Signature Thriller Camera work

So far I have researched many areas of the thriller genre, however I still feel that I need to know what identifies a film as a thriller, especially in regards to camerawork - therefore I am going to view various clips and images from well known thriller films to decipher what some of the most used camera angles that are used are.

This word cloud shows the type of camera angles and effects often used in the Thriller genre; 

Frequently used thriller camera angles;

Low angle shot

The following is an example of a low angle shot, frequently used in thriller films as a low angle shot makes the protagonist seem small, and the antagonist seem large, overpowering, indestructible - this connotes that the protagonist is in danger and increases tension for the audience.

High angle shot

This is an example of a high angle shot, from the popular 'James Bond' franchise, the purpose of a high angle shot like this one is to show the protagonist as weak, therefore the antagonist appears strong and overwhelming - in a position of power, this increases tension for the audience as the protagonist appears to be in danger. 

Close up 
This close up of The Joker from the 'Batman' series establishes the character as the main antagonist, a close up is also used to show the expression of the character, in this case the Joker has a very sinister look, the scarring of his face is exaggerated and connotes to the audience that he is evil and to be feared. 

Pan shot
This is an example of a pan shot, this shot is often used to show the expressions and views of multiple characters, or perhaps to connect them as a group, or an extreme pan which is often blurred is used to connote a sense of chaos and to disorientate the audience. In this case the pan shot is also used to divert the action, showing action in multiple different areas of the frame. 

Tracking shot

This is an example of a tracking shot which then switches to a crane shot before reverting back to the tracking shot. The clip is from the 1958 crime - thriller 'Touch of Evil', the shot follows the action and then tracks along the side the protagonists, giving the feeling that they are being followed, increasing suspense and connoting that the protagonists are danger to the audience.   

Two shot 

This is a two shot from the 2013 Crime - Thriller film, 'A Single Shot', this image is a prime example of what can be conveyed through a two shot, within this shot the audience can see the relationship between the two characters- we can see that the relationship is hostile from the way that the man is grabbing her wrist, and their facial expressions connotes the dislike they have for each other, danger and threat.

Head and shoulders shot    
Head and shoulder shots are often used to draw the audiences attention to an object, in this well known head and shoulder shot from the popular 2008 action - thriller 'Taken'- the director has specifically used a head and shoulder shot here to focus all the attention on the phone, the significance it holds and to ensure the main feature of the sequence is on the dialogue and nothing else. 

After looking in detail at a few camera angles often used in the thriller genre I feel that I know what kind of shots are associated with, and work well within the genre - therefore I will be more knowledgeable in selecting the shots to use when it comes to making my own thriller opening.  

Opening Sequences

To enhance my understanding of thriller films, I am researching opening sequences from different thrillers to recognise what makes them good and what editing, camerawork, mise - en -scene and soundtrack have been used to hopefully give me ideas and inspiration for when I make my own thriller opening.

The following is the link for the opening sequence of Captain America:The Winter Soldier

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/captain-america-the-winter-soldier/

This is the opening shot, as the audience can see the director has deliberately decided to open on a plain black screen accompanied with the titles in a contrasting white colour so that they really stand out. Moreover, the choice of font is crucial - it is a basic but strong formal font with the names of the directors being large, bold and all in capitals, the effect of this is the opening titles capture the  audiences' attention.

Equally, the next title that appears is very similar to the first, except that it is the opposite colour combination this time, from these two preliminary titles the audience gets a sense that these two colours, black and white are going to be of significant importance throughout the film. To the same extent the audience can consider the connotations that the colours black and white hold within the thriller, and many other film genres; for example, black is a colour that is typically associated with darkness, evil, antagonists whereas the colour white is often a signifier of light, purity, goodness and protagonists - therefore instantly in using these binary opposites, the director has set up a sense of the conflict between good and evil just through the opening titles.

Within this shot there is again the main two colours; black and white, there is however also a third colour introduced - the colour red. The colour red strongly holds the connotation of danger but also of leadership, war, strength, power, determination and courage - all of these associations indicate to the audience what is to come from this film. The audience also notices the introduction of stars, the film is called "Captain America" and as stars are a major part of the American flag, the audience deduced that this is all part of the patriotic iconography.

This title shot introduces the first character to the audience, from the shield and the letter A on the characters hat the audience can make the assumption that this is the characterisation of Captain America. It is interesting that the director has decided to use a comic - book style representation of the characters in the opening sequence as the film is based upon the original Marvel Comic Books, 'Captain America' with the addition of other Marvel characters such as Black Widow, Falcon and Nick Fury. It is important that Captain America is the first character introduced as he is then instantly identified as the main protagonist.

Typical contrast of black and white, the image is very similar to the coat  of arms of the United States of America, especially the reference to the bald eagle, this image represents S.H.I.E.L.D., the force of good and is yet another reference to America and what it stands for.

This title is showing the clear divide between good and bad, protagonist and antagonist by having a physical divide between the two, identical in everything but colour and the difference in emblem of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s  signature emblem containing the bald eagle and Hydra's skeletal octopus. The divide between the characters is also a signifier of their moral status, S.H.I.E.L.D is high on the divide, a usual association with heaven, whereas Hydra is on the opposite side below the line, often associated with hell - another intentional image for the audience.

This title is fairly simplistic but still effective, the focus being more on the image than the actual title itself.

This title shot is interesting as the military planes again connote that war is a major theme within the film and the planes are very similar, all in line and are equidistant connoting unity and teamwork.

Within the shot the audience can observe the outline of what appears to be the cogs for a clock, again this could be a signifier of teamwork, however the audience can see a octopus tentacle to the left of the frame - the octopus being the icon for the antagonists, collectively known as Hydra, from this the audience can deduce that there is unity among the antagonist team, posing a greater threat to the protagonists.

Emblem of antagonists, 'Hydra' all in red, this is very telling as the audience often associates red with danger.

In this long shot the American flag is presented as the tunnel, more iconography that is indicative of what is to come later in the film, Captain America the main protagonist is shown running forward in an attack stance, shield forward connoting his ability to protect.

This mid shot shows the main protagonist, closer up and in more detail -  it is focusing on the action of the shot, especially Captain America's shield which has a white rim, a colour associated with goodness shattering the black lines, black typically a symbol of darkness and evil, this colour and image association connotes to the audience that Captain America (good/ light) will over power the Hydra, the antagonist (bad/darkness) .

The shot then moves out to this long shot, showing the entirety of the frame and highlighting Captain America's fighting stance.

This shot acts as a bridge, as the shield becomes the focus which then transcends across to the following shots as it allows the directors to create a new sequence moving on from the previous images shown.

This sequence shows the main characters to the audience and introduces the actors and actress' that star in the film, the images used are no longer cartoon figures but are the outlines of the characters in the film - Chris Evans/ Captain America comes first as he is the primary protagonist. Equally, the symbolic use of white remains constant throughout the sequence.

This image again, similarly to the previous shot identifies another main character - her outline is all in white a strong indicator to the audience that this character is in fact a protagonist.

This shot is introducing a main character, although this character is filled with black and this implies to the audience that he is an antagonist.

This shot introducing the character of Falcon instantly identifies him as an antagonist, despite having a black silhouette due to the wings the character has - wings often being associated with angels; a force of good.

This shot identifies the character as a protagonist as the director has intentionally placed the emblem on the side of the character's shirt, showing that he is a member of S.H.I.E.L.D and is therefore good.

The director has decided to show many of the women introduced in the titles as holding guns, conveying that they are not weak and are able to defend themselves, subverting the stereotypical portrayal of women as being 'damsels in distress' and connoting that women will play an important role in the film.

Within this title, the character is presented as at the top of the compass, pointing North and implying that they are a in control, trustworthy and a protagonist. 

This title shows the character to be in a position of power as the image behind is that of a map, indicating to the audience that S.H.I.E.L.D. is a global organisation, furthermore America is especially highlighted on the map as it is clearly visible and this is yet another indication to the audience that the action of the film is centred around America. 

 This shot acts as a transition to the next sequence.

This title shows the character to be of significant importance as a protagonist, as not only do they have the S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem behind the silhouette, but a big image of the American flag also to convey the character's allegiance to Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. Moreover, this character is portrayed as important as not only is the name of the actor presented but of the character, 'Alexander Pierce' as well. 

Equally, like the previous title shot, this character is also presented as being important, the name of both the actor and the character appearing. Nick Fury is shown to be a protagonist, despite the black silhouette due to the white eye patch , a colour used by the director in nearly every shot to convey goodness. 

The company who have produced the film is presented last, being the final acknowledgement of involvement of the film, moreover the name 'Marvel Studios' is large in a more formal print to stand out to the audience, this is helped by the conflicting black and white background and font colour. 

Finally, this is the last title shot - a close up of Captain America's shield, a final signifier of the fighting and action to be anticipated from the film. Moreover, the font is the largest of the whole sequence and is in a bold, military, eye - catching style to ensure the audience remember the name of the film.   

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for Captain America, like the other thriller opening I researched consists of non - diegetic, swelling, orchestral music which builds throughout the piece. The consistent, strong, drum baseline builds tension throughout for the audience and connotes a sense of danger. Moreover, the string instruments and brass instruments which are predominantly heard create a minor sound to the piece, this is synchronous sound - the disjointed tune matching the images of the antagonists in the sequence creating a strong sense of foreboding. 

Sources: Wiki, artofthetitle.com, colour-wheel-pro.com, 

Personal Favourites

There are many films within the thriller genre that appeal to a variety of audiences, personally my favourites include thrillers such as, The 'Bourne' films, 'Rebecca', 'Casino Royale', 'Taken',  'Spider Man' and 'Déjà vu' among many others. I will explore my top two favourites in detail, as this will show me what I enjoyed most in all of them and I will hopefully be able to recreate this in my own thriller opening sequence.

'The Bourne Identity' 



'The Bourne Identity' is a 2002 spy/action thriller hybrid which is my favourite Thriller film.  It stars Matt Damon, a popular and well known thriller actor, this is a clever casting choice by the director, Doug Liman as Matt Damon is a big Hollywood name and this will therefore generate interest from the audience as he is such a popular actor. Damon plays a CIA agent who is shot unconscious, losing his memory and the film centres around him trying to discover who he is, whilst being hunted by the CIA who are afraid that he will divulge 
confidential information. It is a typical thriller in that it is very fast paced, there is lots of suspense and violence so it conforms to the expectations of the genre whilst having a strong storyline alongside the action. 

From the trailer the audience can immediately tell that this is  the trailer for a thriller film  as within 18 seconds of the clip starting there is an violent - action sequence which  uses the editing technique of cross cutting  to show the flow of the action, to build tension quickly and  to identify the protagonist (Jason Bourne) from the antagonists (the CIA in this case).  Moreover, the trailer displays typical iconography of the thriller genre, such  as guns, violence, an element of a chase, danger for the protagonist and clothing which is representative of the mood and the role of the character.

The following is a review of 'The Bourne Identity' by the British film magazine 'Empire'.

The Bourne Identity
Matt Damon transforms into an action hard-man with no memory of his past and a government agency out to get him.

Plot
A bullet-ridden amnesiac is rescued from drowning by a fishing trawler, only to find himself the unwitting target of enemies. Is he really the ruthless assassin they think he is? And will he even live long enough to figure it out?

Review
With a two-year shooting schedule, a script that was redrafted more times than the cast care to remember, and Matt Damon making at least two movies (Ocean's 11 and Spirit) in the middle of all that mess, this thriller comes to the cinemas as much a marked man as its central character. Some of the joins do show, especially towards the end of the film, when a couple of minor characters disappear completely, but by then it has been too much fun to start picking holes.

From the moment Jason Bourne (an excellent Matt Damon) discovers his true powers - taking out in blistering style two cops who accuse him of loitering - a new hero is created. Damon plays Bourne as a man of cat-like instinct; he can make a weapon out of a fountain pen and sense danger at the most innocent of signals.

On the run across Europe with beatnik Potente, his quest to find himself becomes more involving since he is the opposite in nature to his physical appearance. This blue-eyed, innocent-looking American wants to be just that - and yet, much to his horror, he can't help using calculated efficiency to dispose of anyone who represents a challenge to him.

Doug Liman (Swingers, Go) seemed an unlikely choice as an action director, but his hand-held camera style and the improvisational work he does with actors clearly paid dividends here. However ridiculous the situation (and there are some extremely ridiculous situations), he maintains an air of heightened realism about his treatment of Bourne's predicament.

Pumped-up sound effects add to the gruesomeness of the fight sequences. Listen for that moment when the pen is pulled out of a would-be assailant's hand - it's a beaut! For once, a sequel would be welcome.

Verdict
Nothing in The Bourne Identity stands up to close examination, but that doesn't stop it being a rollicking blockbuster ride and perfect Saturday night fodder. Spectacular stunts, enough twists and turns to keep the audience guessing, and Matt Damon delivering as an action hero.


Reviewed by Emma Cochrane

'Rebecca'

The 1940 Psychological thriller, 'Rebecca' is one of my favourite thriller films, it is a classic retelling of Daphne du Maurier's 1938 novel of the same name. 'Rebecca' is a totally different type of thriller to 'The Bourne Identity'  and the audience will notice a stark contrast between the two. Whilst 'The Bourne Identity' is heavily action based, and therefore the script and storyline are less prominent, the total opposite could be said for 'Rebecca'. 'Rebecca' is a psychological thriller, the suspense building slowly throughout the film, putting the audience on edge as the storyline unravels, unlike the 'Bourne' films whereby there is a high level of tension due to the action from the offset. 'Rebecca' centres around the mysterious Maximilian de Winter, an older gentlemen whom the heroine of the story falls in love with, on marrying Maxim and moving to the home he shared with his now deceased wife, Rebecca, the new Mrs. de Winter must try to overcome the obstacles that Rebecca's memories have left. In particular Rebecca's oldest confidante, and coincidentally housekeeper - the terrifying Mrs. Danvers.  

The audience immediately notices that the film is in black and white from the trailer, this is a deliberate choice by the director, Alfred Hitchcock as although the film was released in 1940, there had been full length feature films in colour, therefore Hitchcock has made the decision to use black and white purposefully. I believe that Hitchcock has made the choice to have the film in black and white as it creates a far more sinister feel than colour would. 

Mrs. de Winter and Mrs. Danvers

Moreover, the use of dark and light are emphasised in 'Rebecca' and their connotation regarding good and evil are a key theme in the film, something that would not be conveyed as strongly in colour. To the same extent Hitchcock has intentionally exaggerated the use of shadows within the film, especially in scenes such as the image to the right which contain Mrs. de Winter and Mrs Danvers only, in order to connote Mrs. de Winter's distress and build suspense, as the audience associates Mrs. Danvers with shadows, darkness and evil - thus she becomes an object of fear to the audience. Like Doug Liman,
Alfred Hitchcock has been very selective in his casting, Laurence Olivier was one of the biggest Hollywood names and therefore his presence in the film would create a lot of interest and attract a wide audience, however Joan Fontaine had not previously been in any successful films and her role in 'Rebecca' was the defining one of her career.    

The following is an article reviewing the film 'Rebecca' by the online version of the newspaper, 'The Guardian'. 

My favourite Hitchcock: Rebecca

The director had to remove the one murder that takes place in Daphne du Maurier's story – but still created one of his creepiest, most oppressive film

Unhappy families … Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine in Hitchcock's Rebecca. Photograph: 20th Century Fox

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again …"

1. Rebecca
2. Production year: 1940
3. Countries: UK, USA
4. Cert (UK): PG
5. Runtime: 130 mins
6. Directors: Alfred Hitchcock
7. Cast: George Sanders, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, Laurence Olivier
8. More on this film

Everyone who loves film knows the opening words of Rebecca, that astonishing mixture of emotional hothouse and freezer that was Hitchcock's first American film, made for David O Selznick and released in 1940. But for all the portent of that opening voiceover, or the symbolic drama of the great Cornish mansion burning down as the film ends, it's not about a place. It's not really a thriller, either, in any meaningful sense – despite the suspense of the closing reel.

Rebecca is a film about abusive relationships, and the way power might shift within them – and, most unusually, even for its time – its hero is the worst of the abusers. The romantic might viewLaurence Olivier's Max de Winter as someone haunted by his past; the realist would see him as someone haunted only by his inability to control his past, specifically his titular deceased wife, and so he alights upon Joan Fontaine's gauche, clumsy (and nameless) gentlewoman's companion as a wife who will give him no trouble.

Briefly, Fontaine has accompanied the ghastly Mrs Van Hopper (Florence Bates) to Monte Carlo as her paid companion. There she meets de Winter, a dark and brooding widower, prone to staring moodily over cliff edges and contemplating death.

After a whirlwind romance – much of which consists of him admonishing her in tones that would see any modern man dumped on the spot (his proposal: "I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool") – they marry and return to his ancestral home, where Rebecca's old personal maid, Mrs Danvers (Judith Anderson, portraying a Miss Gulch of the servant class), makes the second Mrs de Winter's life a misery.

Everywhere she turns, Mrs Danvers summons the ghost of Rebecca, constant reminders of her own unsuitability for the role of châtelain of Manderley. Only when Manderley is destroyed and the mystery of Rebecca's death – accident, or suicide, or murder – is solved, can Mr and Mrs de Winter, and Mrs Danvers, be freed. And like her mistress, the latter must die to be free.

Rebecca was one of three films Hitchcock adapted from stories byDaphne du Maurier, and much the most successful. Du Maurier had been distressed by the liberties he took with Jamaica Inn; The Birdssuffered in being transformed from a perfect, ever-tightening noose of a short story set in Cornwall into an expansive movie set on the California coast. Rebecca's near fidelity is owed to Selznick, who was "shocked and disappointed beyond words" at Hitchcock's first treatment of the story and told the director: "We bought Rebecca and we intend to make Rebecca."

The only significant departure from the novel was unavoidable. Du Maurier made Max de Winter a murderer: he killed Rebecca in rage at her affairs (feminist readings of the story posit her as its heroine; any modern reader will view her sympathetically the more they see of her husband). The Hollywood Production Code, however, could not allow a murderer to escape unpunished and so an accidental death had to be engineered. Clumsy it might have been, but because that plotline is tacked on at the end, it doesn't interfere with the mighty central pillar of the film: the desperate, suffocating, co-dependent relationships of Mr and Mrs de Winter, Mrs Danvers and Rebecca.

Reliant though the film is on dialogue, Hitchcock throws in those inimitable visual touches, too: Max staring over the cliffs to the Mediterranean, the sea swirling sickeningly beneath him, showing us his death wish; his sister explaining to the second Mrs de Winter how much Mrs Danvers loved Rebecca, and the screen fading to black behind Fontaine's face, a startling representation of the fall in your stomach when you hear something you have dreaded. And, of course, that critical, crippling moment when Fontaine descends the grand staircase to the Manderley masquerade ball, having been tricked by Mrs Danvers into wearing a replica of one of Rebecca's old gowns.

It's Fontaine's film, really, rather than Olivier's. He supplies the danger (though in the novel, the fact that Mrs de Winter conspires to conceal Rebecca's murder shows how she has been corrupted by her awful marriage), and she is our representative: the one who shows how we might fare transplanted into minor aristocracy. She's obviously too beautiful to be the mousy, dowdy wallflower the character demands, but by hunching her shoulders and darting her eyes, by playing up the clumsiness and never acknowledging her own beauty, she convinces. She has to: for without her, this would be only a film about vile snobs.

The reason Rebecca still grips lies in the fact that we can all see ourselves in Fontaine's role: everyone plunged into a new and unfamiliar milieu has felt her uncertainty and fear that they are the wrong person, in the wrong place. We have all had relationships in which we cannot be sure where the ground lies, in which the dynamics of power leave us isolated and clinging desperately to whatever fixed points we can find.

"Our marriage is a success, isn't it? A great success? We're happy, aren't we? Terribly happy?" Fontaine asks Olivier halfway through the film. He turns and strolls away from her. She continues, the note of desperate hope gone from her voice. "If you don't think we are happy, it would be much better if you didn't pretend." By now she's almost whispering. "I'll go away. Why won't you answer me?" And there, in those few seconds of speech, is the most human, heartbreakingly vulnerable person ever to appear in a Hitchcock film.

From my research into my favourite thriller films and what makes them so appealing to me, I have deduced that lots of dark and light imagery helps to convey a lot about the  situation and the nature of the characters, I have also seen that you do not necessarily always need to have a film in colour for it to be powerful, in fact the use of shadows can intensify a scene and convey danger very effectively. After reviewing this I have decided to consider possibly using black and white within my own thriller opening. 

Sources: YouTube, Google Images, Wiki, empireonline.com, theguardian.com, nytimes.com

Popular Thriller Actors

Although many actors try to have a diverse career, avoiding being typecast as a certain role or for being known for a certain genre of film, certain actors are well known for their work within the Thriller genre. For example actors such as; Tom Hanks, Bruce Willis, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Kevin Costner, Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, Liam Neeson and many more. There are also many actresses who are renowned for their work in Thrillers like; Charlize Theron, Jodie Foster, Rosie Mcgowan, Jaime Lee Curtis, Katie Holmes, Uma Thurman Sigourney Weaver, Sharon Stone, Sarah Michelle - Gellar to name a few. 

Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis is extremely well known for his contribution to the Thriller and Action Adventure genres. Perhaps his most famous role was as John McClane in the 1988 action- thriller 'Die Hard' series, for which the film won four Academy Award nominations and established Willis as a serious actor within the thriller and action genres, the films were such a big success that this also led to the rise of Willis' career and enabled him to move onto other genre of film although he remains most well known for his work within the thriller genre. 

Trailer for 'Die Hard'

From the trailer, the viewer is able to identify what makes a good thriller hero, for example in the clip Willis is seen to be very brave, daring, bold, skillful and is seen by the audience as an underdog hero which makes the character far more appealing as the audience senses that Willis, the protagonist is outnumbered and therefore the audience is willing him to overthrow the antagonists and when he does this single- handed it conveys how superior the hero is to the other characters in skill and fighting ability. Thus showing the audience the typical characteristics of an thriller protagonist.  

Jodie Foster

Jodie Foster is particularly well known for her contribution to thriller films such as the 1991 horror- thriller 'The Silence of the Lambs' which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning five including Best Actress which Foster won. After being a well known child - actor for her role in films such as 'Freaky Friday' and 'Bugsy Malone' 'The Silence of the Lambs' painted Foster in a new light and enabled her to take on darker roles and projects. As a woman, Foster also subverts the typical thriller protagonist but is not portrayed as a stereotypical weaker woman in need of help and is instead shown to be a strong, protector in the popular 2002 thriller, 'Panic Room'. 

Trailer for 'Panic Room'

Again, like in the thriller 'die hard' the viewer sees from these clips and from researching the actors themselves what makes a popular thriller actor. For example, Foster is shown to be strong, independent, brave, clever and quick witted to be able to outsmart the three antagonists. Once again the viewer is presented with an underdog hero as not only is the main protagonist outnumbered, she is also female often viewed as the weaker sex in films and less able to defend themselves - meaning that Foster has to be twice as skilled in the film to outsmart the antagonists, but also to protect herself and her daughter. 

From my research into who are some of the most popular thriller actors, and after contemplating what makes them so popular I have deduced that when it comes to making my own thriller opening it is important to establish certain qualities in the protagonist; bravery, skill, quick wits and to be able to outsmart the antagonists. Moreover, after looking at both Bruce Willis and Jodie Foster, two extremely well respected actors I feel that to make my thriller opening more popular I should establish my main character as an underdog, perhaps even being outnumbered by the antagonists, as this eventual defeat serves to highlight the main character's superior skills and impresses the audience.  

Source: ranker.com, listal.com,Wiki, Google, Google Images, YouTube. 

Top Rated Thriller Films

Top rated Thriller Films 

Within the thriller genre along with iconic actors and directors who are renowned for their contributions, so their are certain films which are considered to be the greatest in the genre, and are therefore awarded the title, 'The Best Thrillers Of All Time'., I have researched the top - rated Thriller films of all time, although opinions vary on which should be top of the list, here is the top ten as cited by the film website, IMDb:

 1.

Pulp Fiction (1994)

  9.0/10 

The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. (154 mins.)

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Stars: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis

Add to Watchlist

2.

8MM (1999)

  6.5/10 

A private investigator is hired to discover if a "snuff film" is authentic or not. (123 mins.)

Director: Joel Schumacher

Stars: Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, James Gandolfini, Peter Stormare

Add to Watchlist

3.

A History of Violence (2005)

  7.5/10 

A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core. (96 mins.)

Director: David Cronenberg

Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ed Harris, William Hurt

Add to Watchlist

4.

American Gangster (2007)

  7.8/10 

In 1970s America, a detective works to bring down the drug empire of Frank Lucas, a heroin kingpin from Manhattan, who is smuggling the drug into the country from the Far East. (157 mins.)

Director: Ridley Scott

Stars: Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin

Add to Watchlist

5.

Angel Heart (1987)

  7.4/10 

Harry Angel is a private investigator. He is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer called Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn. (113 mins.)

Director: Alan Parker

Stars: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling

Add to Watchlist

6.

Natural Born Killers (1994)

  7.3/10 

Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and psychopathic serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media. (118 mins.)

Director: Oliver Stone

Stars: Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Tom Sizemore, Rodney Dangerfield

Add to Watchlist

7.

Awake (2007)

  6.5/10 

The story focuses on a man who suffers "anesthetic awareness" and finds himself awake and aware, but paralyzed, during heart surgery. His mother must wrestle with her own demons as a turn of events unfolds around them, while trying to unfold the story hidden behind her son's young wife. (84 mins.)

Director: Joby Harold

Stars: Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba, Terrence Howard, Lena Olin

Add to Watchlist

8.

Birthday Girl (2001)

  6.1/10 

A thirtysomething bank clerk from St Albans has his small-town life exploded by the arrival of his Russian mail-order bride. (93 mins.)

Director: Jez Butterworth

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Vincent Cassel, Ben Chaplin, Mathieu Kassovitz

Add to Watchlist

9.

Breaking News (2004)

  6.7/10 

When an ambulatory TV news unit live broadcasts the embarrassing defeat of a police battalion by five bank robbers in a ballistic showdown... (90 mins.)

Director: Johnnie To

Stars: Richie Ren, Kelly Chen, Nick Cheung, Siu-Fai Cheung

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10.

Cellular (2004)

  6.5/10 

A young man receives an emergency phone call on his cell phone from an older woman. The catch? The woman claims to have been kidnapped; and the kidnappers have targeted her husband and child next. (94 mins.)

Director: David R. Ellis

Stars: Kim Basinger, Chris Evans, Jason Statham, William H. Macy

Add to Watchlist

Source: IMDb.com,