The Witch (2015)

The Witch (2015)

[10] I'll come right out with it: The Witch is my favorite horror film of the last ten years. Newcomer writer/director Robert Eggers serves up a masterfully creepy tale that's equal parts psychological and atmospheric, elegant and restrained, but not…
The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook (2014)

[7] Essie Davis (Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries) gives a powerhouse performance as the widowed mother of a troubled child who believes a storybook monster is terrorizing their household. At first, Mom doesn't believe the monster is real, but Mr. Babadook…
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

[9] Birdman swoops into cineplexes offering the antidote to superhero hysteria, CGI migraines, and Hollywood's usual hackneyed, formulaic bullshit. It's goddamned original, a showcase for skill and craft, and a breath of fresh fucking air. Michael Keaton turns in a…
Passion Fish (1992)

Passion Fish (1992)

[7] Writer/director John Sayles serves up this intimate character drama about a TV soap star who has to learn to find new purpose in life after a car accident leaves her permanently wheelchair-bound. A live-in nurse becomes her lifeline, which…
The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

[7] Paul Muni stars as Emile Zola, the famous French author whose critical writings brought the scorn of the French government, especially when he came out in support of a wrongfully-condemned army officer. The first half of this film, directed…
The Way, Way Back (2013)

The Way, Way Back (2013)

[6] Liam James stars as a shy fourteen-year-old forced to suffer summer vacation with his freshly-divorced mother (Toni Collette) and her nasty boyfriend (Steve Carell). While he waits for his mother to grow a pair and throw the bum out,…
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)

[5] George Clooney directs this quirky tale based on the possibly true story of Chuck Barris, creator of The Dating Game and The Gong Show, and who may also have been an assassin for the CIA. That is, if we're…
Turkish Delight (1973)

Turkish Delight (1973)

[5] The second feature film from Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop, Basic Instinct) plays a lot like a Dutch version of Love Story. Rutger Hauer and Monique van de Ven star as the young lovers, whose relationship is founded completely on carnal…
Collateral (2004)

Collateral (2004)

[7] Jamie Foxx stars as an L.A. cab driver forced to chauffeur a hitman played by Tom Cruise. Director Michael Mann (Heat, Last of the Mohicans) works from a solid script by Stuart Beattie that balances action and suspense with…
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio (2005)

[7] Julianne Moore stars in this true story based on the life of Evelyn Ryan, a '50s housewife and mother of ten who kept her family afloat by writing award-winning marketing jingles. Director Jane Anderson manages to keep the movie…