Amerarkana as recommended by Film General Board on IMDb
Over a few threads (and years!) on the Film General message board on IMDb I asked for examples of "Amerarkana". Now latterly this has been resurrected on the ICM Forum after IMDb deleted their own forums.
What is a film from the body of Amerarkana? It is an arcane American movie, it is the type of movie I grew up watching, catching haphazardly on late night tv, as a 90s British teen (many Americans had the same on their late night cable).
Below are some typical characteristics of the type of movie in question, it should include many/most of these with the more non-negotiable ones nearer the top:
Important note: some of these films will have been described as "film soleil", in DK Holm's book of the same name, though by no means all. Amerarkana is intended to include most of those films but be a wider definition. Not all Film Soleil as per Holm would qualify, as Holm includes films not located in the US, such as René Clément's "Plein Soleil".
Thank you to the individual posters who made recommendations, these guys are recognised in the comments by each film in the list. Thanks to the unofficial historian of IMDb's dearly departed Film General board, Perception_de_Ambiguity, for keeping the details of many of the historical threads.
What is a film from the body of Amerarkana? It is an arcane American movie, it is the type of movie I grew up watching, catching haphazardly on late night tv, as a 90s British teen (many Americans had the same on their late night cable).
Below are some typical characteristics of the type of movie in question, it should include many/most of these with the more non-negotiable ones nearer the top:
- released into cinemas (or indeed on TV or straight to video) between 1981 - 2007 (this period is bookended by the discovery of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and the last new release on VHS in America, the theory is that the prevalent sex being dangerous element coincided with the former issue, and the releases of this type of film died with its main commercial medium for distribution)
- set entirely in the USA (or partially in Mexico where Mexico is a metaphor, e.g. substitutes for the American unconscious or id)
- not recognisably set in the big coastal cities of America (although New Orleans gets a special permission and the big cities are often a starting point, before the leap into the unknown/primal, "Something Wild" and "The Last Seduction" being examples). This is the most broken rule. Generally if you think the movie has elements of civic purpose, civic pride, civic progress, civic responsibility or even civic destiny, then you're on the wrong track, this is out-of-kilter individualist cinema.
- related to the above, elements of "unplacedness", particularly the feeling of having no idea where the movie was set in recollection. Double points if a forensic examination of the movie finds no references to real places on a map.
- atmospheric (ingredients such as darkness, resignation, hopelessness, delinquency)
- sleazy female characters, schizophrenic leads, drifters (physically or metaphysically). Lives lived on the margins
- containing an element of crime
- magical real atmosphere (parallel to the oneirism of the classical 40s and 50s noir cycle)
- B-movie. If created by a recognised auteur, generally ignored by critics when talking about their body of work (for example "Fear X" by Nicolas Winding Refn, "In the Cut" by Jane Campion and "Palmetto" by Volker Schlöndorff)
- elements of fatalism
- could be futuristic dystopian, if elements of polemic absent
- (with the above exception) set contemporaneously, that is, not made in 1990 with a story from the 1920s
- perhaps an affluent, discreet, individualist world, elements of traditional power structures absent
- the stereotypical VHS box cover may show at least two of these objects: woman (preferably scantily clad), gun, cigarette, highway, car (sports, red), cactus and/or tumbleweeds, neon sign
Important note: some of these films will have been described as "film soleil", in DK Holm's book of the same name, though by no means all. Amerarkana is intended to include most of those films but be a wider definition. Not all Film Soleil as per Holm would qualify, as Holm includes films not located in the US, such as René Clément's "Plein Soleil".
Thank you to the individual posters who made recommendations, these guys are recognised in the comments by each film in the list. Thanks to the unofficial historian of IMDb's dearly departed Film General board, Perception_de_Ambiguity, for keeping the details of many of the historical threads.
List activity
598 views
• 1 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
145 titles
- DirectorStephen GyllenhaalStarsDebra WingerBarbara HersheyGabriel ByrneMartha Horgan, a naive woman with an intellectual impairment who lives with her aunt Frances in a small town, is known for always telling truth.recommended by 3eyes
- DirectorAlbert PyunStarsChristopher LambertNatasha HenstridgeNorbert WeisserA bioweapon leaks in Eastern Europe and spreads west. It mutates in a quarantine area, creating a killer monster. Can a group of cops stop it and the new virus?recommended by me
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsJason PatricRachel WardBruce DernAfter he escapes from a mental hospital, a former boxer works for a widow. When she asks him to get involved in a kidnapping, he has second thoughts.recommended by funnylookingmonkey
- DirectorKevin SpaceyStarsMatt DillonFaye DunawayGary SiniseWhile escaping from a foiled robbery attempt, three thieves find themselves surrounded by police at a New Orleans bar--only they're not the people the police are searching for.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorChris SmithStarsRandy RussellMatt CollierEd EnglishAmerican Job is a narrative film about Randy Scott, a youth caught in the dismal confusion of living and working in the world of minimum wage. American Job follows main character Randy Scott through a number of low wage jobs: factory worker, fast food dishwasher, third shift inventory specialist, motel room custodian and telemarketer. We live with Randy through these jobs and witness the pain, absurdity and sheer boredom of minimum wage work.recommended by fake_username
- DirectorPaul ChartStarsAmanda PlummerRobert ForsterDavid ThewlisSandra meets a shrink on the way to picking up her sister at a desert town to continue to their mom. He decides by flipping a coin. The coin flipping gets psycho.recommended by me
- DirectorMichael CovertStarsScott PlankMelora WaltersJohn SavageThe film is three stories about one story, featuring an exciting and quirky cast of characters living on the edge.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorSalomé BrezinerStarsTom BerengerValeria GolinoKari WuhrerA former policeman-turned college professor of forensics, is asked by a widow to solve the murder of her unfaithful husband and the disappearance of his mistress who may have been linked to some drug dealers.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsMickey RourkeRobert De NiroLisa BonetA private investigator is hired by a man who calls himself Louis Cyphre to track down a singer named Johnny Favorite. But the investigation takes an unexpected and somber turn.recommended by fake_username
- DirectorLarry ClarkStarsJames WoodsMelanie GriffithVincent KartheiserIn the hope of a big score, two junkie couples team up to commit various drug robberies which go disastrously wrong, leading to dissent, violence, and murder.recommended by Rmiles92
- DirectorEmir KusturicaStarsJohnny DeppJerry LewisFaye DunawayA young New Yorker goes to Arizona where he finds freedom to both love and dream.
- DirectorSidney LumetStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanEthan HawkeAlbert FinneyWhen two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that sends them, their father and one brother's wife barreling towards a shattering climax.recommended by me
- DirectorMike BarkerStarsAlessandro NivolaReese WitherspoonJosh BrolinA botched robbery leads two crooks and an unwitting buddy into a web of passion, crime and murder in this twist-laden film noir.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorDuane ClarkStarsPatsy KensitStephen BaldwinJennifer RubinTwo attractive strangers invade the life of a reclusive farmboy who recently inherited his father's estate.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorJ.S. CardoneStarsGil BellowsMichelle ForbesMia SaraThe disgruntled wife of a cheating husband takes off on a road trip with her husband's mistress. The two women pick up a hitchhiker who may or may not be a robber and murderer on the run from the authorities. In the meantime, a cop who is tracking the robber/murderer is hot on the trail--but why?recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorT.J. ScottStarsMeat LoafKristin DavisLochlyn MunroA woman traveling with her comedian boy friend gets fed up with him when he accepts a three night gig in a wayward trucker's bar. Running away, she accepts a ride from a deranged trucker who may be a serial killer of young women.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsRutger HauerRebecca De MornayRon SilverA rich couple's car hits a Mexican cop. Fearing prison for the accident, the couple continues to USA. An insistent man wants a job at their furniture store/factory, vaguely hinting to the accident.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorThomas Michael DonnellyStarsJeff FaheyMia SaraRudy RamosAn ex-cop is temporarily blinded when he steals cash from a money laundering operations. While recuperating in Mexico, the thief falls in love with a beautiful woman who has underworld connections. When the girl disappears, he returns to the United States to find her, risking death from the gangsterrecommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsWilliam HurtKathleen TurnerRichard CrennaDuring an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.recommended by Harco
- DirectorTom DiCilloStarsJohn TurturroSam RockwellCatherine KeenerAn engineer finds his first gray hair, takes 6 days off from wife, son and work, rents a car and meets different people.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorWilliam FriedkinStarsAshley JuddMichael ShannonHarry Connick Jr.An unhinged war veteran holes up with a lonely woman in a spooky Oklahoma motel room. The line between reality and delusion is blurred as they discover a bug infestation.recommended by tukid20
- DirectorLisa GottliebStarsJim MetzlerJoe StevensBill WiseThree sisters abandoned by their father when they were very young learn that he has died in prison and left them clues to money hidden from a robbery. The problem is that a former deputy, also involved in the robbery, is also seeking the money and chases them to the site.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorRobert FrankRudy WurlitzerStarsKevin J. O'ConnorEric MitchellMary JoyA struggling musician sets out to find the legendary guitar maker Elmore Silk, with whom he hopes to strike a deal to make himself rich and famous.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorJohn BaileyStarsEd HarrisMadeleine StoweCharles DanceDetective Kyle Bodine falls for Rachel Munro who is trapped in a violent marriage. After shooting her husband, Kyle reluctantly agrees to help hide the body, but Kyle's partner is showing an unusual flair for finding clues.recommended by jeroeno
- DirectorDavid DobkinStarsJoaquin PhoenixVince VaughnJaneane GarofaloAfter hearing that his wife sleeps with Clay, Earl kills himself, making it look like Clay shot him. The widow doesn't like it when Clay starts sees another woman instead. Bodies start piling up.recommended by Laura_848
- DirectorWallace WolodarskyStarsJason PriestleyKimberly Williams-PaisleyPeter RiegertA bookie is promoted to Hitman and seemingly excels at his new found job.recommended by fake_username
- DirectorDavid SchmoellerStarsKlaus KinskiTalia BalsamBarbara WhinneryA man who runs an apartment house for women is the demented son of a Nazi surgeon who has the house equipped with secret passageways, hidden rooms and torture and murder devices.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorIvan PasserStarsJeff BridgesJohn HeardLisa EichhornRichard spots a man dumping a body, and decides to expose the man he thinks is the culprit with his friend Alex Cutter.recommended by funnylookingmonkey
- DirectorAlbert PyunStarsJean-Claude Van DammeDeborah RichterVincent KlynA martial artist hunts a killer in a plague-infested urban dump of the future.recommended by me
- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsRosie PerezJavier BardemHarley CrossA psychotic criminal couple kidnaps a random teenage couple. The woman rapes the male captive, and lets him watch his lover being raped by the man. They then plan to sacrifice the couple.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorThomas JaneStarsThomas JaneLauren GermanRon PerlmanA couple en route from Las Vegas are forced to deal with a body in the desert, making their honeymoon one hellish ride.recommended by interiorday
- DirectorCarl ColpaertStarsJim MetzlerJennifer RubinKyle SecorA man who has just embezzled money from his company is driving through the Nevada desert. He picks up a pretty girl and her seemingly goofy boyfriend. The girl is a Las Vegas showgirl and the boyfriend turns out to be a professional killer, and he has no intention of letting the motorist finish the trip.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorRichard GreenbergStarsBrent RoamShawn WoodsChristopher BershAn American assassin, who works for cartels in Latin America, is back in USA. He gets a woman before each job and kills her after. FBI's on to him but are curious about his next big job.recommended by me
- DirectorSteve CohenStarsRose McGowanAlex McArthurPeg ShirleyShe's young, sexy and dangerous. Debbie is the new girl in class with a skill for turning heads. From the moment she arrives in town following her parents' untimely death, Debbie sets her sights on her teacher, the high school heartthrob.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorDan CohenStarsRobert ForsterDonnie WahlbergBess ArmstrongA thirty-years traveling diamond salesman must mentor a brash young replacement when his company downsizes him.recommended by interiorday
- DirectorNicholas KazanStarsJames SpaderMädchen AmickFredric LehneA successful businessman tries to uncover what is wrong with his wife.recommended by me
- DirectorPaul LynchStarsJennifer RubinPeter OuterbridgeStephen ShellenA hot new model takes the fashion world by storm, but things start to turn ugly when people around her begin turning up dead.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorJames William GuercioStarsRobert BlakeBilly Green BushMitchell RyanAmbitious but diminutive motorcycle cop John Wintergreen patrols the Arizona highways, yearning for promotion to Homicide Detective, while investigating a murder tied to hippies.recommnded by Pat_answers
- DirectorAlan RudolphStarsMatthew ModineLara Flynn BoyleFred WardTwins, separated at birth and living opposite lives, are about to learn of each other- and the substantial inheritance they are entitled to.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorStephan ElliottStarsEwan McGregorAshley JuddPatrick BerginA private eye shadows a female serial killer of men all over the U.S. without her knowing as he, strangely enough, occasionally acts as her guardian angel.recommended by Laura_848
- DirectorNicolas Winding RefnStarsJohn TurturroDeborah Kara UngerStephen Eric McIntyreWhen his wife is killed in a seemingly random incident Harry (Turturro), prompted by mysterious visions, journeys to discover the true circumstances surrounding her murder.recommended by me
- DirectorAndre R. GuttfreundStarsColin FirthLisa ZaneBilly ZaneA worried artist tries to locate his wife who suddenly abandoned him only to discover that she led a secret life - or two. He proceeds to investigate her past and stirs up a hornet's nest.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorSamer DaboulTrevor SandsStarsTimothy Patrick QuillMatthias HuesFrank AdonisAn action thriller about an unhappy advertising executive who hires a hit-man to have himself killed.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorFranco AmurriStarsDennis HopperKiefer SutherlandCarol KaneAt last the Feds have caught him! Infamous 60's radical Huey Walker is heading for jail. So how come it's Huey's yuptight FBI escort who ends up behind bars?recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsJoseph FiennesRay LiottaGretchen MolAn affair between a cabana boy and the young wife of a sinister politician triggers a 16-year vendetta between the two men.recommended by interiorday
- DirectorJon JostStarsHoward SwainNancy CarlinKathryn SannellaRicky, a dim-witted ex-con, meets Beth, a dim-witted waitress, in an Idaho diner. They take off in his car to Washington and begin an affair. Beth, a lonely romance-novel addict, is hopelessly enamored; Ricky is just in it for the (constant) sex. Beth's longing to visit California and Ricky's longing for quick cash leads them into a desperate situation. Director Jost uses a variety of avant-garde visual and narrative techniques, such as montage, collages, split screens and lengthy, tongue-in-cheek monologues to tell the tragicomic story of two complete losers in love.recommended by OldAle1
- DirectorMatthew BrightStarsReese WitherspoonKiefer SutherlandBokeem WoodbineA twisted take on "Little Red Riding Hood", with a teenage juvenile delinquent on the run from a social worker travelling to her grandmother's house and being hounded by a charming, but sadistic, serial killer and pedophile.recommended by Laura_848
- DirectorAnthony HickoxStarsMario Van PeeblesPatsy KensitBruce PayneThe LA police department have a special team of officers with a talent for reducing big-time crime. The team leader has an excellent track record for crime reduction in other big cities, but his methods are unconventional, and so is he - he's a werewolf.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorBill MorrisonStarsKofi DarkoHerman DennisSlink MossA man is shown his car, which he drives until it can be driven no more.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorMatthew ChapmanStarsJennifer Jason LeighBrenda VaccaroJack HallettCarol inherits a night club from her weird uncle. She moves into the place, only to find out just how weird her uncle really was. She begins to remember more about her very special relationship with her uncle as she battles her memories and her surroundings in her new home.recommended by me
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsPruitt Taylor VinceLiv TylerShelley WintersThe life of an overweight, unhappy cook is changed after a kind, beautiful college drop-out comes to work as a waitress at his and his mother's road-side restaurant.recommended by me
- DirectorSidney J. FurieStarsDaryl HannahJennifer TillyBruce GreenwoodA desperate, childless couple kidnap a pregnant woman and lead her husband to believe that she is dead.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorSteven ShainbergStarsElias KoteasLaure MarsacJay LeggettSonny lives with his intellectually disabled older brother, and works as a bellhop at a second-rate hotel. This changes when Monique a beautiful, suicidal nut-case checks in. Sonny is offered a part in a heist that goes wrong.recommended by me
- DirectorRobert Downey Sr.StarsAlyssa MilanoMark Boone JuniorMalcolm McDowellAn LA pool cleaner/Alyssa Milano falls in love with a young man with ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorStu SegallStarsStacey DashDan GauthierLouis GiambalvoA cop taking personal leave after he witnesses money stolen from the police property room becomes involved with a beautiful singer who may have killed her husband.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorJane CampionStarsMeg RyanMark RuffaloJennifer Jason LeighNew York City writing professor, Frannie Avery, has an affair with a police detective who is investigating the murder of a beautiful young woman in her neighborhood.recommended by me
- DirectorBruce RobinsonStarsAndy GarciaUma ThurmanLance HenriksenJohn Berlin, a former Los Angeles homicide detective, investigates a multiple murder case in San Diego. The only witness is a blind girl to whom he is immediately attracted.recommended by me
- DirectorQuinton PeeplesStarsTobey MaguireAmy HathawayWilson CruzThe teenage son of a motel owner steals a black convertible to impress a mysterious beauty he has a crush on.recommended by Laura_848
- DirectorStephen HopkinsStarsEmilio EstevezCuba Gooding Jr.Denis LearyFour young friends, while taking a shortcut en route to a local boxing match, witness a brutal murder which leaves them running for their lives.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorJohn DahlStarsVal KilmerJoanne WhalleyPat MulliganA young detective becomes involved with a beautiful woman on the run from the mob and her psychopath boyfriend.recommended by OldAle1
- DirectorBill BennettStarsMatt DayFrances O'ConnorTiffany PetersAfter a robbery scam that goes bad, lovers Nikki and Al take off into the Australian outback, pursued by the police and a malevolent footballer named Zipper Doyle, and meet a number of offbeat characters.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorHenry JaglomStarsVictoria FoytViveca LindforsJon Robin BaitzThis moving story was the swan song of actress Viveca Lindfors, who died unexpectedly soon after completing it. It's a fitting tribute, as the film explores the last performance in the ancestral home of a large family of actors.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorMichael CuestaStarsBrian CoxPaul DanoBruce AltmanA 15-year-old Long Island boy loses everything and everyone he knows, soon becoming involved in a relationship with a much older man.recommended by zolaaar
- DirectorMike FiggisStarsKevin AndersonBill PullmanKim NovakThe successful writer and professor of architecture Nick Kaminsky returns from New York to Elderstown to visit his biological mother Lillian Anderson Munnsen that is terminal. Nick does not know Lilian since he was adopted when he was a child but he pays the bill for her to stay in a private room in the hospital. While walking on the street, Nick stumbles upon his former college friend Paul Kessler, who is demolishing with his team an old department store building where a murder and a suicide happened many years ago. While talking to Paul, there is an accident and Nick saves his life. Paul invites Nick to go to the birthday party of his wife Jane Kessler. Nick feels attracted by the building that is built in cast iron and asks Paul to visit it. Meanwhile Jane, who is a photographer, decides to take photos of the same building. They get close to each other and Nick learns that Jane was also adopted. Along the following days, Jane and Nick have a love affair and Nick discloses hidden secrets from their past.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorPaul SchraderStarsWillem DafoeSusan SarandonDana DelanyA drug dealer reconsiders his profession when his boss plans to go straight and an old flame reappears.recommended by jarmic6
- DirectorAntonio TibaldiStarsRyan PhillippeNastassja KinskiJohn Savage19 y.o. Jimmy' s dad is a vicious, impotent Vietnam vet, who forces his wife and son to have incest. He has a secret he'll kill to keep. Jimmy won't abandon his two kid brothers by leaving.recommended by me
- DirectorC.M. TalkingtonStarsGil BellowsRenée ZellwegerRory CochraneA small time crook flees to Mexico to evade the authorities, loan sharks, and his murderous ex-partner with only his fiancé and a trusted Colt .45.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorAlbert PyunStarsChristopher LambertIce-TMichael Halsey100 people, who have betrayed The Syndicate, are gathered in a prison opening the next day. They are given weapons and 6 hours to kill each other. The 3 remaining share $10,000,000.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorPeter LehnerStarsBilly ZaneJ.C. QuinnGrace ZabriskieA sci-fi fantasy about a world where it is illegal to enjoy any kind of media except in a place called Megaville. After catching a brutal killer named Jenson, the media police send an agent, Palinov, to infiltrate Jenson's circle of criminals in Megaville because Palinov bears a striking resemblance to Jenson. Palinov, however, begins to suffer intense headaches and has visions of the killings. His mission becomes even more confusing when the president of Megaville is assassinated and the media police seem more interested in doing business with the criminals than catching them.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorSteve De JarnattStarsAnthony EdwardsMare WinninghamJohn AgarA young man hears a chance phone call telling him that a nuclear war has started and missiles will hit his city in 70 minutes.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity and zoe_eclisse in spirit
- DirectorBarry ShilsStarsJordan Christopher MichaelMartha QuinnMichael NaegelA ten year-old boy runs away from his abusive parents, steals a Mustang, and a pursues a promotional card game sold at gas stations.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorGregg ArakiStarsJames DuvalRachel TrueNathan BextonFollows a day in the lives of a group of Los Angeles high school students and the strange lives they lead.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorMichael OblowitzStarsEric MabiusMarley SheltonAidan CampbellA young couple embark on a cross-country journey, only to run into trouble at the Texas/Mexico border.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorCarl FranklinStarsBill PaxtonBilly Bob ThorntonCynda WilliamsA small town police chief awaits the arrival of a gang of killers.recommended by funnylookingmonkey
- DirectorDennis HopperStarsLinda ManzDennis HopperSharon FarrellA young girl whose father is an ex-convict and whose mother is a junkie finds it difficult to conform and tries to find comfort in a quirky combination of Elvis and the punk scene.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorJ.S. CardoneStarsRobert ForsterKevin PollakSherilyn FennA drama revolving around a group of strangers brought together by a common occurrence as well as listening to the same radio station.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorVolker SchlöndorffStarsWoody HarrelsonElisabeth ShueGina GershonA recently released ex-con gets involved in a fake kidnapping scheme that turns very real.recommended by me
- DirectorMary Agnes DonoghueStarsMelanie GriffithDon JohnsonElijah WoodMelanie Griffith and Don Johnson (at the time married to each other) play Lily and Ben Reed, a young couple torn apart by a family tragedy. It would take a miracle to rekindle their love and a miracle arrives in the form of a summer guest - Willard Young played by Elijah Wood.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorJan EliasbergStarsRutger HauerNatasha RichardsonClancy BrownBen's paroled after 15 years prison for killing his pregnant wife. His social worker helps him find work. She doubts his guilt and investigates.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorGraeme CliffordStarsScott GlennAnthony LaPagliaLara Flynn BoyleA cute, mysterious woman moves in across from Gene, a cop/novelist. He's invited over in the evening, but finds her murdered and calls the cops. Next day, it's as if it never happened. Is he going crazy?recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorAnthony HickoxStarsC. Thomas HowellJoan SeveranceMarshall BellOscar Bonsetter tells a dying prisoner that he will take revenge on the sadistic guard who killed him. In exchange, Oscar is told of a stash of money. Oscar is eventually released from prison but when he goes to get revenge, he gets sidetracked by the now-handicapped guard and his alluring wife, Rose. The tension builds as Oscar becomes more and more attracted to Rose.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorDanny CannonStarsRay LiottaAnthony LaPagliaDaniel BaldwinA cop (Liotta) with a gambling addiction plots a theft from the bookies who are putting pressure on him to pay off or else.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorJonathan WacksStarsGary FarmerA MartinezJoanelle RomeroTwo Northern Cheyenne men take a road trip from Montana to New Mexico to bail out the sister of one of them who has been framed and arrested in Santa Fe. On the way, they begin to reconnect to their spiritual heritage.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorRick KingStarsTeri PoloMartin DonovanJeff FaheyQuick is an assassin with a corrupt cop boyfriend. She's hired to bring a mob accountant back to the mob after he's taken $3,000,000 and turned himself in to LAPD as witness. It doesn't go as planned.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorJohn DahlStarsNicolas CageDennis HopperLara Flynn BoyleUpon arriving to a small town, a drifter is mistaken for a hitman, but when the real hitman arrives, complications ensue.recommended by OldAle1
- DirectorDavid BlythStarsDavid KeithArt MacDonaldElaine MartynCollege boy Trent is returning home for the holidays when he crosses the path of bad-girl Miya at a truck stop. When he agrees to give her a ride, he becomes part and parcel to all her twisted desires.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorLouis MorneauStarsJim BelushiKylie TravisShannon WhirryA psychiatrist makes multiple trips through time to save a woman that was murdered by her brutal husband.recommended by Private_Systematicer
- DirectorKelly ReichardtStarsLisa DonaldsonLarry FessendenDick RussellCozy, a dissatisfied housewife, meets Lee at a bar. A drink turns into a home break-in, and a gun shot sends them on the run together, thinking they've committed murder.recommended by me
- DirectorTim HunterStarsCrispin GloverKeanu ReevesIone SkyeA high school slacker commits a shocking act and proceeds to let his friends in on the secret. However, the friends' reaction is almost as ambiguous and perplexing as the crime itself.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorAbbe WoolStarsJohn DoeAdam HorovitzDavid Anthony MarshallTwo strangers meet on the road and travel through Nevada on motorcycle to find an elusive spot where they can dump another man's ashes.recommended by whoa_its_DrStrangeposter
- DirectorPeter MedakStarsGary OldmanLena OlinWallace WoodA womanizing, crooked cop on the payroll of the mafia is confronted with the reality of his double life after he is asked to kill a beautiful and ruthless Russian gangster.recommended by me
- DirectorRaúl RuizStarsAnne ParillaudWilliam BaldwinLisanne FalkJessie, a cool assassin on a mission, dreams she is a traumatized, paranoid rape victim on her honeymoon. This Jessie dreams that she is a cool assassin on a mission.recommended by Perception_de_Ambiguity
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonDouglas LigonBarlow JacobsSet in Arkansas, this poetic and powerful film directed by Jeff Nichols (Mud, Take Shelter) tracks a blood feud that erupts when two sets of half-brothers come to blows at their father's funeral.recommended by TimeForLime
- DirectorRussell MulcahyStarsDolph LundgrenGina BellmanConrad DunnWaxman is a former Special Forces soldier who is now working as a heavily armed assassin for a top secret government agency. When a covert mission goes terribly wrong, Waxman and fellow assassin Clegg become that agency's prime targets.recommended by me
- DirectorWayne WangStarsTom HulceMary Elizabeth MastrantonioVirginia MadsenAn artist, framed for the murder of a woman, is drawn into a web of corruption, blackmail and deceit.recommended by GruesomeTwosome
- DirectorJonathan DemmeStarsJeff DanielsMelanie GriffithGeorge 'Red' SchwartzA free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-convict husband shows up.recommended by OldAle1
- DirectorMark RomanekStarsKeith GordonAmanda PlummerBob GuntonAn eccentric and possibly brilliant young man, troubled by the death of his parents, claims to be readying a world-changing invention.recommended by fake_username
- DirectorMark FrostStarsJames SpaderJoanne WhalleyJason RobardsWhile investigating his own blackmailing, a young politician uncovers his family's deep secrets.recommended by funnylookingmonkey
- DirectorRafal ZielinskiStarsC. Thomas HowellRenée HumphreyKrista Errickson17 year old Kyle comes to the big city in search of her half-sister Merci. Merci is on the run after being used to set up a murder. The police and the killers both want her. Kyle ends up on the streets until renegade cop Sgt. Teffler takes her in. Now he must protect her while trying to stop a white slavery ring from abducting more young girls.recommended by General_Strangeposter
- DirectorJennifer LynchStarsJulia OrmondBill PullmanPell JamesTwo FBI agents attempt to clarify the murders occurring in a desolate region. They approach the witnesses of the latest incident with the help of the local police. All of them hide something and all have wildly different stories to tell.recommended by Laura_848