Thriller: 228

Following (1998), independent neo-noir crime thriller, was Christopher Nolan’s debut feature film. In order to keep costs low, extensive rehearsals were conducted and only one or two takes were used to conserve the expensive 16mm film stock. As the production’s budget was limited, Nolan utilized natural lighting and his own salary to cover expenses. Additionally, he was involved in various aspects of the production process such as writing, directing, photographing, editing, and producing. The plot centers around a young man in London who becomes entangled in a ...

Playing God (1997) is an American dramatic crime thriller directed by Andy Wilson and written by Mark Haskell Smith. The protagonist, Eugene Sands, loses his medical license due to operating while under the influence of amphetamines and opiates. He gets entangled with a crime boss named Raymond Blossom after saving a stranger’s life in a bar with an emergency procedure to inflate their collapsed lung. Blossom hires Sands as his private doctor, tending to his associates when they cannot seek medical attention elsewhere, as well as providing care for the crime lord ...

Absolute Power (1997) is an American political action thriller film starring Clint Eastwood as a master jewel thief who witnesses the killing of a woman by Secret Service agents. In Washington, D.C., Luther Whitney breaks into the mansion of billionaire Walter Sullivan, only to find himself in hiding when Sullivan’s wife Christy arrives for a drunken rendezvous with Alan Richmond, the President of the United States. From his vantage point behind the bedroom vault’s one-way mirror, Whitney watches as Richmond becomes violent and Christy defends herself by wounding him with a letter opener. The situation ...

Conspiracy Theory (1997), a political action thriller directed by Richard Donner, follows the events surrounding New York City taxi driver and self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist Jerry Fletcher. Jerry frequently shares his ideas with Alice Sutton, a lawyer at the U.S. Justice Department whom he once saved from a mugging. Unbeknownst to her, Jerry also spies on her at her home. Meanwhile, Alice is focused on solving the mystery of her father’s murder. In a state of paranoia, Jerry becomes convinced that he has uncovered CIA agents and follows them into a building, where he is captured. During interrogation, he is ...

The Devil’s Own (1997), directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of Frankie McGuire and his involvement in the IRA. As a child, Frankie witnessed his father’s murder because of their republican beliefs. Twenty years later in Belfast, he and three other IRA members face an ambush by British forces. Despite losing two comrades, Frankie and Sean Phelan manage to escape with a British Army helicopter hot on their trail. In order to combat the British Army, Martin MacDuff decides that Stinger missiles are necessary for the IRA. Adopting the identity of ‘Rory Devaney’, Frankie heads to New York City ...

A British crime drama Face (1997) follows a group of five men – Ray, Dave, Stevie, Julian (nicknamed Julie), and Jason – as they plan to steal over £2 million. Utilizing a truck that has been modified into a battering ram, they successfully break into a security depot in London and make off with a substantial amount of money before the arrival of the police. However, upon counting their loot, they realize that it falls far short of their expectations and each only receives £68,000. Despite this disappointment, Julian still demands extra payment for his ‘expenses’, but is assaulted and confined in the trunk of Ray’s car until he agrees to ...

U Turn (1997) is a neo-noir crime thriller directed by renowned filmmaker Oliver Stone. The plot follows the story of Bobby Cooper, a struggling drifter who finds himself in a tough spot when his red 1964½ Ford Mustang Convertible breaks down in Superior, Arizona. Penniless and stranded, Bobby crosses paths with Jake and Grace McKenna, a married couple also facing their own financial struggles. Both Jake and Grace separately offer Bobby money to kill the other, leaving him desperate and filled with fear. Eventually, Bobby decides to pursue Grace’s proposition and eliminate Jake in order to start a new life ...

The American mystery thriller film, The Game (1997), directed by David Fincher, follows the story of Nicholas Van Orton – a self-absorbed investment banker in San Francisco. On his 48th birthday, Nicholas meets with his estranged younger brother, Conrad, who surprises him with a unique gift – a voucher for a ‘game’ offered by Consumer Recreation Services (CRS). Despite being skeptical at first, Nicholas decides to apply for the game at the CRS office. However, the extensive psychological and physical examinations he must undergo only serve to irritate him. Eventually, he is informed that his ...

Directed by Abel Ferrara, The Blackout (1997) is an American drama film starring popular actor Matthew Modine. It was featured at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, but not in competition. Matty, tired of the Hollywood lifestyle, relocates to Miami and proposes to his French girlfriend, also named Annie. However, she declines and reveals that she had an abortion. Feeling devastated about losing their baby (despite initially suggesting the abortion), Matty and his friend Micky decide to go on a wild night out. While at a nightclub, they meet another waitress named Annie and ...

The Secret Agent (1996), a British drama-thriller film written and directed by Christopher Hampton, is set in London during the late 19th century. This bustling city serves as a refuge for various political exiles, including refugees, partisans, and anarchists. One such exile is Verloc, who earns his living as a spy for the Russian government. In addition to this role, he also provides information to Chief Inspector Heat of the London police force. However, when the new Russian ambassador challenges Verloc to prove his loyalty or lose his salary, he sets in motion a tragic series of events involving his alluring wife ...

Ransom (1996) is an American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. While billionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean disappears from their sight. He is taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, the Mullens’ caterer, along with brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes, and tech expert Miles Roberts. As it turns out, NYPD Detective Jimmy Shaker, who is dating Maris, is the man behind Sean’s kidnapping. The kidnappers send an email ...

The black comedy crime film, Fargo (1996), was written, directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. In the year 1987, Jerry Lundegaard, an executive sales manager at a Minneapolis car dealership owned by his father-in-law, Wade Gustafson, finds himself in desperate need of money. He devises a plan to have his wife Jean kidnapped. Shep Proudfoot, a mechanic and convicted felon, sets up a meeting for Jerry in Fargo, North Dakota with criminals Carl Showalter and Gaear Grimsrud. They agree to carry out the job. In exchange for their services, Jerry gives them a new ...

The film Hackers (1995), directed by Iain Softley, follows the story of Dade ‘Zero Cool’ Murphy, a young hacker. At the age of 11, Dade caused a seven-point drop in the New York Stock Exchange and was fined $45,000. This resulted in a ban from using computers and touch-tone telephones until his 18th birthday. When that day arrives seven years later, Dade breaks into a local TV station and changes the broadcast. He is challenged by another hacker known as ‘Acid Burn’ and introduces himself as ‘Crash Override’. While at school, Dade becomes part of a group of hackers including Ramon ...

Nick of Time (1995), an American political action thriller film produced and directed by John Badham, follows the story of Gene Watson – a mild-mannered, separated and widowed accountant who arrives with his daughter Lynn at Union Station in Los Angeles. While Gene tries to make a pay phone call informing an unknown person about his delayed train, two mysterious strangers in suits – Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones – observe the station from a catwalk. They are discussing a yet-to-be-revealed plan. Soon, they notice Gene standing up against a skater who was bothering his daughter. Focusing their attention on ...

Citizen X (1995) is an American television film based on the true story of Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo. The film follows detectives in the 1980s as they work to capture an unknown serial killer responsible for the murder of women and children. Despite bureaucratic obstacles, forensic specialist Viktor Burakov leads an eight-year hunt for the perpetrator after a body is discovered on a collective farm in 1982. As they continue their search, seven more bodies are found in nearby woods, all showing signs of mutilation and murder. In total, 53 lives were taken, with 52 victims under the age of 35. Burakov’s rise to ...

Murder in the First (1995) is an American legal drama film directed by Marc Rocco and written by Dan Gordon. As a 17-year-old orphan, Henri Young is turned down for a job at a grocery store and resorts to stealing $5.00 to feed himself and his sister Rosetta. Despite their desperate circumstances, he is caught and arrested while Rosetta is sent to an orphanage. Since the store also housed a U.S. Post Office, his crime becomes a federal offense. Henri never reunites with Rosetta and receives a sentence at Leavenworth Penitentiary in Kansas. Years later, he is transferred ...

The Crossing Guard (1995) is an American independent drama film written and directed by Sean Penn, who also co-produced it. The story revolves around Freddy Gale, a former devoted husband and father who has become an alcoholic in the five years since his daughter Emily passed away. He spends his nights at strip clubs and having flings with the dancers. When John Booth, the drunk driver who killed Emily, is released from jail, Freddy tells his ex-wife Mary that he intends to seek revenge. Despite her pleas to reconsider, they end up in a heated argument which results in her new husband kicking Freddy out of their house. ...

The debut feature film directed by Danny Boyle, Shallow Grave (1994), follows chartered accountant David Stevens and his flatmates, physician Juliet Miller and journalist Alex Law in Edinburgh. In need of a new housemate, the trio conducts interviews in a cruel and calculated manner, taking pleasure in the applicants’ discomfort. They ultimately choose an enigmatic man named Hugo as their new roommate. However, shortly after moving in, the group discovers Hugo’s lifeless body from a suspected overdose along with a large sum of money in a suitcase. They make the decision to conceal his death and keep the ...

The action thriller film Clear and Present Danger (1994), directed by Phillip Noyce, is based on Tom Clancy’s novel of the same name. The plot centers around a United States Coast Guard vessel in the Caribbean Sea, which discovers an American yacht with evidence that its owner and passengers – businessman Peter Hardin and his family – were killed by the Colombian crew on board. CIA analyst Jack Ryan uncovers that Hardin was involved in money laundering for the notorious Cali Cartel in South America. It is revealed that drug lord Ernesto Escobedo ordered ...

The New Zealand film, Heavenly Creatures (1994), was directed by Peter Jackson and co-written by his partner, Fran Walsh. Set in 1952 Christchurch, the movie follows the story of two teenage girls: Juliet Hulme, a well-off 13-year-old English girl who moves to a new school, and Pauline Parker, a 14-year-old from a working-class background. Despite their differences, they form a strong bond over their shared experiences of childhood illness and isolation in hospitals. While Pauline is drawn to Juliet’s confident demeanor and beauty, she struggles with her own ...