Actor Michael Peña (1976)

Moonfall (2022), a science fiction disaster film, is the result of collaboration between writer, director, and producer Roland Emmerich. In 2011, astronauts Brian Harper and Jocinda Fowler are repairing a satellite during a Space Shuttle mission when a strange black swarm attacks their orbiter. The swarm kills one of their crewmates and leaves Fowler incapacitated. Despite Harper’s account of the event, which he stands by for eighteen months, his explanation is not believed and he is ultimately fired due to alleged human error. A decade later, K.C. Houseman, who holds the belief that the Moon is an artificial ...

The American crime drama, The Mule (2018), was both directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film. After missing his daughter Iris’s wedding to receive a prestigious lifetime award for his work as a horticulturalist in 2005, Korean War veteran Earl Stone faces the consequences of choosing his career over his family. This event leads to his daughter cutting off communication and his wife filing for divorce. Twelve years later, Earl attends his granddaughter Ginny’s wedding rehearsal without revealing that he is bankrupt and facing foreclosure on his once successful flower farm. It is ...

The American political action thriller television series known as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018–2023), based on characters from the fictional Ryanverse by Tom Clancy, first premiered on August 31, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video. When CIA analyst Jack Ryan discovers a series of suspicious bank transfers, his search for answers takes him away from his desk job and into a dangerous game across Europe and the Middle East. With a terrorist leader planning a major attack against the US and its allies, Ryan must stay one step ahead in this deadly cat-and-mouse pursuit. In the ...

Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), a film from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, follows the story of Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp, based on Marvel Comics characters. The movie serves as a sequel to 2015’s Ant-Man and is also the 20th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After being placed under house arrest for two years due to his involvement with the Avengers, Lang finds himself in trouble again when Hank Pym and his daughter Hope discover a tunnel to the Quantum Realm. Their goal is to rescue Janet van Dyne, who has been trapped there since shrinking to sub-atomic levels in 1987. During Lang’s ...

The British black comedy buddy cop film, War on Everyone (2016), was both written and directed by John Michael McDonagh. After being suspended for physically assaulting a coworker who held racist views, corrupt cops Terry Monroe and Bob Bolaño are back on the Albuquerque police force. The duo has a reputation for committing acts of assault, robbery, extortion, bribery, and drug use. While keeping an eye on petty criminals, Monroe and Bolaño come to the conclusion that local criminal Jimmy Harris is planning a heist. In order to obtain more information, they track down one of Harris’ former associates named Reggie ...

Collateral Beauty (2016) is an American fantasy drama film directed by David Frankel and written by Allan Loeb. The story follows Howard Inlet, a successful advertising executive who tragically loses his young daughter. This devastating event takes a toll on Howard’s mental state as he sinks into a deep depression. His behavior becomes concerning to his estranged friends and business partners, Whit Yardsham, Claire Wilson, and Simon Scott, who worry about both Howard’s well-being and the future of their company. His actions have caused them to lose important ...

The science fiction film, The Martian (2015) was directed by Ridley Scott and starred Matt Damon. It was adapted from Andy Weir’s 2011 novel of the same name by Drew Goddard. In the year 2035, the Ares III mission to Mars was exploring Acidalia Planitia on sol 18 of their 31-sol expedition. However, a severe dust storm threatened to topple their Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). During the evacuation, astronaut Mark Watney was hit by debris and presumed dead. With the MAV in ...

Ant-Man (2015), an American superhero film, is based on the Marvel Comics characters Scott Lang and Hank Pym. It is the 12th film in the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe and was produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. In 1989, scientist Hank Pym left his position at S.H.I.E.L.D. after learning of their attempt to duplicate his Ant-Man shrinking technology. Concerned about the potential danger of this technology falling into the wrong hands, Pym vows to keep it hidden for the rest of his life. Unfortunately, in present times, Pym’s estranged daughter Hope van Dyne and former protégé Darren Cross have taken ...

Fury (2014), an American war film written and directed by David Ayer, follows the experiences of a seasoned staff sergeant named Don ‘Wardaddy’ Collier during the Western Allied invasion of Germany in April 1945. Wardaddy leads a crew on board an M4 Sherman tank called Fury, consisting of gunner Boyd ‘Bible” Swan, loader Grady ‘Coon-Ass’ Travis, driver Trini ‘Gordo’ Garcia, and assistant driver–bow gunner ‘Red’. The team has been together since fighting in North Africa. However, after Red is killed in a tank battle, Private First Class Norman Ellison joins as ...

American Hustle (2013) is a black comedy crime film, helmed by director David O. Russell and written by Eric Warren Singer. The movie drew inspiration from the real-life FBI Abscam operation that took place during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Set in 1978, it follows the tale of con artists Irving Rosenfeld and Sydney Prosser, who have teamed up to pull off various scams. To improve their schemes, Sydney assumes the guise of ‘Lady Edith Greensly’, an English aristocrat. Despite their successful partnership, Irving is torn between his love for Sydney and his ...

Turbo (2013), an animated comedy from DreamWorks Animation and 20th Century Fox, tells the story of Theo, an aspiring racer who happens to be a garden snail. In his suburban San Fernando Valley tomato patch in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, Theo, aka ‘Turbo’, longs to emulate his idol Guy Gagné, a five-time Indy 500 champion. But his single-minded focus on racing sets him apart from the slow and careful snail community and constantly embarrasses his older brother Chet. One fateful day, while chasing a tomato that has fallen out of the garden and narrowly escaping a lawnmower’s blades, Theo wanders onto a busy freeway and makes a wish upon what he thinks is a ...

End of Watch (2012) is an American action thriller film written and directed by David Ayer. It follows the story of Los Angeles Police Department officers Brian Taylor and Mike Zavala, who are not only close friends but also partners in the LAPD’s Newton Division. The two are responsible for patrolling a high crime area in South Central. Taylor, a Marine Corps veteran, documents their duty as part of a college project following their return from an officer-involved shooting. During a public disturbance call, Tre, a member of the Bloods gang, directs racial slurs at Zavala, who responds by agreeing to engage in a ...

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman and written by Chris Bertolini, Battle: Los Angeles (2011) is an American military science-fiction action film set in a world where hostile alien spacecraft suddenly make landings off the coasts of major cities. As Los Angeles is evacuated, a group of Marines from Camp Pendleton, led by Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, are called in. Despite his plans to retire, Nantz is assigned to the 1st Platoon, Echo Company, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines under the command of 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez. The platoon sets up a forward operating base ...

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), aт American legal thriller film, was adapted from Michael Connelly’s 2005 novel of the same name. Mickey Haller, a criminal defense attorney, operates out of his black Lincoln Town Car in LA County, California. Earl Briggs serves as his chauffeur. Haller’s typical clients include low-level criminals such as Eddie Vogel, the leader of a biker gang. His ex-wife, Maggie McPherson, who shares a daughter with him, is a district attorney who disapproves of his choice of clientele. Unexpectedly, Haller is hired to represent Louis Roulet, a wealthy playboy from Beverly Hills and the son of ...

30 Minutes or Less (2011) is an American action comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer. It follows Nick Davis, a pizza delivery driver who struggles to meet the ’30 Minutes or Less’ policy, much to the dissatisfaction of his boss. In the midst of this, Nick’s longtime friend Chet learns that Nick had a fling with his twin sister, Kate, on their high school graduation night – leading Chet to end their friendship. Meanwhile, Dwayne Mikowlski and Travis Cord are unhappy and resentful living under Dwayne’s domineering father, Jerry ‘The Major’, who won big in the lottery a decade ...

The film, Tower Heist (2011), directed by Brett Ratner and written by Ted Griffin and Jeff Nathanson, is based on a story by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper, and Griffin. Josh Kovaks manages The Tower, a luxurious apartment complex in New York City with Wall Street mogul Arthur Shaw living in the penthouse. As a favor to Shaw, Josh entrusts him with the hotel staff’s pension ...

Eastbound & Down (2009–2013) is an American sports comedy television series that aired on HBO, created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride. The first season received an initial order of six episodes from HBO, with producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay at the helm. Ferrell’s production company, Gary Sanchez Productions, produced the show which premiered on February 15, 2009. The second season, consisting of seven ...

Lions for Lambs (2007), an American war drama film directed by Robert Redford, delves into the intertwined lives of a U.S. senator, soldiers in Afghanistan, a reporter, and a college professor in California. Dr. Malley, the idealistic professor, encourages his students Arian and Ernest to make a meaningful impact in the world after their graduation from West Coast University. Despite coming from different backgrounds, they both choose to enlist in the army and serve in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Dr. Malley also tries to connect with another student named Todd Hayes. Unlike Arian and Ernest, Todd comes from a privileged ...

The American docudrama disaster film, World Trade Center (2006), was directed by Oliver Stone and written by Andrea Berloff. It portrays the harrowing experience of a team of New York City police officers during the September 11 attacks, when they became trapped in the rubble of the collapsed World Trade Center. Dispatched to Downtown Manhattan on that fateful day, members of the Port Authority Police received news en route that both towers had been hit by planes. Led by Sergeant John McLoughlin, a veteran of the 1993 bombing, a group of volunteers including officers ...

Babel (2006), a psychological drama, was directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and written by Guillermo Arriaga. This multi-narrative film features an ensemble cast and interweaves stories set in Morocco, Japan, Mexico, and the United States. It is an international co-production between companies from the US, Mexico, and France, completing Arriaga and Iñárritu’s Death Trilogy that also includes Amores perros (2000) and 21 Grams (2003). The ...