Mystery: 104

Signs (2002), an American sci-fi horror movie, was both written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Graham Hess, a former Episcopal priest, resides on a rural farmland in Doylestown, Pennsylvania with his asthmatic son Morgan and daughter Bo. Since the tragic death of his wife Colleen in a car accident six months ago, Graham’s brother Merrill has been assisting the family. The incident caused Graham to leave the church behind. Initially, the appearance of large crop circles in their cornfield was attributed to vandals, but soon similar formations were reported globally, accompanied by hovering lights over cities. ...

Queen of the Damned (2002), a horror film directed by Michael Rymer and written by Scott Abbott and Michael Petroni, is based on the 1988 novel The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice. This adaptation incorporates elements from its prequel, The Vampire Lestat, published in 1985. A nu metal band’s music awakens the vampire Lestat de Lioncourt from a long slumber, prompting him to join as their lead singer. The ensemble, known as The Vampire Lestat, finds global ...

Vidocq (2001) is a mystery film, directed by Pitof. Set in 1830 Paris, the story follows private investigator Eugène Vidocq as he pursues a mysterious figure donning a cowl and mirrored mask. Their encounter leads Vidocq to a glass factory where they engage in a brutal fight that ultimately ends with Vidocq dangling from the ledge of a furnace room. In a desperate attempt to uncover his attacker’s identity, Vidocq begs him to reveal his face before succumbing to his fiery fate. Learning of Vidocq’s death, journalist Étienne Boisset seeks out his colleague René Nimier for information on his past to write his ...

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 ...

Storm of the Century (1999) is a horror television miniseries written by renowned author Stephen King and directed by Craig R. Baxley. In contrast to other TV adaptations of King’s work, this series stands out as an original screenplay created specifically for television. As the inhabitants of Little Tall Island, Maine prepare for a fierce blizzard in 1989, they are rocked by the brutal murder of elderly resident Martha Clarendon at the hands of a menacing stranger. Town manager Robbie Beals takes it upon himself to ...

Angel (1999–2004), an American supernatural TV series, is a spinoff of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It was created by Joss Whedon, who also created and directed Buffy. Along with David Greenwalt, Whedon produced the show which aired on The WB from October 5, 1999 to May 19, 2004 for five seasons and 110 episodes. Like its predecessor, Angel was also produced by Mutant Enemy. The show chronicles the challenges faced by Angel, a vampire whose soul was returned to him after a Romani curse as punishment ...

The Sixth Sense (1999) is a psychological thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Set in Philadelphia, the story follows child psychologist Malcolm Crowe, who is haunted by his past failure with a former patient named Vincent Grey. After breaking into Malcolm’s home, Vincent shoots Malcolm before taking his own life, leaving the psychologist grappling with guilt and regret. Months later, Malcolm embarks on a new case with nine-year-old Cole Sear, who reminds him of Vincent. Desperate to make amends for his previous shortcomings, Malcolm is determined to help Cole overcome his struggles and find ...

In Dreams (1999), a psychological thriller directed by Neil Jordan, is an adaptation of the novel Doll’s Eyes (1993) by Bari Wood. As a suburban housewife and mother, Claire Cooper spends her free time illustrating children’s stories while her husband Paul, an airline pilot, is often away for work (and possibly having an affair with his Australian co-worker). This leaves Claire to care for their daughter Rebecca, who is eight years old. Strange and hazy dreams ensue for Claire involving an underwater city and the murder of a young girl. Tragedy ...

The neo-noir horror thriller film, The Ninth Gate (1999), was directed, produced, and co-written by Roman Polanski. The main character, Dean Corso, is a rare book dealer from New York City who is hired by Boris Balkan, a wealthy collector. Balkan has obtained a copy of The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows, a book believed to have been written by 17th-century author Aristide Torchia in collaboration with the Devil. Only three copies are said to have survived when Torchia and his works were burned for heresy. In order to determine the authenticity of one of these copies, Balkan wants Corso to inspect the other two. ...

Tim Burton’s gothic supernatural horror film, Sleepy Hollow (1999), is a loose adaptation of Washington Irving’s short story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Set in 1799, the film follows New York City police constable Ichabod Crane as he investigates a string of brutal murders in the upstate Dutch hamlet. Among the insular town elders who receive him are wealthy Baltus Van Tassel, town doctor Thomas Lancaster, Reverend Steenwyck, notary James Hardenbrook, and magistrate Samuel Philipse. According to local beliefs, the killer is an undead headless ...

The American supernatural thriller film, Fallen (1998), directed by Gregory Hoblit, tells the story of Philadelphia Police Detective John Hobbes and his encounter with serial killer Edgar Reese. Many years after capturing Reese, Hobbes visits him on death row where he is met with a surprisingly upbeat demeanor. During their conversation, Reese grabs Hobbes’ hand and delivers a spiteful monologue in an unknown language, later identified as Syrian Aramaic. As Reese is executed, he taunts the onlookers and sings ‘Time Is on My Side’ by The Rolling Stones. After a series of murders resembling Reese’s ...

The American horror film, The Night Flier (1997), is an adaptation of Stephen King’s short story from 1988 with the same title. It follows Richard Dees, a skeptical journalist who lives by the motto ‘Never publish what you believe and never believe what you publish’. His boss at Inside View, Merton Morrison, tasks him with investigating a string of murders at small airports. The killer, known as Dwight Renfield, fancies himself a vampire. At first, Dees declines the assignment and it gets passed on to rookie reporter Katherine Blair. However, after two more killings occur at another airfield with ...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) is a popular American supernatural drama television series, written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is based on his 1992 film of the same name, although the two are separate productions. Whedon headed Mutant Enemy Productions as executive producer and showrunner. The show has been highly acclaimed, often being ranked among the greatest television series of all time. Original airings reached four to six million viewers, which was considered successful for the relatively new and smaller WB Television Network. While it did not receive ...

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 ...

Ghosts (1996), a short film, features Michael Jackson in the leading role. Directed by Stan Winston and written by Mick Garris and Stephen King, the film follows an odd individual with supernatural abilities as he faces eviction from a close-minded mayor in a small town. Jackson takes on five different characters throughout the film and showcases his dance skills to songs like ‘2 Bad’. The mayor of Normal Valley leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion of ...

Adam Grossman directed a film called Sometimes They Come Back… Again (1996). The story follows psychologist Jon Porter, who receives news of his mother’s sudden death. Accompanied by his teenage daughter Michelle, the two return to Jon’s hometown of Glenrock for the funeral. While there, they are confronted with haunting memories from thirty years ago when Jon’s older sister Lisa was brutally murdered by a group of teenagers while attempting a demonic ritual. After stopping the ritual by electrocuting the perpetrators, Jon has to face the painful memories once again. Meanwhile, Michelle befriends ...

Based on Anne Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name, Interview with the Vampire (1994) is an American gothic horror film directed by Neil Jordan. Set in late 20th century San Francisco, the movie follows reporter Daniel Molloy as he interviews Louis de Pointe du Lac, who claims to be a vampire. Initially skeptical, Molloy listens as Louis shares details of his life as a wealthy plantation owner in 1791 Louisiana. After experiencing the tragic loss of his wife and unborn child, Louis wanders the New Orleans waterfront one night and is attacked by Lestat de Lioncourt, a ...

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 ...

The Dark Half (1993) is a film based on Stephen King’s 1989 novel of the same name. It was both written and directed by George A. Romero. Thad Beaumont, a writer known for his acclaimed literary works, also has a successful career writing bestselling thrillers under the pseudonym ‘George Stark’. After deciding to retire his pen name, Beaumont symbolically buries ‘Stark’ in a fake grave. However, something strange happens – Stark takes on a physical form and begins terrorizing those close to Beaumont, starting with local photographer ...

Sleepwalkers (1992) is a horror film from the US, written by Stephen King and directed by Mick Garris. The protagonists, Charles Brady and his mother/lover Mary, are sleepwalkers. These shapeshifting energy vampires have the ability to change form into human-sized bipedal werecats at will. They typically take on a human appearance and possess telekinetic and illusion powers. However, their one weakness is domestic cats, which can see through their illusions and attack them with deadly results. Charles and Mary are nomads who have recently settled in Travis, Indiana after ...