Actor Willem Dafoe (1955)

Kinds of Kindness (2024), an absurdist black comedy anthology film, was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and co-written by Efthimis Filippou. It made its debut at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2024, where Plemons took home the Best Actor award. The film follows a ‘triptych fable’ structure and features three unique yet interconnected tales. 1. The Death of R.M.F. Robert Fletcher is completely under the thumb of his demanding boss and romantic partner, ...

An American historical action film, The Northman (2022), directed and co-written by Robert Eggers and Sjón respectively, portrays the return of King Aurvandill to the fictional island of Hrafnsey in AD 895. Accompanied by his wife, Queen Gudrún, and son, Prince Amleth, father and son partake in a ritual led by Aurvandill’s jester, Heimir. During the ceremony, Heimir reveals to Amleth that his future is predetermined and he must seek revenge for his father’s death rather than face dishonor. The following day, a treacherous coup by Amleth’s uncle Fjölnir ...

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 ...

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), a superhero film, is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. Following Quentin Beck’s deceitful actions, Peter Parker is wrongly accused of murder and his true identity as Spider-Man is exposed. This results in Peter, along with his girlfriend MJ, best friend Ned, and aunt May, being questioned by the Department of Damage Control. Fortunately, lawyer Matt Murdock successfully clears Peter’s name. However, the group must now deal with the consequences of their newfound notoriety. As things become increasingly ...

The French Dispatch (2021) is an American comedy drama film. Written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson from a story he co-created with Roman Coppola, Hugo Guinness, and Jason Schwartzman, it boasts a sprawling cast and tells three unique tales set within the fictional French foreign bureau of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun newspaper’s concluding edition. In the fictional French town of Ennui-sur-Blasé (translated as “boredom on jaded”), Arthur ...

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021), also known as the Snyder Cut, is a director’s cut of the 2017 American superhero film Justice League, which is part of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) based on DC Comics’ team of the same name. Centuries ago, Darkseid and his Parademons attempted to conquer Earth by harnessing the power of three Mother Boxes. However, they were thwarted by a united force consisting of Olympian Gods, Amazons, Atlanteans, humans and extraterrestrial beings. Afterwards, the Mother Boxes were scattered and concealed in different locations. In present day, Superman’s death at the hands of Doomsday[d] ...

Tommaso (2019) is an internationally co-produced drama written and directed by Abel Ferrara. This compelling film features award-winning actor Willem Dafoe as the main character. Making its debut at the prestigious 72nd Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2019, it later became available to American audiences on 5 June 2020 through Kino Lorber. The plot centers around a married couple living in Rome – an American artist and his young European wife – and their three-year-old daughter. According to review aggregation website Rotten ...

The American historical adventure film, Togo (2019), was directed by Ericson Core and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. It follows the story of Leonhard Seppala and his beloved sled dog during the 1925 serum run to Nome. The film alternates between Seppala’s early days with Togo, when he is initially raised as a puppy, and the intense journey they undertake years later. In Nome, Alaska in 1913, Seppala and his wife Constance add a Siberian Husky puppy to their pack of sledding dogs. Though Seppala suggests retiring him due to his small size, Constance has unwavering faith in the young dog. However, he proves to be ...

Motherless Brooklyn (2019) is a neo-noir crime flick from the United States, directed, produced and written by Edward Norton. Set in 1950s New York City, the story follows Lionel Essrog as he works at a detective agency with his colleagues: Gilbert Coney, Danny Fantl and Tony Vermonte. Frank Minna, their boss who saved them from an abusive orphanage when they were young, has given Lionel the nickname ‘Motherless Brooklyn’. Despite his Tourette Syndrome and OCD which can cause him to struggle in social situations, Lionel’s exceptional memory skills have made him a valuable detective. While working on a ...

Aquaman (2018), a superhero movie from Warner Bros. Pictures, is based on the DC character of the same name. In 1985 Maine, Thomas Curry, a lighthouse keeper, rescues Atlanna, queen of Atlantis, during a storm. They fall in love and have a son named Arthur who can communicate with sea creatures. However, when Atlantean soldiers arrive to take Atlanna back to her arranged marriage, she must leave her family for their safety. She promises to return when it’s safe and entrusts her advisor Nuidis Vulko to train Arthur. As Arthur becomes a skilled warrior, he learns that his mother was executed by King Orvax of Atlantis for loving a human and having an illegitimate ...

The mystery film, Murder on the Orient Express (2017), was co-produced and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Michael Green wrote the screenplay, based on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel of the same name. It was winter in 1934 when the eccentric yet famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot traveled to the Middle East for both business and pleasure. Despite First Class being sold out during this time of year, Poirot was able to secure a cabin at the last minute thanks to his friend Bouc, who worked for the railroad and happened ...

The film, The Great Wall (2016), was directed by Zhang Yimou and written by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, Tony Gilroy, Max Brooks, Edward Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz. In a distant time period, a group of European mercenaries are on a quest in the Far East to find valuable black powder. During their journey, they are ambushed by an ...

John Wick (2014), an American action thriller film directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Derek Kolstad, tells the story of a grieving man in New York City. After the death of his wife Helen, John receives a beagle puppy from her to help him cope. However, a group of Russian gangsters led by Iosef Tarasov approach John at a gas station, attempting to intimidate him into selling them his prized 1969 Boss 429 Mustang. When their efforts fail, they break into John’s home, attacking him and ultimately killing the puppy while stealing the car. In an attempt to remove ...

Bad Country (2014) is an American crime drama film based on a true story. Set in 1983 in the South Louisiana bayou country, Lt. Bud Case from the Baton Rouge PD makes a breakthrough by arresting Jesse Weiland, known for his involvement in various criminal activities and a previous rap sheet. This comes after an undercover operation targeting a precious gems fencing operation run by Weiland. Despite current charges of possible weapons and burglary charges against him which could send him to prison for decades, Case suspects there may be more to Weiland’s involvement due to his calm demeanor. In other words, he believes Weiland has powerful connections that could ...

The comedy-drama film, The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), is written and directed by Wes Anderson. A teenage girl pays a visit to the monument of the author who wrote ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ and finds inspiration in his story. This author was inspired to write the book during his stay at the once-luxurious hotel located in the European mountainous country formerly known as Zubrowka. Despite its current dilapidated state in 1968, the hotel holds a special place in the heart of its owner, Mr. Zero Moustafa. He shares with the author how he came to acquire it and why he continues to keep it open despite not ...

Pasolini (2014) is an internationally co-produced drama, directed by Abel Ferrara and written by Maurizio Braucci, that delves into the final days of Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini. At fifty-three years old, Pasolini lives in the chaotic Rome of the 1970s. He has recently wrapped up filming his controversial piece, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, which has sparked outrage among critics and viewers alike. The public’s disapproval towards Pasolini’s homosexuality and his bold approach to showcasing reality only grows stronger. As he prepares to ...

The Fault in Our Stars (2014), directed by Josh Boone and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, is an American coming-of-age romance film based on John Green’s 2012 novel of the same name. Hazel Grace Lancaster, an Indianapolis teenager with thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs, attends a weekly cancer patient support group at the urging of her mother who believes she may be depressed. There she meets Augustus ‘Gus’ Waters, who is there to ...

A Most Wanted Man (2014), an espionage thriller based on the 2008 novel by John le Carré, is directed by Anton Corbijn and written by Andrew Bovell. Political refugee Issa Karpov, who suffered torture at the hands of Russian security forces, illegally enters Hamburg, Germany. Günther Bachmann leads a covert team working for the German government to enlist local informants with ties to terrorist organizations. His trusted associate, Irna Frey, is the complete opposite in terms of organization and appearance. The team ...

Out of the Furnace (2013), an American crime drama film directed by Scott Cooper and written by Cooper and Brad Ingelsby, follows steel mill worker Russell Baze as he deals with his brother Rodney’s involvement in illegal gambling. After seeing Rodney at a horse racing simulcast, Russell learns that he borrowed money from John Petty, who runs unlawful games at his bar. Russell visits Petty, pays off part of the debt, and promises to cover the rest. However, after driving home drunk one night, Russell causes a fatal ...

A movie John Carter (2012) tells the story of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ uncle who passed away unexpectedly. The film was directed and written by Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon respectively, and is based on the Barsoom novel series. At the time of his uncle’s death in 1881, Burroughs learned that John had requested to be buried in a tomb that only he could open from inside. He was also given John’s personal journal to read by his lawyer. The plot then rewinds back to 1868 when Carter ...