Instinct (1999)
Jun 9, 1999Killer Anthropologist
This sell itself as Anthony Hopkins in another Hannibal Lecter-like role. Rather than Silence of the Lambs, this emerges more as The Shawshank Redemption by way of Gorillas in the Mist
Spyglass Entertainment
The Sixth Sense (1999)
Aug 14, 1999Child Medium
The film that made the name of M. Night Shyamalan and still a strong and spooky story despite the variability of Shyamalan's offerings since then. What made the film a classic was its twist ending, something that has been relentlessly copied by numerous genre films since
Abandon (2002)
May 11, 2016Psycho-Thriller
Psycho-thriller that should have gotten better notice than it did. Katie Holmes plays an A-student at an Ivy League college who is stalked by a missing ex. Slick and coolly written, before arriving at an effective twist ending
The Pacifier (2005)
May 2, 2005Action Hero Becomes Babysitter Comedy
Vin Diesel seemed to fairly much kill his career off with this excruciating comedy in which he deflates his tough guy persona by playing off a bunch of kids
Stay Alive (2006)
Jan 19, 2008Countess Bathory Inside a Computer Game
This comes with the completely nonsensical premise of Countess Bathory having been reincarnated inside a videogame. Needless to say it is one that the film does nothing to make credible or even indicate it has read anything about the historical Countess Bathory
Evan Almighty (2007)
Sep 23, 2007Modern-Day Noah's Ark Comedy
Sequel to Bruce Almighty in which Steve Carell is transformed into a modern-day Noah. This was pitched to the Christian audiences but feels like a series of lame gags playing on Noah and the Ark devoid of any biblical context
The Invisible (2007)
Jun 15, 2009Disembodied Teenager
David S. Goyer directed remake of a Swedish film about a teenager stuck in a disembodied state between life and death. Despite Goyer’s sterling resume as a screenwriter, this fails to work
Underdog (2007)
Sep 23, 2007Canine Superhero/Cartoon in Live-Action
Excruciating and unfunny live-action version of the animated tv series about a superpowered dog. Everything is now run over with lame slapstick and smartass one-liners
Ghost Town (2008)
Nov 22, 2008Man That Can See Ghosts Comedy
Director/screenwriter David Koepp proves that comedy is not his forte in this light fantasy in which Ricky Gervais emerges from anaesthesia to find that he can now see ghosts
The Happening (2008)
Jun 15, 2008Mysterious Catastrophe
M. Night Shyamalan came majorly unstuck with this catastrophe film where humanity is driven to mass suicide by plant pollens. The idea is interesting but Shyamalan gets lost in vagueness and loopy mysticism
Wanted (2008)
Oct 9, 2008Super-Assassins/Action
The film that Hitman should have been concerning a secret world of super-powered assassins, revved up by out of this world visuals from Timur Bekmambetov
The Ruins (2008)
Jun 25, 2009Killer Plants
One film that defies the dictum that there has yet to be a decent killer plant film, this does a reasonable job of developing out tension in its story of teens encountering malevolent flora at a South American pyramid
G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra (2009)
Aug 25, 2009Futuristic Military Action Team
Stephen Sommers make a film based on the popular action toy line. Barring one exhilarating sequence in the middle, this consists of lots of sound and CGI fury amounting to very little at all
Star Trek (2009)
May 12, 2009Intergalactic Adventures
J.J. Abrams revives the Star Trek franchise by recasting it with younger faces and rewriting continuity. But in the appeal to a hipper, sexier vibe, it feels a long way from Gene Roddenberry’s creation – nowhere in evidence is the original's concern with galactic politics and social issues of the day
Spy Kids: Armageddon (2023)
Oct 7, 2023Juvenile Spy Adventures
Robert Rodriguez revisits his juvenile spy capers franchise after a twelve year absence. Not perfect but it improves over the last couple of sequels
Scream 7 (2026)
Mar 28, 2026Slasher Sequel
The Scream series drags itself for another sequel but at least performs a course correction by bringing back original screenwriter Kevin Williamson in the director’s chair, along with appearances of many past cast