Thriller

[5] Ethan Hawke stars as a true crime novelist who moves into a house where a family was mysteriously hanged from a tree in their back yard. He finds 8mm home movie reels in the attic, each a snuff film of various families in different locations over a period of forty years. With the help of a deputy (James Ransone) and a college professor knowledgeable …

[3] A young man preys on women along the Virginia coastline, picking them up for rides in his camper only to kidnap, torture, and kill them. When one victim’s estranged boyfriend gives pursuit, things get more complicated for all parties involved. Hitcher in the Dark, shot primarily in broad daylight, is a low-budget, direct-to-video sort of movie directed by Umberto Lenzi (credited as Humphrey Humbert), …

[7] Kathryn Bigelow (Strange Days, Near Dark) directs this Cold War-era true story starring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson as Soviet officers aboard Russia’s first nuclear-powered submarine. Moscow orders the ship to launch a nuclear missile to let America know they are within striking distance. After the successful launch, however, the vessel suffers a nuclear meltdown that threatens to kill all those aboard and potentially …

[7] Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas play rival assassins stealing each others’ contracts. When Stallone discovers the mysterious contractor has hired Banderas to take him out, he teams with a hacker and would-be target (Julianne Moore) to gain the upper hand. This cat-and-mouse thriller is surprisingly more subdued and character-oriented than you might expect from a mid-90s action movie. Stallone gives one of his best …

[1] A patient escapes a mental institution and starts killing people on a nearby campus in this ultra-low-budget, supremely bad movie that has nothing to do with ‘Son of Sam’. The film is so poorly made that you’ll likely be shaking your head in confusion over the scripting, staging, and editing. The first few deaths in the movie happen when the killer puts his hand …

[8] Five travelers end up stranded at our title location after a fierce night-time storm makes driving the English hillsides too dangerous. The family that lives there is less than hospitable, with secrets that make the evening increasingly frightening. The Old Dark House is one of the grandfathers of what is now a classic horror sub-genre. Director James Whale (Frankenstein, Waterloo Bridge) makes it a …

[6] Pierce Brosnan (Goldeneye) and Linda Hamilton (Terminator 2) star in this old-fashioned disaster flick about a volcano that’s about to wipe a small town off the map. Brosnan plays a volcanologist who, in Jaws-like fashion, warns the town of impending doom after discovering a pair of hot spring bathers boiled alive. His boss (The Thing‘s Charles Hallahan), however, doesn’t want to freak out the …

[5] Sigourney Weaver plays an agoraphobic expert on serial killers summoned to help a San Francisco detective played by Holly Hunter when a murderer starts imitating serial killers of the past. The two phenomenal stars of Copycat are its greatest attributes. Weaver’s part is a terrified paranoid — a little one-note, but certainly within her wheelhouse. Hunter gives the more remarkable performance, giving nuance and …

[6] I like all the Scream movies, and I’m happy to say that trend continues with this fifth entry in the franchise. Not that the fuel tank isn’t getting low. While the original movie marries an inspired script with tight direction and terrific casting, the sequels have largely skated by on the merits of charismatic stars Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette. They were …

[4] Martin Sheen (Badlands) stars in this dark thriller about a black magic cult practicing child sacrifices in New York City. Sheen’s a single father and police therapist who gets drawn into the case when a police officer (Jimmy Smits) become the prime suspect. The truth turns out to be more disturbing, especially when the cult targets Sheen’s own son (Harley Cross). To be fair, …

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