Anonymous Content (USA): 19

Stillwater (2021), an American film directed by Tom McCarthy, follows the story of Bill Baker, a Stillwater, Oklahoma oil worker who travels to Marseille to visit his daughter Allison. Allison is five years into serving a nine-year prison sentence for the murder of her roommate and unfaithful lover, Lina. While in Marseille, Bill meets with Allison’s defense lawyer, Mrs. Leparq, to pass along a letter from Allison. The letter contains information about a potential new suspect in Lina’s murder heard from Allison’s former professor. Despite Bill’s efforts to convince her otherwise, Leparq dismisses ...

The Midnight Sky (2020), a film directed by George Clooney, is based on the 2016 novel Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Augustine Lofthouse, a reclusive academic, has dedicated his life to searching for habitable planets in hopes of humanity’s expansion. He meets Jean Sullivan at a gala following a presentation and they begin a romantic relationship. However, after a pregnancy scare, she leaves him due to his work fixation and difficulty connecting with others. Years later, when they cross paths again, Jean reveals they have a daughter together ...

The biographical film, Worth (2020), was directed by Sara Colangelo and written by Max Borenstein. It opens with Kenneth Feinberg teaching a class at Columbia University about the monetary worth placed on a person’s life in the eyes of the law. This comes into play when Feinberg is later appointed as the Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund after the terrorist attacks. His law partner, Camille Biros, joins him as his administrative deputy. To determine payouts for victims, Feinberg creates a strict formula based on their income. He is also ...

Based on William Landay’s 2012 novel, Defending Jacob (2020) is an American crime drama miniseries produced by Apple TV+. Created and written by Mark Bomback and directed by Morten Tyldum, the series has received positive reviews from critics for its strong performances (particularly from Evans, Dockery, and Martell), emotional depth, and ambiguity. However, some have ...

The Hulu miniseries Catch-22 (2019) is a dark comedy based on Joseph Heller’s novel of the same name. It follows Captain John Yossarian, a WWII bombardier stationed on the island of Pianosa. As an individualist, Yossarian constantly seeks ways to protect his own life. However, due to the army’s confusing regulations, he finds himself unable to escape his duties through illness or leave. Despite witnessing countless tragedies and the disregard of higher-ups for their well-being, Yossarian cannot use insanity as an excuse to go home because of Catch-22. The show follows ...

The Tomorrow Man (2019), an American drama written and directed by Noble Jones in his directorial debut, features a star-studded cast including John Lithgow, Blythe Danner, Derek Cecil, Katie Aselton, Sophie Thatcher, and Eve Harlow. Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2019, the film was later released by ...

Homecoming (2018–2020) is an American psychological thriller TV series based on the Gimlet Media podcast of the same name. It was created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg and first premiered on Amazon Prime Video on November 2, 2018. Heidi Bergman, a former social worker, had worked at the Homecoming Transitional Support Center under the Geist Group – a live-in facility that supposedly helped soldiers adjust to civilian life. However, four years later, Bergman has moved on and now works as a waitress. She struggles to remember her time at Homecoming until a U.S. ...

The film Outlaw King (2018) follows the story of Robert the Bruce, a Scottish king in the 14th century during the Scottish Wars of Independence. In 1304, while outside of Stirling Castle under siege, Robert and other Scottish nobles including John Comyn surrender to Edward I of England. Edward demands their homage as a condition for regaining their land. Robert then engages in a sparring match with Edward’s son, Prince Edward, and is later married to Elizabeth de Burgh, who happens to be Edward’s goddaughter. Lord James Douglas also arrives, seeking to reclaim his ancestral lands but is rejected due to his family’s alleged treason. As the King and ...

13 Reasons Why (2017–2020) is an American teen drama television series created for Netflix by Brian Yorkey, based on the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why written by Jay Asher. It centers around high school student Clay Jensen and the aftermath of his fellow classmate Hannah Baker’s suicide. The story takes place in the fictional county of Evergreen, California, and primarily follows Liberty High student Clay as he receives a set of cassette tapes at his front porch. These tapes were recorded by Hannah, who tragically killed herself two weeks prior, and they ...

Counterpart (2017–2019) is a science fiction thriller TV show featuring J.K. Simmons, created by Justin Marks and initially aired on the Starz network. Across two seasons totaling 20 episodes, viewers follow the story of Howard Silk, a quiet and meek employee at the Berlin-based Office of Interchange (OI). Despite his three decades with the United Nations agency, his low position prevents him from understanding his role in exchanging seemingly nonsensical messages. The OI oversees a checkpoint between parallel Earths (known as ‘Alpha’ and ‘Prime’) ...

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 ...

Triple 9 (2016) is an action thriller directed by John Hillcoat and written by Matt Cook. In Atlanta, a group of dishonest law enforcement and seasoned criminals, including Marcus Belmont (played by Anthony Mackie), Franco Rodriguez, and Gabe and Russell Welch, are coerced by the Russian Mob into robbing a heavily guarded bank in broad daylight. Terrell Thompkins, an ex-special forces member now working in the private sector, leads the team. Unhappy with the job, Irina Vaslov, head of the mob, takes Terrell’s family hostage and demands they rob a safe house for ...

Spotlight (2015) is a biographical drama film directed and co-written by Tom McCarthy. It follows the story of a group of journalists in Boston, who uncover a scandal involving sexual abuse within the Catholic Church. In 1976, two police officers discuss the arrest of Fr. John Geoghan for molesting children. An important church official meets with the victims’ mother, and an assistant district attorney enters to stress the significance of keeping this information from the media. Despite the severity of the situation, Geoghan is freed and no public statement is made. Fast forward to 2001, when Marty Baron takes ...

Directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, The Revenant (2015) is an American Western action drama film based on the experiences of frontiersman Hugh Glass in 1823. The screenplay, written by Mark L. Smith and Iñárritu, was adapted from Michael Punke’s 2002 novel of the same name and inspired by the 1915 poem The Song of Hugh Glass. In late 1823, Glass leads Captain Andrew Henry’s trappers through present-day ...

The popular American anthology crime drama television series True Detective (2014–2024) was created by Nic Pizzolatto and first aired on HBO in 2014. Each season features a new narrative, cast, and setting. The initial season was met with critical acclaim and impressive ratings for HBO, winning numerous awards for its exceptional acting, cinematography, writing, and direction. While the second season received mixed reviews, it still maintained high viewership. The third season was positively reviewed but experienced a decrease in viewership. Now in its fourth season, titled True Detective: Night Country and set ...

The psychological drama film, The Beaver (2011), was helmed by director Jodie Foster and penned by Kyle Killen. Walter Black, a troubled CEO of Jerry Co., is evicted from his home by his wife, much to the satisfaction of their eldest son Porter. He relocates to a hotel where he makes multiple attempts at taking his own life. However, his situation takes a turn when he adopts an alternative persona manifested through a discarded hand puppet shaped like a beaver. Donning the puppet at all times, Walter communicates exclusively as the beaver, aiding in his recovery process. ...

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 ...

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004), directed by Michel Gondry, follows Joel Barish as he discovers that his ex-girlfriend, Clementine Kruczynski, has had her memories of him deleted by the New York company Lacuna. In a heartbroken state, Joel decides to undergo the same procedure and records a tape recounting their tumultuous relationship. While he sleeps in his apartment, the Lacuna staff work on his brain to erase any trace of their time together. During this process, one employee named Patrick leaves to visit Clementine and uses their shared memories to try to win her over. Meanwhile, other employees Stan ...

50 First Dates (2004) is a romantic comedy directed by Peter Segal. The movie follows Henry Roth, a marine veterinarian at Sea Life Park Hawaii on Oahu, who has a unique dating approach – he only dates tourists to avoid getting too serious. Henry’s circle of friends includes Ula, an Islander who loves smoking marijuana; Alexa, his androgynous assistant; Willy, his beloved pet African penguin; and Jocko, the friendly park walrus. One day, while waiting for the Coast Guard at the Hukilau Café after his boat breaks down, Henry meets Lucy Whitmore, an art teacher who is making architectural art with her waffles. ...