Sit here and die

Things escalate very quickly. One person falls ill, and soon the entire small town is plagued by a severe epidemic. Because of the outbreak, there are plans to destroy the town anyway—to wipe it off the map, to burn it to the ground. Escape is the only option. Breck Eisner’s The Crazies (2010) is an excellent zombie romp that ticks all the right boxes, yet it has gone largely unnoticed and faded into obscurity.

Turbulence is inevitable

It’s basically non-stop action right from the opening minutes. The pace is so relentless that you don’t even have a moment to think. After all, there’s a bomb in the car, and it’ll go boom if you make even a single wrong move. Pretty wild stuff. But entertaining enough.

Free the soul with fire

Most people know Charley Boorman from his travel series (especially the ones with Ewan McGregor), but he has also done some acting. The Emerald Forest (1985) is one of his acting credits—directed by his father, John Boorman. His father also cast him in some of his most famous works, Excalibur (1981) and Deliverance (1972). In The Emerald Forest, an indigenous tribe in the Brazilian rainforest kidnaps the son of engineer Bill Markham (Powers Boothe), and the boy grows up among the natives. As the father searches for his son, the jungle reveals both its most magnificent and its darkest secrets. It is a good adventure film, despite—or perhaps alongside—its somewhat message-driven (albeit important) tone.

Last day in heaven

Four people who have attempted suicide are given the chance to see what their futures would look like had they not taken their own lives, as well as the opportunity to return. Paolo Genovese tackles a taboo subject in a manner that is direct yet sufficiently moving, and the story unfolds in a wonderfully captivating way.

Knowing it’s the hope that kills you, that kills you.

Slow Horses is arguably the best series currently in production. The disheveled yet sharp-witted Jackson Lamb (an excellent Gary Oldman) and his motley crew of slightly unorthodox agents always seem to stay one step ahead of other intelligence agencies thanks to their unique brand of deduction, and their methods are more straightforward. It makes for fun, relaxing, and hellishly entertaining viewing.

Darkness is a color

One of the best films of the year. One of the most memorable. And one of the most terrifying. The film was directed by Curry Barker born in 1999. That means he was only 26 when he made Obsession. What a brilliant career lies ahead of him, provided he continues along this path! Here he successfully maintained an atmosphere of fear and eeriness throughout the film. Amidst the constant tension, anything could happen. And it did! A deliciously good horror movie. 

Thunder forth, God of War

Lincoln (2012) features a stellar ensemble cast and Steven Spielberg’s reliably brilliant direction, yet Daniel Day-Lewis steals the show; he commands such attention that everything else pales in comparison. Even he, however, cannot overcome the dialogue-heavy screenplay, which inevitably makes the story feel like it is treading water at times.

Too many prayers for an innocent man

Prisoners escape from a Siberian prison camp and trek thousands of kilometers to safety in India—hell, that’s bound to make you hungry and thirsty, and you’d certainly miss home, too! Peter Weir’s The Way Back (2010) is a superb survival drama that vividly portrays the extreme suffering of the escapees and the constant presence of death. The cast includes, among others, Ed Harris, Colin Farrell, Saoirse Ronan, Jim Sturgess, and Gustav Skarsgård.

A throne covered with velvet

A somewhat frightening, claustrophobic chaos envelops German-speaking Spanish settlers as they search for the mythical city of gold El Dorado somewhere deep within the Amazon and its dense rainforests. Klaus Kinski’s performance, in all its intensity, is unique. This film by Werner Herzog is disturbing but, in its own way, very beautiful. Released in1972.

Torture is what it's done to us

One has to appreciate films that strive to be different. Naturally, uniqueness and unconventionality divide opinion. But when the right kind of film and story comes along, it leaves a lasting, positive impression. Yorgos Lanthimos' Bugonia is an audacious and nerve-wracking kidnapping thriller. Yet, it packs such a dose of sci-fi and wild conspiracy-theory vibes that it is bound to pique the interest of even the most twisted mind. A magnificent film.

Everything you see in here is cursed

I get all mixed up with these horror movie franchises. There are a million of them. If someone asked me what happenaed in the third Saw movie? I wouldn't have a clue. Or the fourth A Nightmare on Elm Street. Or Friday the 13th Part VII. They were probably good—though likely not as good as the originals. And then there's this one: the fourth part (hopefully the last) of The Conjuring. It’s watchable enough, but quickly forgotten. 

Spend the rest of the night here

 

Imagine a video camera recording the same spot from the dawn of time to the present day, with the footage randomly edited into a film. This location bears witness to everything from jungle and sacred burial grounds to the spread of human settlement—eventually becoming a home for generations of families. This is the intriguing premise explored in Robert Zemeckis’s film Here. It employs a single, static camera angle to tell multiple stories across different eras. Apparently, the original cut featured an apocalyptic flood caused by an eco-catastrophe that ultimately wiped out the house, but the filmmakers didn't dare keep that in the final version. Tom Hanks, Robin Wright and Paul Bettany appear most frequently on screen. Although well-executed, the film didn't leave much of a lasting impression. The original ending would undoubtedly have been powerful and thought-provoking; as it stands, the movie feels like a rather bland family drama.

It's a grunge thing

Michael Bay’s best film. Cynics might even say it’s his only good one. The Rock (1996) is exactly what an action movie should be. Built around a solid story, it brings together a host of brilliant characters, tight and superbly paced high-octane action, and touches of lighthearted humor, all while remaining sufficiently suspenseful. 

Never operate from fear

Heroic deeds and intense action—what else would you expect from a Jason Statham movie? His character lives as a recluse on a remote lighthouse island off the coast of Scotland, hiding away from his past and his shadowy assignments as an MI6 agent. And everyone wants him dead. The action is so breathless it almost puts you to sleep.

You're paid to win

A film directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Paul Newman and written by David Mamet—that alone writes it into history. The Verdict (1982) is a superb courtroom drama—one of the best of its kind. While the story itself is quite simple, the filmmakers have crafted it into a suspenseful, engrossing, and thoroughly entertaining film.

Satan controls everything

This completely replicates the concept and plot arc of the first film, Ready or Not (2019). But let's not let that bother us. For this, too, is a fun story—tinged with dark humor—about a twisted game where you must hide or die.

Died upon the gallows

The most cringe-inducing aspects of this film adaptation of the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, are its heavy-handed pathos, the over-dramatic music that drowns out the dialogue, and the performance of Elias Salonen as Kullervo. What makes the film a chore to watch, however, is that it is excruciatingly dull. Naturally, the director (Antti J. Jokinen) must bear the blame for this; while the visuals work at times, the storytelling falters. This film simply should not have been made. Around the one-hour mark, a white car can be seen driving along the opposite shore of the lake—a detail that inevitably undermines the credibility of a story set in ancient times.

What it takes to live

A heartwarming and very pleasant story. An English teacher goes to work in a politically divided Argentina in 1976 and happens to run into—and befriend—a penguin! And this penguin brings plenty of joy to the grey everyday lives of other people, too. The Penguin Lessons (2024), by Peter Cattaneo, is an incredibly beautifully crafted movie based on true events. 

Once in a lifetime alone

Film critics don't like these. Or they won't admit that they do. The general public doesn't necessarily like them either, but they're almost guaranteed to enjoy them. Renny Harlin has quite captivatingly combined a plane crash disaster with a struggle to survive with sharks. The plane crash part in particular is done so well that it is second to none! As a whole the movie is silly, but very entertaining silly. When Renny Harlin is given a suitable script, he and his wealth of ideas are unstoppable.

Nocturnal rendezvous

It's a boring thriller. A psychiatrist investigates the death of his patient who committed suicide, but there's still nothing exciting about this French film. The narrative is tinged with subtle humor, which further reduces the suspense. And the mystery of the story doesn't really hold up. Jodie Foster, who studied in an elite French-speaking school, does get to show off her French skills though.