Dead Ringers (1988)
Jan 22, 2002Disturbed Twin Psychology
David Cronenberg's absolute masterpiece of the perverse with Jeremy Irons giving a tour-de-force performance(s) as twin gynaecologists who descend into drug addiction, obsession and madness
Jeremy Irons
Kafka (1991)
Jun 7, 2002Fictionalised Author Biopic/Mad Scientists
Steven Soderbergh's second film was this flop pseudo-biopic that places Franz Kafka (Jeremy Irons) alongside mad scientist elements and German Expressionist homages but fails to find much of Kafka's paranoid mood
The House of the Spirits (1993)
Apr 18, 2001Latin American Family Saga/Magical Realism
A star-studded but ponderous adaptation of Isabel Allende's cross-generational family saga set in an unnamed South American republic that comes with Magical Realist elements
The Lion King (1994)
Dec 31, 2001Disney Animation/Talking Animals
One of the best films to come out of Disney's animation renaissance during the 1990s, this uses all the studio as its disposal to create a work that is epic in its scope
Dungeons & Dragons (2000)
Dec 8, 2000Sword and Sorcery
Film based on the enormously popular roleplaying game, this appears to have been quickly thrown together in advance of The Lord of the Rings films but is a shabby effort filled with some disastrous off-tone casting
The Time Machine (2002)
Apr 9, 2002Time Travel/H.G. Wells Adaptation
Remake of the classic H.G. Wells novel that comes with the novelty of being directed by Wells's great-grandson. More disappointingly it prefers to merely remake the 1960 film rather than return to the book
Eragon (2006)
Feb 11, 2007Epic Dragon Fantasy
A dragon fantasy adapted from a popular book series that has Lord of the Rings wannabe stamped all over it and only unimaginatively follows in Peter Jackson's footsteps
Inland Empire (2006)
Aug 17, 2007Surrealism
Probably the most divided of David Lynch's films, another delve into cryptic surrealism that arrives at no clear plot destinations or clues about what is going on
The Colour of Magic (2008)
Jan 11, 2009Fantasy Comedy/Terry Pratchett Adaptation
The second live-action tv adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books (in fact combining two books). This is uneven and oddly padded but beautifully produced
Beautiful Creatures (2013)
Feb 14, 2013Young Adult/War Between Witches
Attempt to create another Twilight franchise that quickly becomes the anti-Twilight, shucking the pro-chastity message for a decidedly inflammatory stance against small-minded Christian prejudice
High-Rise (2015)
Oct 17, 2015Residents of an Apartment Block Revert to Barbarism/J.G. Ballard Adaptation
Ben Wheatley's adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel about the residents of a high-rise apartment block and their descent into barbarism. The film is rich with biting social allegory and is Wheatley's most accomplished to date
Assassin’s Creed (2016)
Mar 4, 2017Videogame Adaptation/Quest Through Past Lives
Adaptation of the popular videogame that is lumbered with the game's inherently uncinematic premise where people only sit around and watch what has already happened in the past
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
Mar 27, 2016DC Comics Superhero Team-Up
It took DC Comics the better part of a decade to catch up with the massive success Marvel Comics are having on screen in crossing their characters over. Zack Snyder comes to the party offering up THE biggest headline double-bill in superherodom
Justice League (2017)
Dec 30, 2017Comic-Book Superheroes
Zack Snyder completes his run through DC superheroes with mixed results. The introduction of the characters works well but Snyder too readily throws established continuity out the window, while the visual dourness becomes tedious
Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)
Mar 27, 2021Comic-Book Superheroes
Zack Snyder’s original cut of Justice League is a magnificent work that restores much character depth and story. I would far rather watch this than any of the recent MCU films
The Flash (2023)
Jul 29, 2023Comic-Book Superhero
Despite a poor box-office performance and a troubled production behind the scenes, it is a surprise what a good film this is, easily outstripping the last half-dozen MCU films put together