Call of the Wild (1935)

Call of the Wild (1935)

[8] William Wellman directs Clark Gable in this loose adaptation of Jack London's classic novel. While the book is entirely from the point-of-view of Buck, a weathered sled dog, this film version focuses more on human characters. Gable and his…
Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark (2010)

[7] Guillermo del Toro presents this creepy tale about a little girl (Bailee Madison) who discovers evil creatures live in the ash pit beneath her father's newly acquired mansion. While the creatures try to persuade the girl to join them,…
The Shortcut (2009)

The Shortcut (2009)

[5] After his little brother discovers a dead dog and a scary old man on a wooded shortcut, a new-teen-in-town (Drew Seeley) invites his friends to investigate the trail and the legend behind the mysterious old man who patrols it.…
Taken (2008)

Taken (2008)

[6] Liam Neeson stars as an ex-CIA operative who pursues sex traffickers in Paris to rescue his kidnapped daughter. Taken opens with twenty minutes of clunky, expository screenwriting before Neeson is allowed to kick things into high gear. He single-handedly…
Voyagers (2021)

Voyagers (2021)

[7] Writer/director Neil Burger (Divergent, The Illusionist) presents a futuristic story about children genetically engineered and sent into space on an 86-year mission to colonize a distant planet. Once they're teenagers, however, the kids become too smart for their own…
Dr. Renault’s Secret (1942)

Dr. Renault’s Secret (1942)

[6] An American (John Shepperd) visits his fiancée (Lynne Roberts) and her father in their rural chateau at the same time a series of murders begins. The father's brutish gardener with a criminal past is a prime suspect. And so…
The Nines (2007)

The Nines (2007)

[6] Screenwriter John August (Titan AE, Big Fish) makes his directorial debut in this headtrippy movie about an actor, a TV showrunner, and a video game designer whose lives interconnect in a mysterious way. Ryan Reynolds plays all three characters…
Salem’s Lot (1979)

Salem’s Lot (1979)

[7] Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre) directs this made-for-TV adaptation of Stephen King's novel about a writer who discovers his hometown is being overtaken by vampires. The most remarkable thing about Hooper's work here is how genuinely scary…
Other Men’s Women (1931)

Other Men’s Women (1931)

[7] Two train engineers put their friendship to the test when one of them falls in love with the other's wife in this noteworthy drama from William Wellman (Battleground, The High and the Mighty). I really enjoyed the first half…
Notes on a Scandal (2006)

Notes on a Scandal (2006)

[7] Judi Dench plays a cranky old teacher who befriends a new, younger teacher played by Cate Blanchett. Blanchett quickly confides in the older woman and thinks she's made a new friend. But Dench's aims are more sinister than that.…