Actor William Hurt (1950)

A film Black Widow (2021), based on Marvel Comics, follows the titular character as she navigates a complex web of espionage and betrayal. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 24th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In 1995, undercover agents Alexei Shostakov and Melina Vostokoff pose as a family in Ohio with “daughters” Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. Their mission: to steal S.H.I.E.L.D. intel and flee to Cuba where their boss, General Dreykov, trains Romanoff and Belova to become deadly Widows. In the years that follow, Shostakov is imprisoned while Romanoff and Belova ...

Condor (2018–2020) is a thriller series based on James Grady’s novel Six Days of the Condor and its 1975 film adaptation Three Days of the Condor, written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and David Rayfiel. The show features Max Irons in the lead role. Created by Todd Katzberg, Jason Smilovic, and Ken Robinson, it ...

Captain America: Civil War (2016), a superhero film from Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, follows the events of the first two Captain America movies. As political leaders question the actions of heroes like Captain America and Iron Man, the two find themselves on opposite sides. Tony Stark believes in regulation, while Steve Rogers disagrees. This disagreement leads to a rift within their team, The Avengers. At a United Nations meeting to discuss regulation, an explosion kills several individuals, including T’Chaka, King of Wakanda. The investigation reveals that Bucky Barnes (aka the Winter Soldier), a friend of Captain America ...

The film Winter’s Tale (2014), adapted from Mark Helprin’s novel of the same name, tells the story of a young immigrant couple in 1895. Unfortunately, they are denied entry into Manhattan due to their consumption (Tuberculosis). Unable to bring their infant son with them, they are forced to return to their ship, City of Justice. In a desperate act, they place their baby inside a model of the ship and watch him float to shore in New York City. Twenty-one years later, the boy has been raised as a thief by a supernatural demon posing as a gangster named Pearly Soames. When Peter decides to leave Pearly’s ...

Too Big to Fail (2011) is an American biographical drama that aired on HBO. Directed by Curtis Hanson and written by Peter Gould, the film was based on Andrew Ross Sorkin’s non-fiction book of the same name. It received multiple nominations at the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards. The plot revolves around the 2008 mortgage industry crisis and the sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase with Federal guarantees. As news of this spreads, short sellers shift their focus to another investment bank, Lehman Brothers. Despite trying ...

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 ...

The American superhero film, The Incredible Hulk (2008), is based on the Marvel Comics character and marks the second installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At Virginia’s Culver University, General Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross meets with Dr. Bruce Banner, who happens to be his daughter Betty’s colleague and boyfriend. Ross discusses an experiment that is meant to make humans immune to gamma radiation, part of a World War II-era ‘super soldier’ program he wishes to revive. Unfortunately, the experiment fails and Banner is exposed to gamma radiation causing him to transform into the Hulk whenever his heart rate rises ...

The American psychological thriller film, Mr. Brooks (2007), directed by Bruce A. Evans and starring Kevin Costner, follows the story of Earl Brooks. Despite appearing as a respected businessman in Portland, Oregon, Brooks leads a secret life as a serial killer. Struggling to control his ‘killing addiction’, Brooks eventually gives in to his id, Marshall, and murders a young couple in their bedroom. This pattern of leaving a thumbprint on the lampshade earned him the moniker ‘Thumbprint Killer’. His methodical approach includes meticulous ...

The American biographical adventure drama film, Into the Wild (2007), was written, co-produced, and directed by Sean Penn. Based on the 1996 non-fiction book by Jon Krakauer of the same name, it tells the story of Chris McCandless who arrives in Healy, a remote area just north of Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Upon realizing McCandless’ lack of preparedness, the man who gives him a ride provides him with gumboots. McCandless then sets up camp in an abandoned city bus that he dubs ‘The Magic Bus’. Enjoying his solitude and surrounded by ...

The non-hosted anthology series, Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King (2006), originally aired on TNT in the summer of 2006. This eight-episode adaptation features a collection of short stories by King, primarily from the book of the same name. While most are from this specific collection, there are also some stories taken from other works written by King. Produced jointly between Australia and the US, the series was filmed entirely in Melbourne, Victoria. The episodes include Battleground (1) where a contract killer becomes the target of ...

The American spy film, The Good Shepherd (2006), was both produced and directed by Robert De Niro. Following the disastrous end of the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, suspicions arise about a potential ‘mole’ within the CIA. Senior officer Edward Wilson returns home to find a photograph and audio tapes that have been tampered with, leaving some details unclear. Flashing back to his time at Yale University in 1939, Wilson is invited to join the Skull and Bones fraternity where he reveals that he discovered but never read his father’s suicide note. His father, an admiral who had been considered for ...

Syriana (2005), an American political thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, is loosely based on Robert Baer’s 2003 memoir See No Evil. The movie was filmed in over 200 locations across five continents, including the Middle East, Washington D.C., and Africa. In an interview with Charlie Rose, Gaghan revealed that the film draws from his personal experiences meeting and interviewing powerful figures such as oil owners, media moguls, lobbyists, ...

The Village (2004), an American period thriller film written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, is set in 19th-century Pennsylvania. The small, isolated village is plagued by mysterious humanoid-creatures that inhabit the nearby woods. To protect themselves, watchtowers and tall poles with oil lamps are positioned around the perimeter of the village. Additionally, the elders have forbidden the color red as it seems to attract the creatures. When a young villager dies, Lucius Hunt asks for permission to venture through the woods to retrieve medicine from ‘the towns’, but his request is denied. His ...

Changing Lanes (2002) is an American drama thriller film directed by Roger Michell, featuring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson as the main characters. In New York City, two men find themselves in a rush to get to court for very different reasons. One is a recovering alcoholic named Doyle Gipson, who is fighting for joint custody of his sons after attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to maintain sobriety. The other is Gavin Banek, a successful Wall Street attorney, who needs to file an important document before ...

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) is an American science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. Set in the 22nd century, rising sea levels caused by global warming have decimated cities and drastically reduced the world’s population. To fill the void left by human loss, Mecha humanoid robots have been created to take their place. In Madison, New Jersey, David – a prototype Mecha child programmed to feel love – is given to Henry Swinton and his wife Monica. They had lost their son Martin to a rare disease and he remains in suspended animation. While initially distant towards David, Monica ...

The American comedy fantasy film, Michael (1996), was directed by Nora Ephron. The National Mirror is a tabloid publication known for its coverage of unexplainable phenomena. Upon receiving a story tip about a woman coexisting with an angel in Iowa, editor Vartan Malt selects three staff members to investigate: Frank Quinlan, Huey Driscoll (photographer and owner of the Mirror star Sparky the Wonder Dog), and Dorothy Winters (hired to replace Driscoll). During their visit to the small town’s boarding house of Pansy Milbank, they meet Michael – a winged and cookie-scented being with a surprising fondness for ...

I Love You to Death (1990) is an American black comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan. Set in Tacoma, Washington, the story follows Italian American Joey Boca as he confesses his infidelity to a priest during church. Despite admitting to cheating on his wife Rosalie with several women over the past few weeks, Joey struggles to remember the exact number and details of his affairs. His lack of remorse shocks the priest. Joey and Rosalie have been married for years and share two children, while also co-owning a pizza parlor and an apartment building. As the manager of the building, Joey often rents apartments to his ...

Alice (1990), an American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Alice Tate. Alice is an upper-class Manhattan homemaker who indulges in shopping, beauty treatments, and gossip with her friends. After being married to the wealthy Doug for 16 years, their two children are primarily raised by a nanny. One day, she meets Joe Ruffalo, a handsome jazz musician, and feels drawn to him. Despite her Catholic guilt for these emotions, which eventually manifest as a backache, she seeks help from Dr. Yang – an Asian herbalist who hypnotizes her. Under hypnosis, Alice reveals ...

The Big Chill (1983), an American comedy-drama directed by Lawrence Kasdan, follows a group of University of Michigan alumni and close friends as they gather at the Tidalholm plantation in Beaufort, South Carolina for the funeral of their friend Alex Marshall, who died by suicide. They all stay with Sarah and Harold Cooper during their visit. Along with Alex’s girlfriend Chloe, the group includes Sam Weber, a television actor; Meg Jones, a former public defender now working as a real-estate attorney; Michael Gold, a journalist for People magazine; Nick Carlton, a Vietnam vet struggling with drug addiction; Karen ...