War of the Worlds (2005)

War of the Worlds (2005)

[9] Steven Spielberg remakes H.G. Wells' sci-fi classic, and as far as I'm concerned, it's easily his best movie in many, many years. Through the eyes of a single father (Tom Cruise) and his two children (Dakota Fanning and Justin…
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

[10] Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) adapts the Patricia Highsmith novel for the big screen, casts it perfectly, and delivers a superb character study and psychological thriller. Matt Damon anchors the film in the best performance of his career, playing the…
Ravenous (1999)

Ravenous (1999)

[9] It'd be easy to write off Ravenous as a bungled misfire, but if it is one, it sure is an interesting one. The end result is a pitch-black comedy about cannibalism set in 1847 at a remote outpost in…
Jackie Brown (1997)

Jackie Brown (1997)

[9] I don't generally like heist/swindle movies, but this Quentin Tarantino flick (his third, because he's counting) based on a novel by Elmore Leonard got under my skin with its rich characters and dialogue. Pam Grier plays a flight attendant…
Se7en (1995)

Se7en (1995)

[9]

Director David Fincher rebounded from Alien 3 with this seemingly innocuous serial killer flick penned by Andrew Kevin Walker. We’d seen buddy cop flicks and killers with gitchy modus operandis before, but characterization and style put Se7en over the edge. It’s a deeply creepy and unsettling movie centering around a seasoned detective (Morgan Freeman) and a rookie (Brad Pitt) who are paired in pursuit of a mysterious killer who’s patterning his murders after the seven deadly sins. Talk about your horror set-pieces. The scene where the detectives discover ‘Sloth’ contains one of the most memorable shocks I’ve ever experienced at the movies, and the way in which ‘Lust’ is played out also haunts my memories. Freeman and Pitt’s performances keep the story well grounded and relatable, while composer Howard Shore washes the movie in a brooding orchestral score that reinforces the film’s constantly claustrophobic atmosphere.

Heat (1995)

Heat (1995)

[10] Al Pacino is Vincent Hanna of the LAPD robbery/homicide division.  Robert DeNiro is Neil McCauley, the leader of a successful bank robbing team that includes his protege Chris Shiherlis, played by Val Kilmer. After a fouled-up heist puts Hanna…
Jurassic Park (1993)

Jurassic Park (1993)

[9] If you think of this movie as Jaws on land, as director Steven Spielberg has suggested, it can't quite compare to that masterpiece. The characters aren't strong enough. But it's still a hell of a summer event movie, delivering…
The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss (1989)

[9] Underwater oil drillers are forced to work with the military to recover lost nuclear warheads, but they discover far more lurking in the depths of the ocean... This unique underwater sci-fi/thriller from James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens) is an ambitious,…
The Hitcher (1986)

The Hitcher (1986)

[9] In this vastly underrated thriller, a teenager (C. Thomas Howell) picks up a hitchhiker (Rutger Hauer) in the middle of a rainy night and barely escapes to tell the tale. Unfortunately, that first night's narrow escape from the psychotic…
The Shining (1980)

The Shining (1980)

[9] Stanley Kubrick takes on Stephen King, and while it may not be the most faithful adaptation, The Shining is a gorgeously crafted plunge into fear and insanity. Jack Nicholson and Shelly Duvall play a husband and wife who take…