Cleopatra’s Second Husband (1998)
Oct 17, 2000Unwelcome Tenants/Psychological Games
Modestly effective indie psycho-thriller in which a couple develop a twisted psycho-sexual relationship with their unwelcome tenants
Radha Mitchell
Pitch Black (2000)
Feb 19, 2000Planetary Survival
A gripping and particularly well conceived planetary survival story. The film that launched Vin Diesel's career and he has never been better than as the lethal, tight-lipped serial killer Riddick
When Strangers Appear (2001)
Aug 10, 2001Psycho-Thriller
Excellent thriller set around a roadside diner where Radha Mitchell becomes caught between parties hunting the other where seems to be who they appear
Phone Booth (2002)
Jun 28, 2003Man Trapped in a Phone Booth by a Psycho Sniper
Sharp and original script from Larry Cohen in which Colin Farrell is trapped inside a phone booth by a sniper. Good story that even the awful Joel Schumacher in the director's seat doesn't screw up too badly
Visitors (2003)
Mar 7, 2005Yachtboard Ghost Story
Strong return to genre material for Australian director Richard Franklin with Radha Mitchell as a yachtswoman in a round the world race facing ghosts on board that may well all be in her imagination
Finding Neverland (2004)
Jan 16, 2005Peter Pan's Creator Biopic
A biopic about J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan. The film received much acclaim at awards season but in reality is a simplistic work that rewrites J.M. Barrie's biography in favour of a fictional story about what happened
Silent Hill (2006)
Nov 10, 2006Videogame Adaptation/Sinister Otherworldly Town
One of the best of all filmed videogame adaptations. Christophe Gans creates a creepy and unworldly atmosphere, along with a series of genuinely outlandish creature effects
Rogue (2007)
Oct 31, 2008Killer Crocodile
The second film from Greg McLean, made directly after the hit of Wolf Creek. In this tale of a killer crocodile. McLean borrows more than a few pages from Jaws to create an incredibly gruelling and intense ride
Surrogates (2009)
Nov 2, 2009Future Where People Inhabit Avatar Bodies
Interesting conceptual SF film where the populace of the future inhabit a series of perfect avatar bodies. Despite a few logical quibbles with the premise, this does a good job in exploring the idea of such a world
The Crazies (2010)
Mar 9, 2010Madness Inducing Biospill
George Romero's underrated classic gets a makeover amid the 00/10s fad for remakes of 70s/80s horror films. Alas, Romero's modest classic about a madness-inducing biospill has a big-budget thrown to emerge as just another zombie film
Silent Hill: Revelation (2012)
Nov 22, 2012Videogame Adaptation/Sinister Otherworldly Town
Dull and unimaginative Silent Hill sequel that only revisits what went before. The first film had an uncanny otherworldly atmosphere but the sequel reduces everything to no more than pop-up Clive Barker
The Frozen Ground (2013)
Nov 23, 2022True-Life Serial Killer
A film based on true-life serial killer Robert Hansen who would fly girls out into the Alaskan wilderness and then hunt them. Nicolas Cage is the dogged detective up against John Cusack as the killer
The Darkness (2016)
Jun 5, 2016Haunting/Native American Demons Awakened
Greg McLean has made an impressive name with the Wolf Creek films and Rogue. In his first US film, he delivers a disappointing and utterly generic haunted suburban house film
Sacrifice (2016)
Jul 1, 2016Ritual Murders/Secret Society
This comes with much promise – rune-covered bodies found on a remote island, ritual murders and a secret society that believe they are the descendants of Celtic supermen – that you wonder what caused the filmmakers to let it slip through their hands
The Shack (2017)
May 29, 2017Man Invited to a Meeting with God
This comes with a fantastic conceptual hook "Man is invited to a meeting with God at a hut in the woods". Alas, what we get is no more than a work of faith-based cinema that drowns in its feelgood Christianity Lite sentiments and appeal to Middle American wholesomeness
Girl at the Window (2022)
Aug 31, 2023Girl Thinks Next-Door Neighbour is a Serial Killer
From Mark Hartley, known for his documentaries about cult cinema, a film that borrows the premise of Disturbia where a teenage girl thinks her neighbour is a serial killer
Devil’s Workshop (2022)
Sep 18, 2023Actor Consults an Exorcist
This comes with an intriguing premise in which a struggling actor consults a demonologist to prepare for a role and agrees to spend a weekend with her during which she decides to exorcise him
