Image via New Line Cinema
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Andrew Kevin Walker
Cast: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kevin Spacey
The movie that put David Fincher on the map, Se7en remains a taut, twisted thriller. The story follows detectives Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and Mills (Brad Pitt)
as they hunt a serial killer who uses the Seven Deadly Sins as
inspiration for his killings. The movie has everyone involved playing at
the top of their game in a movie that doesn’t shy away from bleakness
or the darkness in humanity. The movie also shows that even with his
second film, Fincher was already a master on the rise of cinema, and
it’s remarkable to see how far he’s come when Se7en is already such an assured, confident picture. – Matt Goldberg
Moonrise Kingdom
Director: Wes Anderson
Writers: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola
Cast:
Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances
McDormand, Bruce Willis, Jason Schwarztman, Bob Balaban, and Tilda
Swinton
Wes Anderson’s ode to summer
lovin’ is quite possibly his most romantic film yet, as the filmmaker
perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be young and
head-over-heels in love. It’s a delightful picture with an undercurrent
of sadness running throughout, and it features some of the most stunning
production design of Anderson’s oeuvre—and that’s saying something. Moonrise Kingdom also features the anachronistic casting of Bruce Willis and Edward Norton,
who turn out to be absolute perfect fits for Anderson’s brand of
auteurism. As fall begins, say goodbye to summer with this melancholic
treat. – Adam Chitwood
L.A. Confidential
Image via Warner Bros.
Directed by: Curtis Hanson
Written by: Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson
Cast: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, and David Strathairn
The 1997 noir L.A. Confidential is kind of a perfect movie. In the vein of Chinatown or Double Indemnity,
this is classic noir through and through but brought to the screen with
vigor, style, and maximum emotional impact by director Curtis Hanson. Based on the James Ellroy novel of the same name, the film stars Guy Pearce as a do-good police sergeant (Guy Pearce) in 1950s L.A. who teams up with a burly cop (Russell Crowe)
to find the truth to a deadly mob murder. Police corruption and
Hollywood scandal are front and center, but the film never hits a false
note. It introduced audiences at large to Pearce and Crowe, both of whom
who soar as a result, and the Best Picture nominee was so impactful it
inspired an entire video game in L.A. Noire! – Adam Chitwood
The Iron Giant
Image via Warner Bros.
Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Tim McCanlies
Cast: Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, and Vin Diesel
A flop upon its initial release back in 1999, The Iron Giant has become a cult classic over the year and eventually found its audience. Brad Bird’s animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ book follows young Hogarth Hughes (Eli Marienthal),
a smart but lonely kid during the Cold War who stumbles across a giant
metal robot from outer space. Hogarth befriends the Iron Giant (Vin Diesel)
and teaches him about life and death as well as what it means to be a
hero rather than a weapon. It’s a beautiful story, and it’s no wonder
that the film has found a special place in the hearts of viewers. If you
still haven’t seen it, clear your evening plans, and watch it as soon
as possible. – Matt Goldberg
Goodfellas
Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Nicholas Pileggi and Martin Scorsese
Cast: Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino
Any director would be happy to make one masterpiece in his or her career, but filmmaker Martin Scorsese has several. Surely Goodfellas
is towards the top of the heap, as the director’s 1990 mob drama still
stands today as a stone-cold classic. The film tells the true rise and
fall story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), tracking his life of crime from childhood up through the 1980s. It’s an epic saga told with vigor—this thing moves,
and it’s all thanks to Scorsese’s kinetic camerawork and editing style.
The soundtrack is killer, the performances are incredible (Joe Pesci!), and it’s a film that’s been mimicked countless times since. But there’s no touching the original. – Adam Chitwood
Captain America: Civil War
Image via Marvel Studios
Directors: Joe and Anthony Russo
Writers: Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Cast:
Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson,
Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Daniel Bruhl, Paul Rudd, Jeremy Renner,
Anthony Mackie, and William Hurt
If you’re looking to catch up before the next Marvel movie, Captain America: Civil War is a solid way to spend some time. The third film in the Captain America trilogy saw Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo
taking an ambitious track, adapting a famous comics storyline that pits
the MCU superheroes against one another. The result is a politically
complex thriller with an interesting villain and fascinating chemistry
amongst the MCU ensemble. Oh, and Tom Holland’s debut as Spider-Man is a highlight. – Adam Chitwood
The Ritual
Director: David Bruckner
Writer: Joe Barton
Cast: Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton
Horror
movies are always a gamble–some are great, and deliver more than
expected, while others simply tread well-worn territory. The Ritual falls into the former category, as director David Bruckner
takes a story about male friendships and growing older (and further
apart) and packages it into a terrifying, twisty “monster in the woods”
horror film. The film revolves around four friends who go on a hiking
trip in Sweden to honor their friend Rob, who was killed six months
earlier during a convenience store robbery. But when they take a
shortcut through some woods (terrible idea), they find themselves
haunted by a malevolent creature. The performances really anchor this
thing as a character-rich piece, specifically from lead Rafe Spall,
and the creature design itself is absolutely unique (and frightening).
The final result is a horror movie that’s downright scary, surprising,
and honestly quite thoughtful. It’s the whole package. – Adam Chitwood
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Director: Nicholas Stoller
Writer: Jason Segel
Cast: Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand, Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, and Bill Hader
The 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall is secretly one of the best romantic comedies ever made. Produced by Judd Apatow, the film saw Freaks and Geeksbreakout Jason Segel writing a script inspired by his own experiences. The story revolves around a guy who gets dumped by his famous girlfriend (Kristen Bell) and heads to Hawaii to try and forget about his troubles. As it turns out his ex and her new rock star lover (Russell Brand) are staying at the same resort. Hilarity and male nudity ensue, but what makes Forgetting Sarah Marshall
linger is the sensitivity at the heart of the film. It’s ultimately an
incredibly sweet story bolstered by tremendous performances that also
happens to feature a Dracula musical. – Adam Chitwood
Heat
Directed/Written by: Michael Mann
Cast:
Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Amy Brenneman, Tom Sizemore,
Ashley Judd, Wes Studi, Jon Voight, Ted Levine, and Natalie Portman
Filmmaker Michael Mann’s crime epic Heat is a must-watch classic, through and through. The film largely influenced Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, as it’s a crime thriller in which the city is as much a character as the various people involved. Robert De Niro plays a career criminal whose crew gets in hot water after a heist goes wrong. Al Pacino
plays the LAPD lieutenant hunting him down. And since this is a Michael
Mann movie, there are various other character-rich plot threads going
on at the same time. De Niro and Pacino famously only have one scene
together, but boy does Mann make it count. – Adam Chitwood
Lincoln
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Tony Kushner
Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field, David Strathairn, James Spader, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Hal Holbrook
There are those that will tell you Lincoln is “minor Spielberg,” but those people are wrong. This 2012 drama had long been a passion project of Steven Spielberg’s,
and as realized is a thoughtful, insightful, and surprisingly funny
chronicle of one of the greatest American presidents. The film doesn’t
take the “cradle to grave” route but instead focuses on Lincoln’s
efforts to pass the 13th Amendment. In doing so, Spielberg creates one
of the best films about political process ever made, while also digging
deep into the contradictions in Lincoln himself. As portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis,
it’s a complex, fascinating portrayal of a man trying to do best by
himself and his country, but who doesn’t always have the right answers.
The film is far deeper than a simple “that was nice” story, and is West Wing-esque
in its compelling chronicle of the political process. In short, it’s
masterful, and it’s absolutely top tier Spielberg. – Adam Chitwood
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