Even though it’s been years since their release, they can still compete with the new releases we see in the cinemas and on streaming services. Let’s get into it!

Forrest Gump

Forrest Gump has been one of those movies I can watch over and over without getting tired of it. Forrest is such a pure, kind character who somehow ends up in the middle of huge historical moments, like fighting in the Vietnam War and meeting presidents. My favorite scene is when he just starts running, and people join him without even asking why. It was a gentle yet powerful reminder that sometimes you don’t need a reason to start something. You just do it. This movie taught me that life can be unpredictable, but if you keep moving forward and stay kind, amazing things can happen.

Inception 

The first time I watched Inception, my mind was completely blown. I couldn’t stop talking about it for weeks because I was so amazed at what happened, even though the movie was pretty long. It’s about a group of people who enter dreams to plant ideas, and the way they explore different dream levels feels like solving a puzzle while running a marathon. 

If there’s one thing I loved about this movie, aside from Leonardo DiCaprio, it is that our thoughts and beliefs shape our reality. It also made me think about how powerful the mind is… and yes, that spinning top at the end still makes me wonder if it’s all a dream. Before you start watching this, make sure you have a good internet service provider if you’re streaming, so you can really understand what the movie is about. 

Fight Club 

Okay, I might be breaking the first rule of Fight Club by even talking about it… but I can’t help it. This movie is just that good. It’s about a guy who’s completely fed up with his boring life, and then he meets Tyler Durden — a wild, unpredictable man who changes everything. They start a secret fight club where strangers punch each other to feel alive, but soon it spirals into something much bigger and much darker. The plot twist, though, is definitely mindblowing. I could never forget what this movie did to my brain. 

2001: A Space Odyssey

This movie isn’t for everyone, but I loved how different it felt from anything else I’ve seen. It’s slow and quiet, and it makes you feel tiny compared to the universe.  My favorite scene is when HAL 9000, the spaceship’s computer, says, “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” It’s chilling and unforgettable. The movie made me realize how far technology could go and how it can both help and harm us. It’s one of those films that leaves you with more questions than answers, and I kind of love that. Since it’s a relatively old movie, you can also watch this on traditional TV like DISH TV. Make sure to watch this!

Mean Girls

On Wednesdays, we wear pink, of course. I can’t miss this on our list. It’s literally the ultimate guide to surviving high school drama. You’ll meet Cady, a typical girl who gets pulled into the most popular group in school called The Plastics. At first, she’s just trying to fit in, but before she knows it, she’s caught up in gossip, lies, and the infamous Burn Book. My favorite scene has to be the cafeteria map breakdown. It’s hilarious how they explain where every group sits, and honestly, every school has that. 

Final Thoughts

These are my top 5 most iconic movies of all time. No matter what you try to watch in this list, I’m confident that you will love it as much as I did. Just make sure that if you’re streaming them online, you need to have a fast internet connection so you can enjoy the entire movie. Happy watching!

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Today we want to look at the greatest movie heists. But beyond simply talking about why these films are great, we will also rank them by the money/monetary value they got away with.

The Great Train Robbery

It may not have all the hallmarks of later heist movies, such as placing great detail on the planning of the job and the psychology of those involved, but The Great Train Robbery pioneered the heist’s cinematic language. Throwing us right into the action, we watch as robbers meticulously enact a plan to halt a train without the police knowing. We then see the bandits rob the train’s occupants, before escaping and eventually being hunted down. Robbery’s structure formed the basis for all cinematic heists that followed and is still a mandatory watch for cinema buffs. We don’t know the worth of everything robbed from the train. However, it was certainly enough to etch this crime into film history.

Widows

Widows is arguably the best heist film of recent years. It not only uses the genre’s codes and conventions in a well-crafted way, but it also takes time to build up the emotional journeys of the central cast and firmly root us in its world. A place where stealing is not just done by individuals but has been part of American policy throughout history, where people of colour are systemically disadvantaged and threats against women are seen as the cost of business. Then there are the fantastic lead performances from Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo as the all-women crew. Their heist brings them $5 million, around £4.9 million today. A modest taking, though definitely one that packs enough punch to make it feel earned.

The Killing

The perfect example of a classic heist film. The Killing has it all. A gang, each with their own specialities, intricately plotting to rob a location of a large sum of money, a spectacular robbery set piece and twists no one planned for. All done with a confident, propulsive energy conveyed through great camerawork, editing and writing. Plus it has one of the best conclusions of any heist movie. The prize here is $2 million or £18 million now. Certainly no laughing matter. 

Rififi

Many heist films showcase the job in a stylised way. With fast cutting, compression of time and music used to amplify the situation’s intensity. Rififi flips these tropes upside down by crafting a heist sequence that lasts for over 20 minutes of screen time. During this time, long takes focus on every detail of the action with no music. Other heist films bask in the thrill of the crime; Rififi makes you feel the tension. All of which results in the team netting jewellery worth ₣240 million. Or roughly £31 million today.

Inception

Movie heists are mostly semi-realistic affairs. Inception uses an immaterial method for material gain. Inception’s heist revolves around implanting an idea into the mind of Robert Fischer, heir to an energy conglomerate. The idea? To break up his father’s company. Thereby allowing his competitor to dominate the market. To do this, the inception team must construct several scenarios in Fischer’s dreams to get him to lower his defences and make him susceptible to the idea. With the top two energy conglomerates at the time reporting revenue of between $275.564 – $278.188 billion (£310 – 312.8 billion now), that’s a lot of money for his competitor to sweep up.

Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trousers

Leave it to Wallace and Gromit to show us that even light-hearted heists can still be enthralling. Feathers McGraw’s silently sneaky plan to rob the Blue Diamond using techno-trousers, a claw helmet and a sleeping Wallace to hold it all together all adds up to a thrillingly hilarious ride. Although the actual loot is incidental, the Blue Diamond is said to be incredibly valuable. Some even list it as priceless. Not a bad haul for Feathers.

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The director announces they only get one take, it’s the most expensive shot of the film and they’re using real acid – cue inevitable disaster. This was made in the 90s today The Simpsons may have thought the director would use CGI instead. SFX is broadly split into two groups – practical effects – mechanical/physical effects, things that really exist, the other use post-production techniques like CGI. Once all SFX were practical effects but over the decades CGI has become far more prevalent.

Christopher Nolan is a great filmmaker in many ways and one of the ways he stands out from his contemporaries is that he still relies on practical effects a lot of the time. One of Nolan’s most famous uses of practical effects is in the film Inception, notably “The Hallway Fight”. Not to get too into the details but two characters are fighting over a gun while the hotel they are in is spinning round, the characters are tossed around as the hotel flips. One character utilises this quite effectively, adjusting his movements to better keep his balance, walking on the floor, then the wall, then the ceiling. This brilliant scene is done with practical effects. Nolan created the corridor set, then built a cylinder around it and a frame that could rotate the corridor. Essentially, the corridor is indeed being flipped over, it is not a camera trick.

Nolan will often just destroy things rather than use CGI. In Tenet that is a real plane that is destroyed and in The Dark Knight a real lorry that he flips over. Obviously doing such things is expensive and dangerous and possibly can only be done once – film studios are not made of airplanes for Nolan to destroy. Apparently in Nolan’s new film, Oppenheimer, a scene depicting the blast of an atomic bomb was made using practical effects and not CGI.

Mad Max: Fury Road is another great example of practical effects. CGI is used, for example in the dust storm, but if something could be done in reality, it was. At least 75 cars were destroyed in the making of the film. MM:FR does bring up a brilliant use of CGI alongside practical effects – it removed things like seatbelts and other safety features, digitally erasing these things that kept actors safe yet would not be present in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

The benefits of practical effects are real – first and foremost, so often the audience can tell. The lorry flip in The Dark Knight felt real, whereas many people have commented on the “weightlessness” of CGI battles that never fully convey the impact of what is supposed to be happening. Often practical effects help actors – having seen behind the scene footage of sci-fi blockbusters where an actor is simply on a green screen stage having “real” items can help their performance.

There are some things that CGI is better suited for. First and foremost, it is usually cheaper. Cult sci-fi film Monsters used CGI to create many of it’s effects (as well as just finding weird real-life places to shoot) and was largely done by the director on his home computer. The fact that small filmmakers can create scenes that could cost millions is great for cinema. Next is that there are simply some things that can’t be done with practical effects, or would look so obviously unrealistic as to defeat the purpose. The recent version of The Jungle Book by Disney was created almost entirely with digital effects, with the actor playing Mowgli essentially being the only real thing on screen – and the thing is correct as it wasn’t just the talking animals that were created but every single tree, rock and blade of grass. Now the thing is – talking animals aren’t real, and doing it with practical effects – puppets and animatronics probably wouldn’t look as real. There is also a great deal of flexibility with using CGI – say Nolan changed his mind and didn’t want to flip a lorry but a bus instead. Nolan would have to redo the entire scene, using CGI it would be far easier.

Practical effects still very much have a place in cinema and ideally a clever combination of all available techniques is likely to give the best results, rather than rigidly sticking to one method. While Nolan used practical effects in Inception there is also a lot of CGI, directors can pick the right tool for the job.

Also Read: The Anatomy of a Christopher Nolan Film

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

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Today we will look back over their career together to find out why they make such a great pairing. We will also look at their upcoming collaboration, this year’s Oppenheimer.

Murphy and Nolan Begins

Nolan and Murphy first worked together on Batman Begins. In the first movie of the celebrated Dark Knight trilogy, Murphy played Dr. Jonathan Crane aka Scarecrow. The secondary antagonist creates a fear-inducing toxin to help Ra’s al Ghul destroy Gotham. Despite being dispatched rather easily he later returns with his fear drug dealing introducing Batman in The Dark Knight and later becoming a judge left to decide the fate of the rich and the police in The Dark Knight Rises.

Murphy also played Robert Fischer in the sci-fi thriller Inception. The C.E.O. whose mind Cobb and his team are sent to implant an idea inside of. Finally, in Dunkirk, he played the Shivering Soldier who delivered a dire warning to a civilian rescue boat heading to the title beach.

With these roles varying so much in prominence one wonders why Murphy keeps teaming up with Nolan? Well, the reason is simple, Murphy often gives his films the emotional or thematic resonance they need to work.

A Scene Stealer

In the Dark Knight trilogy, Murphy provided one of the first glimpses of the series’ key grounded reimaginings of Batman’s rogues’ gallery. For the film to wholly work, Murphy had to make the monstrous supervillain Scarecrow feel like a real person. But Murphy plays Crane with flawless believability. Outwardly a seemingly passive person who relishes the chance to exert power over others. The perfect counterpoint to Bruce Wayne’s journey and a perfect realistic realisation of the man who loves stoking fear in others.

Murphy also brings subtlety and pathos to Robert Fischer, whose insecurities regarding his relationship with his father provide the basis for Inception’s heist. Murphy’s changes in manner as Cobb and his team slowly work on Fischer’s subconscious is a masterclass in understatement. The ending of Cobb’s story would have been fine alone. However, Murphy’s performance in Fischer’s parallel narrative elevates the emotional impact of the story and the other actors’ work.

Finally, as the Shivering Soldier Murphy is tasked with personifying the horrors suffered in war. He’s there to show the civilian boat the hell they are going into. Murphy does this so successfully that when the civilians head to Dunkirk anyway it makes everything even more impactful.

This is why the pair work so well. Murphy is always able to provide thematically weighty performances that get audiences invested. While through his considered writing and direction Nolan is able to make Murphy’s talents shine.

“My best memories of working on Christopher Nolan films are never the large-scale stuff. It’s the very involved, intensely focused, extremely rigorous work, with Chris right there beside the camera.”

Cillian Murphy, NME

“I’ve always known since I first met him – however many years ago it is now, almost 20 years – that he is one of the great actors, not just of his generation, but of all time.”

Christopher Nolan on Cillian Murphy, Far Out Magazine

Leading Oppenheimer

This year Murphy will finally be leading a Nolan project as the titular J. Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb”. Nolan has certainly picked the perfect lead for Oppenheimer.

Amongst the all-star cast and sure-to-be spectacular effects sequences depicting the trinity bomb test, at its centre will be Murphy who has already demonstrated throughout Nolan’s work that he can lift the incredible work of the actors around him, ground an extraordinary character in reality and embody someone who knows the true face of horror. This coupled with the personal research Murphy has undertaken undoubtedly makes him the best actor to depict the person who helped create one of the most deadly devices in history and who famously quoted, “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”?

Also Read: The Anatomy of a Christopher Nolan Film

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

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1. Kevin McCallister is Jigsaw

This theory makes sense the more you think about it. Kevin was of course good at making improvised traps, thus with enough preparation, he could easily make the kind of torture devices seen in the Saw movies. Additionally, being separated from your parents twice and having to fend off dangerous robbers would severely impact your mental health. And he is a master manipulator so who’s to say he didn’t become John Kramer after Home Alone 2? I want to play a game ya filthy animals.

2. Pennywise and Mary Poppins Are The Same Creature

According to theorists, there are many explanations for why Mary Poppins is practically perfect in every way. These range from her actually being a time lord like the Doctor (her handbag being her Tardis) to Mary being a similar creature to Pennywise from It. Except she feeds on happiness instead of fear. Although that implies that she only left the Banks family because she was full from feasting on their energy. You’d need more than a spoonful of sugar to make that medicine go down.

3. Every Scott Bakula Role is actually Sam from Quantum Leap

Rarely has it been theorised that every role an actor plays, across TV and film, is actually a single character. Though, the fact that Quantum Leap was built around Scott Bakula’s Doctor Sam Beckett jumping into different bodies across time and space, all of which are seen by us as Bakula himself, it becomes incredibly easy to buy that theory. Let’s hope he eventually gets home.

4. Holly Martins and Harry Lime were Lovers

Apparently, this theory had some legitimate pull behind the scenes of The Third Man. Producer David O Selznick supposedly said that the only reason why Holly would care so much about Harry after not having seen him for a decade was because they were once lovers. And while said in a very homophobic context this nugget of info, plus the chemistry between Joseph Cotton (who played Holly Martins) and Orson Welles (who played Harry Lime), and Harry seeming to care more for Holly than his “girlfriend” Anna makes this theory seem quite plausible.

5. The Matrix and Terminators

Another franchise crossover theory. And while the Matrix series does not include time travel, and the expansion of the theory which says John Conner and Neo are the same person may stretch credibility, both franchises are about machines battling humanity to near extinction. So, seeing the Sentinals commanding T-800s during the human/machine war wouldn’t be unexpected.

6. Cobb Was Not Exiled From The US

It’s hard to deny the appeal of this popular Reddit theory. Inception already has many fan theories, but this perspective makes the film’s plot a metaphor for Cobb overcoming his emotional issues to be with his family again. This theory also brings Cobb and Mal closer thematically. Showing that fiction can be preferable to reality (Mal) But that it can also help people (Cobb). It’s a theory that works on many levels and deserves to be cannon.

7. Han Solo Triggered Kylo Ren’s Lightsaber

Han Solo’s death already hurt but this theory adds something else to proceedings. Stating that Han knew the only way his son Ben could eventually come back to the light was if he was no longer there. And that Han triggered the lightsaber to start Ben on that path. The surprise on Han’s face indicates this was not the scene’s intention. But that can also be blamed on the pain inflicted by Kylo’s lightsaber. Nevertheless, if you subscribe to this theory it adds an extra tragic layer to Kylo’s arc.

This concludes our foray into the land of film theories. Let us know your favourite movie theories and if any of these have caused you to view certain films differently.

Also Read: Seven Creative Movies Dealing With Memory Loss

Your contribution to Big Picture Film Club will allow us to continue to produce content. No matter the amount your contributions are greatly appreciated.

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The Social Network

On the 1st of October, The Social Network will be ten years old and that’s something we have to celebrate big time. While October is still a few months away, there’s nothing wrong with premature celebrations. The drama about the life of Mark Zuckerberg was being brought to the screen by director David Fincher and actors such as Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, and Justin Timberlake. It wasn’t only the audience that fell in love with this movie but also the film critics were easily convinced that The Social Network was a gem. That’s why this movie was awarded three Oscars, four Golden Globes, and three BAFTAs. Such an awarded and loved film should return to the big screen this year.

The King’s Speech

 The King’s Speech is ten years old, just like The Social Network. Director Tom Hooper and writer David Seidler brought King George VI back to life. It wasn’t only about his impromptu ascension to the throne but also about his relationship with the speech therapist who helped him. At first, the role of King George VI was written with Paul Bettany in mind but he declined. After that, Firth was cast and his performance was so captivating, on-point, and emotional that he won the Academy Award for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role”. Alongside that Oscar, the movie won three Academy Awards. For David Seidler, the evening was even more special as he became the oldest person to win the award for “Best Original Screenplay”. We can’t wait to see that touching “I have a voice” scene in cinemas again.

Pride & Prejudice

This year, we will celebrate the 15^th anniversary of the romantic drama Pride & Prejudice. This movie is based on the same-named novel by Jane Austen and is about Elizabeth Bennet and her Mr. Darcy. Saying that director Joe Wright and casting director Jina Jay did a great job would be a massive understatement. The cast includes strong women such as Keira Knightley, Rosamund Pike, Carey Mulligan, Talulah Riley, and Jena Malone. The audience praised this movie as “the most diverting film”, “Simply unmissable” and “Absolutely Perfect” and the critics predicted a bright future for Wright. They awarded him with awards such as the one for “Most Promising Newcomer”, “Best New Filmmaker” and “British Director of the Year”. The critics were right about that as Wright sat in the director’s chair for films as Darkest Hour and Atonement. Want to experience how it all began for Wright? Then you should watch Pride & Prejudice when it will be screened again.

Chicken Run

Ok, honestly it might not be one of the biggest classic but when it was announced that Chicken Run would get a sequel, people were incredibly excited about that. It’s exactly twenty years since Rocky, Babs and Ginger made their animated appearance. It’s still waiting on confirmation whether original cast members such as Mel Gibson, Timothy Spall, and Imelda Staunton will lend their voice again. Not sure either if we will be able to see Chicken Run 2 on the big screen as the movie is picked up by Netflix. However, during the last few years, many Netflix films such as The Irishman, The King, and Marriage Story were screened in cinemas. We hope that the Chicken Run sequel will get that same treatment. In any case, we can’t wait to re-watch the original film from 2000 on the big screen if possible.

Goodfellas

30 years! Yep, that’s how long ago Goodfellas was released. It was the first collaboration between Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci and it’s probably one of those movies that everyone saw. Thanks to the talent both behind and in front of the screen, you are part of the life of mobster Henry Hill. 146 minutes, you will be surrounded by the intriguing world of the Italian-American crime syndicate and you will get to know more about Hill, his relationship with his wife Karen, and the bond with his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito. With more than 43 wins and 38 nominations behind its name, Goodfellas is one of those films that needs be screened in cinemas again.

Which film(s) do you want to see on the big screen again?

Also Read: 30 Years On: The Godfather Part 3

The post Let’s Celebrate Film: Five Movies With a Special Birthday in 2020 appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Stuart Clive Shorter – Stuart: A Life Backwards

Stuart provides a blueprint for what Tom Hardy would later do with many of his roles. Focusing on every aspect of his performance he reportedly losing nearly 30 pounds for the role; adopted a limp and a slurred voice to play the titular “homeless, sociopathic, junkie“. There’s something brutally honest about Hardy’s portrayal of Stuart. He doesn’t feel Hollywoodized, he feels like a real person. The script also requires Hardy to go to a lot of different places. This results in him being equal parts scary, charming, funny, and disturbing but Hardy pulls it off flawlessly. In lesser hands, Stuart could’ve simply been a one-note sympathy card. But Hardy makes Stuart into a complex, intriguing, and tragic character. For his efforts, Hardy received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.

Eames – Inception

Despite working with many great directors throughout his career Christopher Nolan is the director that always gets the best out of Hardy. Unlike many of his other roles here Hardy retains his regular voice and isn’t the center of attention, playing as part of an ensemble cast but he still manages to make a great impression. As Eames, a conman recruited to impersonate people within a dream (essentially riffing on Hardy’s chameleon-like acting persona) Hardy is very fun, bouncing off the other members of the cast with his deadpan humor and effortless charm. This movie proved that Hardy wasn’t just an actor but a movie star too.

Bane – The Dark Knight Rises

Hardy’s most iconic role is perhaps the best encapsulation of him as an actor. He’s more than willing to change his body for his craft (the hulking behemoth of Bane is a world away from Eames and Stuart physically). He likes to experiment with his accents to give his characters a different feel (here Bane has a calm, vaguely Irish/Scottish voice that effectively contrasts with his savage and intimidating actions). He pays incredible attention to his physical performance (despite having his face covered for almost the entire movie we’re always aware of what Bane is thinking and feeling because of Hardy’s great use of body and facial language). And no matter what he’s doing it’s always utterly captivating. The result is a villain unlike any other.

Ivan Locke – Locke

After the action extravaganza of The Dark Knight Rises Hardy made a return to more low-key dramas. Hardy plays Ivan who is journeying from Birmingham to London to solve a crisis, all the while dealing with calls from his friends, family, and co-workers about where he’s going. Locke is perhaps Hardy’s most impressive role. The entire film takes place in a car with only Tom on screen. Meaning he’s confined in a tight space, restricting his movement and he has to carry the entire movie with his performance. Thankfully he pulls it off with gusto. Though his welsh accent wavers his calm delivery works incredibly well to endear a somewhat unsympathetic character to the audience. And his physical performance says so much with so little. Only Tom Hardy could pull off something that daring.

Ronnie/Reggie Kray – Legend

The best thing about Tom Hardy’s portrayal of the notorious twin gangsters is that you never spend any time thinking about the technical side of his performance. You’re completely invested in him. Both roles complement his skills and past triumphs. As Ronnie, Hardy is much more animalistic. An imposing, violent tough guy which clearly recalls his performances as Stuart Shorter, Bronson, and Bane. And as Reggie, we see the same effortlessly cool but dark-edged charisma he showed in Inception and The Drop. And once again Hardy adds a lot of humanity to these characters. Ronnie’s admission to being gay and Reggie’s love/hater relationship with his brother are incredibly effective. Not because of the lines he’s given but because of how he plays them. This is why whenever anyone talks about Legend they do so solely for Hardy’s performance.

Thus ends our list of Tom Hardy’s best performances. Did we miss any out? Please let us know what your favourite Tom Hardy role is and what you think of our selections.

Also Read: What Happens To Your Brain When Watching A Horror Movie?

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Warning – spoilers ahead for Memento, The Prestige, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar and Dunkirk

Ambition

I don’t mean this as a theme in the storytelling or characters, it’s part of Nolan’s work. Few directors have the scope and vision that he has. Even with Memento, one of his earliest films, he was pushing the boundaries of storytelling with a disjointed non-linear masterpiece that demands to be watched more than once. He took the burgeoning superhero blockbuster genre and not only made the films that in my opinion are the high watermark of the genre in terms of action but also storytelling – and breaking open the elusive worlds of the Oscars. When we come to something like Inception it’s hard to even begin describing it and it’s hard to imagine another director who could pull it off. The resources poured into making a film that could accurately portray the landscape of dreams – the whole world exploding or streets bending back on themselves.

Time

What is the beginning? What is the end? Many of Nolan’s films play with time. The narrative of Memento is confused from the start of the film, in Inception dream time moves so much faster than real life offering the wonderful/terrifying prospect of spending a lifetime in a dream and Interstellar dealt with the mind-blowing ramifications of time with space travel. Dunkirk has a brilliant structure – three stories set around the Dunkirk evacuation. One from the perspective of soldiers on a beach, one from a RAF pilot providing cover and one from someone sailing their little ship to help. The soldiers are on the beach are there for a week yet the pilot’s story is over in one hour and all the stories mix together.

Obsession

Nolan’s first big success came with Memento, a film about a character suffering from anterograde amnesia – a condition that means you can access old memories but you can’t make new ones. Leonard is obsessed with his final memory – the murder of his wife. This obsession leads Leonard to take huge risks with his safety – and that of others – in that he is someone who really needs round the clock care but instead embarks on a mission of revenge. The Dark Knight trilogy has a number of characters driven by obsession, most notably Wayne with the murder of his parents, but often the villains as well – none of whom are driven simply by desire for money or power. The Prestige features two characters obsessed with each other, obsessed with defeating their opponent and quite simply obsessed with being better. Both Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale’s characters go to extreme – even insane – lengths to simply be the better stage magician.

Lying And The Truth

A lot of lying goes on in Christopher Nolan’s films. The plot of Memento hinges on several big lies and how in Leonard’s condition he is very vulnerable to dishonesty. Indeed Leonard lies to himself. At the heart of the Dark Knight trilogy, there are several important lies, the first being the obvious deception that Bruce Wayne is Batman but more importantly the lie told by Batman and Gordon regarding the truth about Harvey Dent, with both believing it was better for society to be lied to. Likewise, The Prestige is a film about magicians who “trick” their audiences but just about every relationship and important event in the film is a lie upon lie upon lie, you are never sure of a person’s loyalty, the accuracy of memory, about exactly who is who and how far do you let a lie dominate your life. The Prestige even lies to the audience. Interstellar shows a society that lies to itself in the hope of moving forward as it is judged necessary to rewrite history so the Apollo moon landings were faked by the American government. Cobb’s life in Inception is destroyed by a lie he tells his wife. You could say that Nolan has been telling us for a long time – don’t trust anyone, not even yourself.

Tenet

Christopher Nolan has a new film coming out for 2020 – Tenet. A trailer was just recently released but it’s still hard to say exactly what the film is about; spying and time travel seem to be the big plot points. The film stars John David Washington (son of Denzel Washington and star of BlackKKlansman), Robert Pattinson (of Twilight fame) and Elizabeth Debicki (probably best known for Widows). The trailer is typical for a Nolan film, with it not giving much away, looking very impressive and having tense and booming music. But does the trailer really matter? For me, Nolan is a director who I would see without a trailer or any prior knowledge of a film – not all of his films have been classics but they’re always worth watching.

More: The Many Faces of Andy Serkis

Also Read: For Your Consideration: Sci-Fi, Comedy & Oscar Snubs

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These films were picked based on their creativity, the impact of the action and how well the story complimented the action. And because there were so man good action films this decade I will be including honourable mentions for you to also watch. Without further ado, let’s begin.

2010: Inception (dir. Christopher Nolan)

With an interesting story about implanting ideas into someone’s mind while having to battle through not only the subject’s mental defences but your own baggage as well as incredibly staged action sequences like the rotating hallway fight and using minimal CGI, Inception is a true sci-fi action masterpiece.

HM: Kick-Ass & 13 Assassins.

2011: The Raid (dir. Gareth Evans)

After a swat team is ambushed in an apartment complex the survivors must reach and arrest the kingpin before his henchmen kill them. From this simple premise, The Raid quickly ratchets up the tension as we are never sure who will escape alive. And the action sequences use of flowing choreography, camerawork and editing turn the film into a remarkable ballet of violence.

HM: Captain America: The First Avenger & X-men: First Class.

2012: Dredd (dir. Peter Travis)

Similar to The Raid, Dredd finds two judges (police officers who are judge, jury, and executioner) Dredd (Karl Urban) and Anderson (Olivia Thirlby), trapped in a skyscraper, having to fight their way to the kingpin to escape. However, Dredd keeps The Raid’s tension while also injecting a healthy dose of comic book action. With bloody violence, great world-building, beautiful slow-motion usage and endearing characters, Dredd, packs a punch despite its small stature.

HM: The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises & Skyfall.

2013: Snowpiercer (dir. Bong Joon-Ho)

While the premise is far-fetched (the remnants of humanity are trapped on a perpetually running world-spanning train after a climate crisis), Snowpiercer’s story about humanity in microcosm and fight scenes are very affecting. The skirmishes are protracted and merciless, combined with the claustrophobic setting and masterful editing, Snowpiercer will keep you riveted till the end.  

HM: The Worlds End & Elysium.

2014: The Raid 2 (dir. Gareth Evans)

After surviving the first film, Rama (Iko Uwais) must infiltrate the mob and bring them down from inside. From there this sequel improves on everything great about the original. With more impressive choreography, more brutal violence; even more memorable characters, all wrapped around a fantastic story of family and loyalty. The Raid 2 is my favourite action film of the decade.

HM: Captain America: The Winter Soldier & Guardians of the Galaxy.

2015: Mad Max: Fury Road (dir. George Miller)

Mad Max: Fury Road puts all other 2015 action movies to shame, with an effectively slight story about Max Rockatansky (Tom Hardy) helping a band of women escape an oppressive patriarch; spectacular vehicle stunts. By the movie’s end, you’ll feel exhausted by the relentless action. Impressed by the practical stunts and special effects. And moved by characters like Furiosa (Charlize Theron) and Nux (Nicholas Hoult). High octane action at its finest.

HM: Furious 7, Avengers: Age of Ultron & Sicario.

2016: Captain America: Civil War (dir. Joe Russo)

Civil War is the highlight of the MCU. The story grounds the conflict in each heroes’ hopes and fears, examining them and playing them against each other expertly. Every character is relatable, making the fights more impactful. And each action sequence is creative. From the opening robbery to the final 2 on 1. Marvel has made many good films, but none topped the impact of Civil War.

HM: Deadpool.

2017: Dunkirk (dir. Christopher Nolan)

Depicting the titular WWII evacuation from three perspectives: the soldiers trapped at Dunkirk waiting for rescue, the civilians coming to evacuate the soldiers and the airmen covering them from above, Dunkirk’s tension becomes almost unbearable as we hope the soldiers escape in time. The use of practical effects, incredible sound editing, and Hans Zimmer’s tense score make the film effective and harrowing.

HM: Baby Driver.

2018: Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse (dir. Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman)

The perfect balance of spectacle, personality, and high personal stakes. Into the Spiderverse is an expertly crafted love letter to comic books. With beautiful visuals that are used inventively in action sequences, all anchored by protagonist Miles Morales. Who allows us to feel his wonder, excitement, and fear better than any other spiderman.

HM: Avengers: Infinity War.

2019: John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (dir. Chad Stahelski)

Parabellum marks the culmination of everything great about John Wick. The story is full of unique, intriguing characters, John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is still thoroughly engaging and the grounded, varied, constant action easily beats the overblown spectacle of other films this year.

HM: Avengers: Endgame.

So ends my list of the 2010’s best action movies. Be sure to tell me your favourite action movie of the decade in the comments. There have been some great action films this decade, now let’s see what the 2020s have in store.

Also Read: How to Revive a Franchise After Many Years

The post The Best Action Films of the Decade (2010 – 2019) appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)

The Plot – The film follows Jyn Erso a woman who has been on the run from the Empire since her childhood because her father is the man who designed the Death Star. Forced by the Rebel Alliance into a mission to extract her father from the Empire’s clutches and so disrupt their plans, Jyn becomes more and more involved in the civil war that is only just beginning.

Why It’s Great – In my opinion this has been the best of the new crop of Star Wars films. A self-contained story (more or less) that fixed perhaps the biggest plot-hole in all of Star Wars – namely, who builds a priceless weapon of mass destruction with such an easy Achilles’ Heel. The cast is sensational with Felicity Jones and Diego Luna as great leads, Ben Mendelsohn doing his Evil Scumbag routine in space and with great actors like Mads Mikkelsen and Forest Whitaker taking on small roles.

Verdict – A wonderful addition to the Star Wars Saga.

Inception (2010)

The Plot – Leonardo Di Caprio plays Cobb, a very special kind of criminal who enters peoples’ dreams to steal information. Challenged to the seemingly impossible act of “inception” – implanting a new idea in a dream that the dreamer will believe to be their own Cobb puts together a crack team to accomplish his goal.

Why It’s Great – Christopher Nolan doesn’t make bad films. Or at least he hasn’t yet. Inception was the first film Nolan directed after Nolan makes blockbusters like no one else, making them as intelligent and original as they are a spectacle. There is a lot of the “one last job for a criminal” motif going on but that is just a great jumping off point. The special effects are truly stunning with the city landscape being twisted and folded as the high point and even if the writing and acting were terrible – which they aren’t – it would be worth watching for the effects alone. As frustrating as the ambiguous ending might be, I like a film that is brave enough not to give you all the answers.

Verdict – A dazzling and smart sci-fi blockbuster.

The World’s End (2013)

The Plot – Gary King wants to reassemble his school friends to complete the “Golden Mile” a pub crawl along twelve pubs in their home town. Sadly for Gary much has changed since school, the group is estranged and he is no longer – if he ever really was – their leader. As the friends reunite and start their pub crawl things in the town become increasingly odd leading to a sensational fight in a pub toilet that reveals what is going on in the town.

Why It’s Great – All of the Cornetto Trilogy are more than what a simple category can describe – all of them are excellent examples of their genre but excel in being films about people. The World’s End is a film about aliens slowly taking over the planet but it’s also about friendship, betrayal, dealing with disappointment in life, youth (and losing your youth), what is life about and more. I would say this is my least favourite of the trilogy but that still could put it in my top twenty films of all time. It has another feature of the Cornetto Trilogy in combining huge, over the top scenarios, in small unlikely places. Few films pack the emotional punch of The World’s End let alone comparing it to other sci-fi comedies.

Verdict – A triumphant end to the Cornetto Trilogy.

Back To The Future Trilogy (1985, 1989, 1990)

The Plot – After accidentally travelling backwards in time teenager Marty McFly interrupts the meet-cute between his parents and thus will never be born. Recruiting the younger version of the scientist who sent him back in time, Doc, Marty seeks to set the timeline right and save himself. In Part 2 Marty and Doc travel to the future to avert a disaster for Marty’s son only to make things much worse everyone – well, nearly everyone. And Part 3…well Part 3 is set in the Old West for some reason ( just go with it, it’s fun).

Why It’s Great – I suppose it’s cheating to put a whole trilogy into one slot but it’s surely a crime to break up these wonderful films when they make such a satisfying collection. It’s hard to overstate the impact these films had on science-fiction and pop culture in general. For many these are the films that made time-travel (and all the paradoxes, dangers and opportunities that come with it) vaguely possible to understand, partly through literally drawing it on a blackboard in Part 2.

Verdict – If for any reason you have not seen these films prepare to watch three of the most enjoyable films ever made.

Annihilation (2018)

The Plot – Lena’s soldier husband returns mysteriously to their home but something is very wrong with him and it isn’t long before the government swoops in and takes control of the situation. It turns out her husband was sent on a secret mission into The Shimmer – a mysterious area of land where normal rules do not apply and her husband is the only person to return from numerous missions. Lena, a scientist and former soldier joins the next team determined to find out what happened.

Why It’s Great – While it does feel somewhat fitting to include a Netflix original film on this list doesn’t mean Annihilation doesn’t got a free pass – it’s a great sci-fi film, and in a way that few sci-fi films are. It has gunfights and monsters and all those things going on it has also has unusual ideas that make you think about the world and the universe. Science-fiction gets a lot of criticism but to me it’s always been the genre of big ideas – whether that’s time travel or space flight or what it means to be human. Written and directed by filmmaking genius Alex Garland and adapted from the successful Southern Reach book trilogy this film comes with exemplary sci-fi credentials.

Verdict – Bizarre mind-bending sci-fi epic.

The post Five Sci-Fi Films To Watch Right Now On Netflix appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.