Columbia Pictures (USA): 161

Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) is an American legal drama film that follows the journey of a lawyer named Roman J. Israel. Working at a small law firm in Los Angeles, Roman earns $500 weekly and specializes in preparing briefs for clients’ civil rights cases. His partner William Jackson, a renowned professor, handles courtroom appearances while Roman struggles with the social aspect of his job. Despite this challenge, Roman has dedicated years of his life to crafting a brief that he believes will bring change to the unjust use of plea bargaining in the justice system. He may lack social skills, but makes up for it with a remarkable memory and strong personal ...

Blade Runner 2049 (2017), a neo-noir sci-fi masterpiece from 2017, was directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Hampton Fancher and Michael Green. It takes place in a world approximately two decades after the downfall of the Tyrell Corporation, the original creators and manufacturers of replicants – bioengineered superhumans. The collapse of natural ecosystems prompted industrialist Niander Wallace to develop a new generation of replicants for synthetic farming, effectively saving the planet. While the earlier ...

The American biographical drama film, Only the Brave (2017), was directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ken Nolan and Eric Warren Singer. It is based on Sean Flynn’s GQ article No Exit. In 2007, Eric Marsh of the Prescott Fire Department in Arizona faces frustration while battling forest fires. The distant Type 1 or ‘Hotshot’ crews overrule his operational suggestions causing sorrow for his area. To change this dynamic, Marsh gains approval from ...

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) is a superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character, co-produced by Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is the second Spider-Man film reboot and the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Peter Parker, a 15-year-old high school student and protégé of Tony Stark, returns to Queens, New York. As he tries to balance school with his superhero identity, Peter eagerly awaits the opportunity to prove himself as an Avenger. However, Stark decides to keep him under close supervision, concerned that Peter may take on more ...

The Magnificent Seven (2016), directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk, is a modern retelling of the acclaimed 1960 film with the same title. Inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, Fuqua brings his unique vision to this classic story. The town of Rose Creek is under the ruthless control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue, and the desperate townspeople turn to seven outlaws, ...

Ghostbusters (2016) is an American supernatural comedy film directed by Paul Feig, who co-wrote it with Katie Dippold. Due to the original cast’s refusal and the passing of Harold Ramis in 2014, Sony Pictures decided to reboot the series. Some familiar faces from the first film and their relatives make brief appearances in new roles, while Ramis is honored in the closing credits. Paranormal researcher Abby Yates and physicist Erin Gilbert team up to prove the existence of ghosts in modern society. When strange ...

Passengers (2016) is an American science-fiction romance film directed by Morten Tyldum and written by Jon Spaihts. The spaceship Avalon, carrying 5,000 colonists and 258 crew members in hibernation pods, embarks on a 120-year voyage from Earth to the planet Homestead II as part of a mass exodus due to environmental destruction. However, after only three decades, an asteroid collision causes damage to the ship’s defenses and results in mechanical engineer Jim Preston awakening ninety years too soon. Alone except for the android bartender Arthur, Jim becomes ...

Inferno (2016), an American action mystery thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by David Koepp, is loosely based on the novel of the same name by Dan Brown. Following his involvement in halting an antimatter threat at the Vatican, Harvard professor Robert Langdon wakes up in a Florence hospital with no recollection of recent events, but haunted by terrifying visions. His attending physician, Dr. Sienna Brooks, explains that his amnesia is a result of being shot in the head. A staff member warns them that police have arrived to question Langdon, but it turns ...

The film The Brothers Grimsby (2016) is a hilarious blend of spy action and comedy, directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Sacha Baron Cohen, Phil Johnston, and Peter Baynham. The main character, Kyle Alan ‘Nobby’ Butcher, had been estranged from his younger brother Sebastian for almost three decades. During their time apart, Nobby became a hard-drinking football hooligan who settled down with his girlfriend Dawn and their 11 children in Grimsby. Meanwhile, ...

Risen (2016), a biblical drama film directed and written by Kevin Reynolds and Paul Aiello respectively, tells the story of Clavius, a Roman Tribune from Legio X Fretensis. In charge of overseeing the crucifixion of Yeshua (Jesus), Clavius orders his men to guard the body after his death. However, the body mysteriously disappears and the soldiers accuse Yeshua’s followers of stealing it in order to fabricate his resurrection. To prevent an uprising in Jerusalem before the Emperor’s arrival, Pontius Pilate tasks ...

Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) is an American animated monster comedy film created by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation with support from LStar Capital. Produced by Sony Pictures Imageworks and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, it continues the story of Mavis and Johnny following their marriage, which was approved by her father Count Dracula. As they prepare for their son Dennis’s fifth birthday, Drac grows concerned that the child has yet to develop vampire powers. To protect him from potential dangers in Transylvania, Mavis suggests moving to Johnny’s hometown of Santa Cruz, California for a more ‘normal’ upbringing, much to ...

Spectre (2015) is the latest James Bond film produced by Eon Productions. Tasked with a mission by his former boss, M, MI6 agent James Bond foils a bombing attempt at a Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City. After recovering a telltale octopus ring from the deceased attacker, Marco Sciarra, Bond uncovers his involvement with an enigmatic organization. However, upon returning to London, the new M – Gareth Mallory – reprimands Bond for acting without authorization. Meanwhile, M finds himself embroiled in a power struggle with Max Denbigh (dubbed ‘C’ by Bond), Director-General of the newly formed Joint Intelligence Service that combines ...

The Equalizer (2014) is an American action-thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Richard Wenk. Robert McCall, a former U.S. Marine and DIA / DCS officer, now leads a quiet life in Boston, working at a hardware store and helping his colleague Ralphie train to become a security guard. Often unable to sleep, Robert spends late nights reading at an all-night diner, where he has befriended teenager Teri. They often discuss the books Robert has been reading and his goal of reading 100 books, which was also his late wife’s goal. One night, Teri reveals her real ...

The war film, The Monuments Men (2014), was both directed and written by George Clooney with Grant Heslov as producer. As the Allies made progress pushing back the Axis powers in Italy in 1943, Frank Stokes convinced President Roosevelt that preserving the artistic treasures of Western civilization was crucial. In response, Stokes was tasked with assembling a specialized Army unit, known as the ‘Monuments Men’, consisting of museum directors, curators, art historians, and an architect. Their mission was two-fold: to advise Allied units and recover stolen art ...

Director José Padilha brought the American science-fiction action film, RoboCop (2014), to life with screenwriters Joshua Zetumer, Edward Neumeier, and Michael Miner. This remake of the 1987 original is the fourth in the franchise. The story explores a futuristic world where multinational corporation OmniCorp introduces robotic peacekeepers to maintain law and order. CEO Raymond Sellars leads the company’s efforts to market this advanced technology to domestic law ...

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 ...

The American superhero film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) is based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It follows the story of former Oscorp scientist and businessman Richard Parker, who records a video message explaining his sudden disappearance along with his wife Mary. They try to escape on a private jet, but unfortunately, it is taken over by an assassin and crashes, resulting in the couple’s death. In present day, one year after defeating Dr. Curt Connors, their son Peter continues to use his powers as Spider-Man to fight crime and successfully captures notorious criminal Aleksei Sytsevich. However, due to concerns about his relationship ...

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 ...

The American fantasy comedy film, The Smurfs 2 (2013), is based on the beloved comic book series created by Belgian artist Peyo. It takes place two years after the first film and centers around Smurfette’s birthday. The Smurfs share the story of how she was originally created by their enemy, Gargamel, but was rescued by Papa Smurf and transformed into a true blue Smurf. However, Smurfette begins to question her identity and has nightmares about her origins. As her birthday approaches, the other Smurfs plan a surprise party for her but try to keep it a secret, causing Smurfette to think they have forgotten about ...

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013), released in 2013, is an American animated sci-fi comedy produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures respectively. It follows the journey of scientist Flint Lockwood, who previously saved his island Chewandswallow from his invention, the ‘Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator’ (or FLDSMDFR). In the midst of evacuating residents and cleaning up the food on the island with the help of CEO Chester V and his company Live Corp, Flint accepts a job offer from Chester himself. However, while competing for a promotion at Live Corp, Flint accidentally embarrasses himself with ...