Warner Independent Pictures (USA): 4

Paul Haggis wrote and directed the American crime drama film, In the Valley of Elah (2007). The story follows Hank Deerfield, a retired military police sergeant living in Monroe, Tennessee with his wife Joan. On November 1, 2004, Hank receives news that his son Mike, a soldier who had recently returned from Iraq, is missing. Determined to find him, Hank makes the trip to New Mexico where Mike’s base is located. Along the way, he stops to help a school custodian raise the American flag correctly. At Fort Rudd, he meets Mike’s squad and manages to sneak away with his son’s cell phone from his belongings. ...

A Scanner Darkly (2006), directed and written by Richard Linklater and based on Philip K. Dick’s novel of the same name, tells the story of a United States that has failed in its fight against drugs. The country is plagued by Substance D, a potent drug that causes strange hallucinations and has resulted in approximately 20% of the population becoming addicted. In an effort to combat the epidemic, the government has implemented an extensive surveillance system and enlisted undercover agents and informants. One such agent is Bob Arctor, tasked with infiltrating the ...

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) is a riveting historical drama directed by George Clooney that delves into the world of American television news. At a gathering titled ‘A Salute to Edward R Murrow’ on October 25, 1958, Murrow delivers a powerful speech addressing Senator McCarthy and other prominent figures. The film then transports us back to October 14, 1953 at CBS Studios, where an on-screen caption reveals McCarthy’s claim of over 200 Communists in the US government. With this latest development, Fred Friendly and the news team discuss potential stories for their upcoming episodes. Murrow makes it ...

The Jacket (2005), an American science-fiction psychological thriller film directed by John Maybury, begins with Jack Starks as an active soldier in the Gulf War. Through his voice-over, we learn that he was 27 when he died for the first time. While on duty, he is ambushed and shot in the head by a young boy. One year later, Jack is portrayed as a solitary figure, hitch-hiking along a snowy road. He comes across a broken-down pick up truck occupied by Jean Price, an intoxicated mother, and her daughter who appears to be around eight or ten years old. Despite Jean’s erratic behavior and vomiting episodes, the girl ...