Nadja (1994)
Apr 3, 2001Modern Vampire
Beautifully moody black-and-white vampire film from Michael Almereyda. A modernised reworking of Dracula's Daughter
Martin Donovan
The Book of Life (1998)
Nov 6, 1999Second Coming Black Comedy
A darkly funny Hal Hartley film set on the eve of The Millennium as Jesus Christ wanders about Manhattan having doubts whether to unleash the Biblical Apocalypse
Heaven (1998)
Nov 24, 2002Precognition
New Zealand-made film about criminal dealings also involving clairvoyance in a series of daring editing schemes that recall something of Don't Look Now
Insomnia (2002)
Sep 14, 2002Alaskan Psycho-Thriller
Christopher Nolan's second film, an English-language remake of a Norwegian thriller. The action is relocated to Alaska and gets the addition of Robin Williams as a serial killer but is far less effective than the original
Agent Cody Banks (2003)
Oct 9, 2003Teenage Spy Comedy
Another of the spy parodies that emerged following Austin Powers. Frankie Muniz is a high school teenager who is recruited as a spy. This proves a mildly amusing set-up that is delivered with surprisingly little wit
The Visitation (2006)
Nov 16, 2015Christian Film/Ambiguous Miracle-Healing Stranger
The novelty of the first Christian horror film. As opposed to much of the message-heavy tripe that usually gets peddled in this niche market, this is actually well structured with a number of interesting ambiguities and engaging as a story for the better part
Wind Chill (2007)
Jun 29, 2008Snowbound Ghost Story
The novelty of a ghost story that all takes place within the confines of a car stalled on the roadside – all with modestly effective results
The Alphabet Killer (2008)
Aug 7, 2011Search for a True-Life Serial Killer
This claims to be based on an unsolved true-life serial killer case from the 1970s, although dumps all but a handful of facts in favour of a B-movie thriller plot about a detective with mental illness
The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
Dec 13, 2010Haunted House/"True Story"
Another supposed true-life ghost story, an early case by Ed and Lorraine Warren. The film exists as a progression of pop-up scares that through the need to keep producing effect produces no effect at all.
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
Nov 22, 2012Videogame Adaptation/Sinister Otherworldly Town
Dull and unimaginative Silent Hill sequel that only revisits what went before. The first film had an uncanny otherworldly atmosphere but the sequel reduces everything to no more than pop-up Clive Barker
Nurse 3-D (2013)
Jun 22, 2014Psycho Nurse
A splendidly trashy film that throws all good taste to the wind The title role is played by a sizzling, substantially undressed Paz de la Huerta. While deficient in acting ability, she delivers an hilarious voiceover
Ant-Man (2015)
Jul 18, 2015Marvel Comics Miniature Superhero
While there is little doubt that Edgar Wright would have made a much better film, this emerges with an engaging likeability. Less epic superheroics, this plays out more as a caper comedy where a good ensemble and comedic playing carry the show
Rememory (2017)
Sep 18, 2017Memory Recording Device
Film about a device that can record and play back memory. This comes with a reasonable cast but the great disappointment is the idea is never used for anything more than a mundane murder mystery
Fahrenheit 451 (2018)
May 26, 2018Book-Burning Dystopia/Ray Bradbury Adaptation
This had one simple job – adapt a book by one of the great SF writers. Instead, we go from a work set in a book-burning future to The Firemen on reality tv shows competing for Likes on social media
Status Update (2018)
Apr 4, 2024Magical Cellphone That Causes Things to Come True
Light fantasy comedy in which a teenager gets a magical cellphone that causes whatever he types into his status update to come true
Tenet (2020)
Dec 5, 2020Time Travel Action/Temporal Weaponry
After delays, Christopher Nolan’s unique time travel film is with us, a dense challenging work that plays like an intellectual version of a James Bond film
Earth Abides (2024)
Jan 18, 2025After the Apocalypse
Earth Abides is a classic novel that essentially defined the theme of survival in the aftermath of the collapse of civilisation. This is a TV mini-series adaptation of the book but badly fumbles it