Movies to Watch Tonight: Overlooked Thrillers
A list of recommended lesser-known science-fiction, suspense and thriller movies.
Overlooked Thrillers
When people ask me to suggest a film for the evening’s viewing, I usually counter their request with a question: What are you in the mood for? They invariably name off a few popular films within the genre for which they have a hankering. From there, I offer them a few lesser-known but excellent titles, giving them a chance to try something new and different.
If someone were to name off a string of thrillers - dark, suspenseful films that might include such classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Sixth Sense and Memento - my list of recommendations might look a little like this:
Dark City
Written and directed by Alex Proyer, Dark City is a sci-fi noire in the tradition of Blade Runner, mixing science fiction elements with a murder mystery. Proyer is better known for the Will Smith starrer, I Robot, and his work on The Crow, with Brandon Lee. More recently, he wrote and directed another underrated thriller titled Knowing and starring Nicolas Cage. Dark City is atmospheric, fascinating and endlessly creative; a sort of Matrix for the sophisticated movie-goer. Recommended to fans of Blade Runner, Inception and The Matrix.
The Killing Room
The Killing Room is a clever little film that can be describe as Saw for grown-ups. Four people are recruited to participate in a series of experiments designed to test their physical, mental and moral limits. I loathed Saw and its horde of imitators, but despite a plot that would lend itself easily to the type of torture porn seen in those lesser films, in The Killing Room, the filmmakers build and maintain tension the old-fashioned way, taking lessons from Hitchcock rather than from Jigsaw.
Moon
A quiet, contemplative film, Moon may seem confusing at first, but is ultimately rewarding. Sam works on the moon, keeping an eye on a mostly-automated lunar mine. Shades of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) is his only companion - until Sam suffers an accident at the mine. I'll say nothing more about the plot or story for fear of lessening your reward. Moon was written and directed by newcomer, Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie). He is one to watch, his next film being a larger-budgeted sci-fi actioner titled Source Code and starring Jake Gyllenhal.
Pandorum
A young man awakens from cryogenic hibernation aboard a space ship, only to find that he no longer remembers why he is aboard the ship or where it is headed. To make matters worse, the craft seems to have been invaded by strange - and quite possibly cannibalistic - humanoid creatures. Heavy on atmosphere, Pandorum is an intriguing blend of science fiction, action and horror.
The Prestige
Co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan, this fantastic movie came and went with little notice, at least compared to the attention heaped on Nolan's other work, including Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, and his breakout success, Memento. The Prestige is a story of two rival magicians seeking to one-up each other by any means necessary, and no matter what the cost. It is a layered tale that rewards multiple viewings and is sure to surprise.
Session 9
A hazardous material disposal team is sent to clean out an old, abandoned mental institution which may very well be haunted. Heavy on the atmosphere and intensely creepy without being overtly violent, Session 9 is a stylish psychological thriller by Paul Anderson, director of The Machinist and numerous episodes of the television show Fringe. His most recent film is Vanishing on 7th Street, starring Hayden Christensen.
Solaris
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Georges Clooney, Solaris is a remake of a 1972 film by Russian director Andrey Tarkovskiy. A psychologist, Chris Kelvin (Clooney), is called to a lonely space station orbiting a strange and mysterious planet. Here, he is confronted by a crew that has come unhinged - and his own past. A space-borne ghost story, Solaris is a quiet, meditative mind-bender that sinks into you like a chill.
Sunshine
A ship, the second of two, leaves earth on a mission to reignite a dying sun. The crew contends with clashes of personality, a captain addicted to the fearsome view outside the ship's porthole, and the knowledge that the fate of humanity depends on their successful completion of their mission. But things become truly complicated, and frightening, when they come across the ship that preceded them on their shared quest. From the writer and director team who brought you The Beach and 28 Days Later, Sunshine should appeal to those who enjoyed Event Horizon and/or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
There you have it. If you were in the mood for a suspenseful thriller but felt that you’d seen all the good ones, I’m confident that you’ll have found something to interest you on this list.
When people ask me to suggest a film for the evening’s viewing, I usually counter their request with a question: What are you in the mood for? They invariably name off a few popular films within the genre for which they have a hankering. From there, I offer them a few lesser-known but excellent titles, giving them a chance to try something new and different.
If someone were to name off a string of thrillers - dark, suspenseful films that might include such classics as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Sixth Sense and Memento - my list of recommendations might look a little like this:
Dark City
Written and directed by Alex Proyer, Dark City is a sci-fi noire in the tradition of Blade Runner, mixing science fiction elements with a murder mystery. Proyer is better known for the Will Smith starrer, I Robot, and his work on The Crow, with Brandon Lee. More recently, he wrote and directed another underrated thriller titled Knowing and starring Nicolas Cage. Dark City is atmospheric, fascinating and endlessly creative; a sort of Matrix for the sophisticated movie-goer. Recommended to fans of Blade Runner, Inception and The Matrix.
The Killing Room
The Killing Room is a clever little film that can be describe as Saw for grown-ups. Four people are recruited to participate in a series of experiments designed to test their physical, mental and moral limits. I loathed Saw and its horde of imitators, but despite a plot that would lend itself easily to the type of torture porn seen in those lesser films, in The Killing Room, the filmmakers build and maintain tension the old-fashioned way, taking lessons from Hitchcock rather than from Jigsaw.
Moon
A quiet, contemplative film, Moon may seem confusing at first, but is ultimately rewarding. Sam works on the moon, keeping an eye on a mostly-automated lunar mine. Shades of 2001: A Space Odyssey, a robot named GERTY (voiced by Kevin Spacey) is his only companion - until Sam suffers an accident at the mine. I'll say nothing more about the plot or story for fear of lessening your reward. Moon was written and directed by newcomer, Duncan Jones (son of David Bowie). He is one to watch, his next film being a larger-budgeted sci-fi actioner titled Source Code and starring Jake Gyllenhal.
Pandorum
A young man awakens from cryogenic hibernation aboard a space ship, only to find that he no longer remembers why he is aboard the ship or where it is headed. To make matters worse, the craft seems to have been invaded by strange - and quite possibly cannibalistic - humanoid creatures. Heavy on atmosphere, Pandorum is an intriguing blend of science fiction, action and horror.
The Prestige
Co-written and directed by Christopher Nolan, this fantastic movie came and went with little notice, at least compared to the attention heaped on Nolan's other work, including Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, Inception, and his breakout success, Memento. The Prestige is a story of two rival magicians seeking to one-up each other by any means necessary, and no matter what the cost. It is a layered tale that rewards multiple viewings and is sure to surprise.
Session 9
A hazardous material disposal team is sent to clean out an old, abandoned mental institution which may very well be haunted. Heavy on the atmosphere and intensely creepy without being overtly violent, Session 9 is a stylish psychological thriller by Paul Anderson, director of The Machinist and numerous episodes of the television show Fringe. His most recent film is Vanishing on 7th Street, starring Hayden Christensen.
Solaris
Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Georges Clooney, Solaris is a remake of a 1972 film by Russian director Andrey Tarkovskiy. A psychologist, Chris Kelvin (Clooney), is called to a lonely space station orbiting a strange and mysterious planet. Here, he is confronted by a crew that has come unhinged - and his own past. A space-borne ghost story, Solaris is a quiet, meditative mind-bender that sinks into you like a chill.
Sunshine
A ship, the second of two, leaves earth on a mission to reignite a dying sun. The crew contends with clashes of personality, a captain addicted to the fearsome view outside the ship's porthole, and the knowledge that the fate of humanity depends on their successful completion of their mission. But things become truly complicated, and frightening, when they come across the ship that preceded them on their shared quest. From the writer and director team who brought you The Beach and 28 Days Later, Sunshine should appeal to those who enjoyed Event Horizon and/or 2001: A Space Odyssey.
There you have it. If you were in the mood for a suspenseful thriller but felt that you’d seen all the good ones, I’m confident that you’ll have found something to interest you on this list.
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