lehan. The film follows U.S. Marshal Edward ‘Teddy’ Daniels and his new partner Chuck Aule as they are sent to investigate the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando at Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane on Shutter Island, Boston Harbor. Despite encountering resistance from the hospital staff, particularly from psychiatrist Dr. John ...

Based on the character originally created by Robert E. Howard in 1928, the action-adventure film Solomon Kane (2009) follows the story of English privateer Solomon Kane. In 1600, Kane leads his crew into battle against Ottoman defenders in North Africa, eventually raiding a fortress where they encounter demons. Despite defeating the demons and reaching the throne room, Kane is stopped by a demon known as the ‘Devil’s Reaper’ who reveals that his soul belongs to Satan due to past sins. Refusing to accept this fate, Kane escapes by jumping out of a window. A year later, he seeks redemption by renouncing ...

The American science fiction action film, Minority Report (2002), directed by Steven Spielberg, is loosely based on Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novella The Minority Report. The federal government plans to nationally implement the ‘Precrime’ police program in 2054. This prototype has been operating in Washington, D.C. for six years. In this program, three clairvoyant humans (‘precogs’) receive psychic impressions of future homicides, allowing officers to prevent them before they happen. Perpetrators are put in a panopticon-like prison ...

A Spanish thriller film, directed and co-written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Intacto (2001) delves into a trade based on luck. Adopting a magical realism approach, the movie showcases how luck can be traded between individuals, with the idea that it can be accumulated and exchanged like any other commodity. The plot follows various characters who take part in increasingly dangerous games of chance in order to eliminate their own bad luck. This is a mysterious story about four individuals whose paths are intertwined by the hand of fate. They soon realize that luck is an invaluable ...

Sleepless (2001) is an Italian giallo film directed by Dario Argento. It begins with Angela, who has just had sex with a man and is being verbally attacked by him for not satisfying him. As she collects her belongings, she accidentally knocks over a chest filled with bladed weapons, causing her to flee in fear. In her haste, she takes a blue scrapbook that belongs to an unknown serial killer in Turin, known as ‘The Dwarf Killer’. The killer then contacts Angela and threatens her life. Unable to find help from the train conductor, she turns to her friend Marta at the station to retrieve the scrapbook. ...

The American fantasy drama film, What Dreams May Come (1998), was directed by Vincent Ward and adapted from Richard Matheson’s novel of the same name. During a vacation in Switzerland, pediatrician Chris Nielsen falls in love with artist Annie Collins. They have two children, Ian and Marie, but their happy life is shattered when the kids die in a car accident. Tragically, Chris himself dies in a car crash four years later. Confused and unaware that he has passed away, Chris remains on Earth and watches as Annie struggles with her grief. Despite being warned not to ...

Judge Dredd (1995) is a US sci-fi action movie based on the eponymous character from 2000 AD comics. It is helmed by director Danny Cannon. In the future, Earth is mostly a wasteland and surviving humans are divided between the desolate ‘Cursed Earth’ and the overcrowded Mega-Cities with huge populations. To maintain order, a team of Judges, who serve as law enforcers, judges, juries and executioners all in one, have replaced traditional justice systems. In the year 2139, during a block war in Mega-City One, veteran ‘Street Judge’ Joseph Dredd aids rookie Judge Barbara Hershey. Amidst the chaos, ...

Citizen X (1995) is an American television film based on the true story of Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo. The film follows detectives in the 1980s as they work to capture an unknown serial killer responsible for the murder of women and children. Despite bureaucratic obstacles, forensic specialist Viktor Burakov leads an eight-year hunt for the perpetrator after a body is discovered on a collective farm in 1982. As they continue their search, seven more bodies are found in nearby woods, all showing signs of mutilation and murder. In total, 53 lives were taken, with 52 victims under the age of 35. Burakov’s rise to ...

Based on Stephen King’s 1991 novel of the same name, Needful Things (1993) is an American horror film directed by Fraser C. Heston. In the small town of Castle Rock, Maine, a mysterious man named Leland Gaunt arrives in a sinister-looking black car and opens an antique store called ‘Needful Things’. The establishment offers various items with great personal value to its residents, some clearly possessing supernatural abilities like a pain-relieving pendant or a toy that predicts horse race outcomes. However, these items come at a price – both in ...

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows three interconnected stories over the course of two eventful years. The backdrop for these tales is a series of Thanksgiving gatherings hosted by Hannah and her husband, Elliot, at The Langham. As the central figure in the narrative, Hannah’s presence ties together most events in the film. However, Elliot strays from their stable marriage when he becomes infatuated with Lee, one of Hannah’s sisters. His reasons for doing so are rooted in his dissatisfaction with his wife’s independence and ...

Directed by Irvin Kershner, the spy film Never Say Never Again (1983) is adapted from Ian Fleming’s 1961 James Bond novel Thunderball, with inspiration from Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, and Fleming. Following a failed training exercise, MI6 agent James Bond is ordered by his superior M to undergo physical rehabilitation at a health clinic outside London. While there, he witnesses nurse Fatima Blush inflicting ...

Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), an American supernatural horror film directed by John Boorman and written by William Goodhart, is the second installment in The Exorcist franchise. It follows the events of The Exorcist (1973), as we meet Philip Lamont, a priest struggling with his faith. Lamont travels to Latin America to exorcise a woman who claims to possess miraculous healing abilities. However, things take a tragic turn when the exorcism goes awry and sets the room on fire. Amidst the chaos, the possessed woman is killed after her dress catches on ...

The American political thriller film, Three Days of the Condor (1975), directed by Sydney Pollack, follows Joe Turner – a bookish CIA analyst with the codename ‘Condor’. He works undercover at the American Literary Historical Society in New York City. The team’s job is to analyze books, newspapers, and magazines from all over the world to compare them to real CIA operations or gather new ideas. One day, while on lunch duty, Turner comes across a strange thriller novel that he reports back to CIA headquarters despite its low sales and translations into various languages. Upon returning from his ...

The Exorcist (1973), an American supernatural horror film, was directed by William Friedkin and adapted from William Peter Blatty’s novel. Priest Lankester Merrin joins an archaeological expedition in the ancient ruins of Hatra in northern Iraq. There, he discovers a stone talisman depicting a winged being that triggers a worried expression on his face. In the midst of his exploration, he has a vision where he is confronted by a giant version of the same creature. Meanwhile, actress Chris MacNeil and her daughter Regan reside in a grandiose house with hired help in ...

The American epic religious film, The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), recounts the Biblical tale of Jesus from his birth in Nazareth to his Ascension. It was produced and directed by George Stevens. A group of wise men (Magi) travel from Asia to Jerusalem after seeing a bright star, hoping to find the prophesied newborn king. King Herod is alerted of their arrival and is told about a Messiah mentioned in prophecies. Remembering that Bethlehem is the predicted birthplace, Herod sends the Magi there to confirm the child’s existence but secretly sends guards to keep an eye on them. In Bethlehem, they find Mary and ...