A Perfect Getaway (2009)

A Perfect Getaway (2009)

[7] What appears to be a hackneyed vacation nightmare movie turns out to be a fresh thriller from reliable writer/director David Twohy (Pitch Black, Below). The script takes a cue from Scream, reaching a level of self-reference that allows it…
Splice (2010)

Splice (2010)

[7] Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley throw moral caution to the wind by creating the first animal-human hybrid, a creature they call Dren. Of course, once they open their genetic can of worms, things begin to go very badly. Dren,…
The Human Centipede (2009)

The Human Centipede (2009)

[6] A demented German surgeon connects the gastro-intestinal tracts of two hapless American women and a Japanese man to create a 'human centipede' in this sick little horror flick from Dutch director Tom Six. The film is most horrifying before…
The Road (2009)

The Road (2009)

[7] Viggo Mortensen travels with his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across a post-apocalyptic wasteland in this bleak drama based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy. The premise is intriguing, far more than the movie dares explore, even with an R-rating.…
All About Steve (2009)

All About Steve (2009)

[3] Sandra Bullock gives her most offputting and peculiar performance in All About Steve, a film that sets the feminist movement back about fifty years. Bullock plays Mary, a woman in her forties who lives with her parents, tries to…
Push (2009)

Push (2009)

[3] Chris Evans and Dakota Fanning star as supernaturally gifted people on the run from a government agency that wants to control their powers. Think X-Men, but way watered down and not nearly as cool. There's some mediocre action in…
A Serious Man (2009)

A Serious Man (2009)

[4] The Coen Brothers run hot and cold with me. Sometimes I get them, sometimes I don't. This is one of the times that I don't, and I can only figure it's because the comedy is too subdued and the…
Pontypool (2009)

Pontypool (2009)

[7] Director Bruce McDonald does a commendable job building tension and suspense in a movie that takes place almost entirely in one room with four actors. Think Talk Radio meets 28 Days Later. The film is also a terrific showpiece…
Pandorum (2009)

Pandorum (2009)

[4] Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster star in this sci-fi thriller about astronauts who awaken from hypersleep with total memory loss. The filmmakers are hellbent on keeping everything mysterious to the very end: where are we? who are we? what…
Avatar (2009)

Avatar (2009)

[7] James Cameron's first film since Titanic is a supreme juvenile fantasy with a healthy sense of adventure and discovery. From its floating mountains to its bio-luminescent flora and fauna, the world of Pandora never stops unfolding before our eyes,…