Films that should have been AMAZING!
by doglover000000 | created - 11 Feb 2014 | updated - 11 Feb 2014 | PublicA list of films with innovative stories that just went horribly wrong!
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1. Surrogates (2009)
PG-13 | 89 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots, a cop is forced to leave his home for the first time in years in order to investigate the murders of others' surrogates.
Director: Jonathan Mostow | Stars: Bruce Willis, Radha Mitchell, Ving Rhames, Rosamund Pike
Votes: 180,317 | Gross: $38.58M
"Set in a futuristic world where humans live in isolation and interact through surrogate robots"
While the notion holds promise, the execution is strictly campy and adrenaline-driven.
2. The Purge (I) (2013)
R | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A wealthy family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legal.
Director: James DeMonaco | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane
Votes: 240,150 | Gross: $64.47M
"In a futuristic America plagued by crime, the government sanctions a 12-hour period once a year in which all criminal activity is legal"
The originality diminishes quickly into a simple "House Invasion".
3. After the Dark (2013)
R | 107 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
At an international school in Jakarta, a philosophy teacher challenges his class of twenty graduating seniors to choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race in the event of a nuclear apocalypse.
Director: John Huddles | Stars: James D'Arcy, Sophie Lowe, Daryl Sabara, Freddie Stroma
Votes: 23,561
"Faced with an impending nuclear apocalypse, a group of twenty college students must determine which ten of them would take shelter underground and reboot the human race"
A versatile subject matter that excites thought but struggles with the momentum.
4. Source Code (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 550,004 | Gross: $54.71M
"When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train."
Mostly ruined by the "Hollywood" ending!
5. We Are What We Are (2010)
Not Rated | 90 min | Drama, Horror
When the patriarch of the family passes away, the teenage children must take responsibility for the family chores: the preparation of the rituals, the hunting and putting the all-important ... See full summary »
Director: Jorge Michel Grau | Stars: Francisco Barreiro, Paulina Gaitan, Alan Chávez, Carmen Beato
Votes: 5,093
"A middle-aged man dies in the street, leaving his widow and three children destitute. The devastated family is confronted not only with his loss but with a terrible challenge -- how to survive. For they are cannibals."
A competent yet superficial horror that doesn't quite accomplish anything.
6. Would You Rather (2012)
Not Rated | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of "Would You Rather," hosted by a sadistic aristocrat.
Director: David Guy Levy | Stars: Brittany Snow, June Squibb, Jeffrey Combs, Jonny Coyne
Votes: 45,434
"Desperate to help her ailing brother, a young woman unknowingly agrees to compete in a deadly game of "Would You Rather," hosted by a sadistic aristocrat."
A restrained horror where its limitations held the unique concept back.
7. Rare Exports (2010)
R | 84 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.
Director: Jalmari Helander | Stars: Jorma Tommila, Onni Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela
Votes: 32,155 | Gross: $0.26M
"In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up!"
A twisted alternative to a Christmas tale. Refreshingly original and dark with occasional humour, but with a flat ending the film fails to captivate at the finale hurdle!
8. Battle Royale (2000)
Not Rated | 114 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tarô Yamamoto, Chiaki Kuriyama
Votes: 194,512
"In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act."
Hunger Games" is diluted compared to Fukasaku graphic "Reality Tv" styled film. Not enough development for any connection to be made with the characters. Although a cult classic and still controversial, I can't see this as anything more then a slasher B movie!!
9. Seven Psychopaths (2012)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken
Votes: 274,020 | Gross: $15.02M
"A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld"
Tarantino rip off. Self indulgent and non sequitur! Good cast but disappointing finally.
10. Confessions (2010)
Not Rated | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death.
Director: Tetsuya Nakashima | Stars: Takako Matsu, Yoshino Kimura, Masaki Okada, Yukito Nishii
Votes: 42,085
"A psychological thriller of a grieving mother turned cold-blooded avenger with a twisty master plan to pay back those who were responsible for her daughter's death."
It ignites excitement and originality in the beginning that fizzes out half way through. An international, psychological drama that is clever and visually compelling!
11. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Votes: 450,971 | Gross: $42.07M
"Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for."
A tongue in cheek horror that fails at the last hurdle! A different and interesting take on the genre but with a less then impressed ending!
12. Chatroom (2010)
R | 97 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
Five teenagers with different personalities are introduced to one another in a chatroom called "Chelsea Teens!" But one shows its darker side, threatening the others' lives.
Director: Hideo Nakata | Stars: Jacob Anderson, Matthew Ashforde, Dorothy Atkinson, Matthew Beard
Votes: 9,594
"Chatroom is a 2010 British thriller film directed by Hideo Nakata about five teenagers who meet on the internet and encourage each other's bad behaviour."
A tedious yet original concept of the dangers of social networking. Great cast but poor speed.
13. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 165,970 | Gross: $3.19M
"A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage."
With a few confusions a long the way, this is a long but at times engaging film with originality and style! However, with a few scenes that seemed pointless and again, a long film, it failed to capture me! The cast is beautiful but the film itself isn't!
14. Vanishing on 7th Street (2010)
R | 92 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
The population of Detroit has almost completely disappeared, but a few remain. As daylight disappears they realize that the Dark is coming for them.
Director: Brad Anderson | Stars: Hayden Christensen, Thandiwe Newton, John Leguizamo, Jacob Latimore
Votes: 27,324 | Gross: $0.02M
"Vanishing on 7th Street is a 2010 American post-apocalyptic thriller"
Theres something intriguing about this movie but with few questions answered, your'll be left bewildered! A post-apocalyptic horror that left me thinking that perhaps it was "Adam and Eve" at the end?
15. Skeleton Crew (2009 Video)
R | 90 min | Horror, Thriller
The production of a horror movie based on the true story of a doctor's sadistic snuff films takes a terrifying turn when the director gets carried away with his subject.
Directors: Tommi Lepola, Tero Molin | Stars: Rita Suomalainen, Steve Porter, Anna Alkiomaa, Jonathan Rankle
Votes: 1,142
"In the 1970s, a mental institution near the border of Russia and Finland was shut down when it was discovered that main administrator Doctor Andersson (who had taken to calling himself "The Auteur") had filmed himself torturing patients to death. Most of the doctor's films were confiscated, though the rooms in which they were developed and screened were never found."
Basis of the film is pretty interesting. To think that there's possible "Snuff" films out there is pretty horrifying but all and all, this isn't a good horror! The acting is awful and the gore is over the top but with a few graphic scenes, you may be able to watch this to the end!
16. Contagion (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Votes: 316,081 | Gross: $75.66M
"The CDC races against time to develop a vaccine against an extremely lethal virus."
A realistic concept that can plague the minds of all that see however, without even needing to watch the film, you already know how the film will pan out! An all star cast but a slow paced thriller.
17. Exam (2009)
Not Rated | 101 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Eight candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a final test with just one seemingly simple question. However, it doesn't take long for confusion to ensue and tensions to unravel.
Director: Stuart Hazeldine | Stars: Adar Beck, Gemma Chan, Nathalie Cox, John Lloyd Fillingham
Votes: 125,385
"The final candidates for a highly desirable corporate job are locked together in an exam room and given a test so simple and confusing that tension begins to unravel."
An intense, psychological thriller that fails at the final hurdle! An ending that will leave you unsatisfied, but a pretty decent thriller that will captivate you.
18. Hack! (2007)
R | 89 min | Comedy, Horror
Wanting to raise their grades, a handful of college kids are randomly selected for a field trip to study wildlife, but don't get the chance as cliché horror film-style murders occur.
Director: Matt Flynn | Stars: Danica McKellar, Jay Kenneth Johnson, Juliet Landau, Tony Burton
Votes: 2,314
"Wanting to raise their grades, a handful of college kids are randomly selected for a field trip to study wildlife, but don't get the chance as cliché horror film-style murders occur."
A low budget horror that takes the piss out of itself. Although the concept, under the right direction could have potential, this itself gave nothing in the way of originality and style. A massive failure.
19. The Killing Room (2009)
R | 93 min | Mystery, Thriller
Four individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program.
Director: Jonathan Liebesman | Stars: Nick Cannon, Clea DuVall, Timothy Hutton, Chloë Sevigny
Votes: 14,917
"Four individuals sign up for a psychological research study only to discover that they are now subjects of a brutal, classified government program."
An intriguing concept that's ruined by the slow paced and sometimes mumbled script. Average acting but i can now rule this of my Peter Stomare list!
20. Let Me In (I) (2010)
R | 116 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.
Director: Matt Reeves | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloë Grace Moretz, Richard Jenkins, Cara Buono
Votes: 127,357 | Gross: $12.13M
"A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian."
A deep and dark film for the young cast to portray with a Romeo and Juliet vibe, its a dull but interesting plot that failed to captivate me. Great cast, disappointing film.
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