Tag Archives: Vera Farmiga

Best Evil Children films ever made (10+1list)

Best Evil Children films ever made

written by Souranath Banerjee

Best Evil Children films ever made: Children are a blessing, a gift from God, guiltless and cute and vulnerable and naive and …. and sometimes pure evil!

In certain movies children are depicted as young psychotic demons or criminal master minds who can manipulate and influence other children or even adults into sheer devastation. Disguised under the cape of playful innocence they can make your life a living hell!

Here are some of the Best Evil Children films that surely won’t let you sleep peacefully tonight. So, beware of the little ones!

10. The Good Son (1993)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI4n1g8opmA

Evil-Children-filmsMacaulay Culkin the cute mischivous boy from Home Alone have managed to turn himself into one of the many faces of evil!

A story of a boy with an innocent face and sinister intentions who likes to control the fate of the people around him and drives their lives towards sheer disaster.

Directed by Joseph Ruben, a movie both freaky and scary for the right reasons. Also starring Elijah Wood.

9. Who Can Kill a Child? (1976)

¿Quién puede matar a un niño? (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUwo3I9eas4

Evil-Children-filmsIt’s not a good idea for tourists to visit an island where there are no adults (left) but only starry-eyed children who wants to murder you! And if you want to defend yourself then you have to kill them nut then – Who Can Kill a Child?

Directed by Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, this Spanish flick is creepy enough to hold your attention. Another film based on similar concept is Children of the Corn (1984)

8. Case 39 (2009)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok-5lWGBQr8

Evil-Children-filmsRenée Zellweger, a social worker rescues ten year old abused girl Jodelle Ferland from her parents and tries her best to comfort the child.

But soon the whole perspective of the abused and abuser changes!

Directed by Christian Alvart, a thriller with some superb unexpected twists that will engage you till the very end.

7. Joshua (2007)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpeTkVEJqDE

Evil-Children-filmsA highly talented 9-year-old kid shows disturbing behavioural signs since the arrival of a newborn girl in his family – jealousy and the urge to get back his parent’s attention soon turns the little boy into a psychotic monster!

Directed by George Ratliff, and brilliant performances by Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga and the kid Jacob Kogan. The brilliant music by Nico Muhly makes the film a great eerie experience.

6. Them (2006)

Ils (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFTbcDRkG1o

Evil-Children-filmsA group of young hooded assailants attack a couple in their peacefully isolated country house, it seems they want to play a dangerous game, and thus begins a night of unimaginable terror!

Directed by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, a great suspense thriller with superb background scores. And the most chilling part of the film is that this is based on a true story!

5. The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vK4za8v8_YI

Evil-Children-filmsA 13-year-old girl lives in a secluded house, seems like her parents are never around to meet anyone or may be she is hiding some dark secret from the entire neighbourhood. And it’s better for the neighbours not to be too curious for their own safety.

Directed by Nicolas Gessner and a brilliant performance from young Jodie Foster, a superb thriller full of suspense and Martin Sheen!

4. Village of the Damned (1960)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AUBlW5EWnI

Evil-Children-films‘People, especially children, aren’t measured by their IQ. What’s important about them is whether they’re good or bad, and these children are bad.’

You don’t want to end up in a small English village swarming with creepy children who stare at you and can make you do horrible things.

Directed by Wolf Rilla, a surprisingly brilliant creepy film.

3. The Bad Seed (1956)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooy8HTb8izw

Evil-Children-films‘Children can be nasty, don’t you think?’

Probably a mother’s worst suspicion will be that her sweet innocent eight year-old daughter have committed a murder! But what if she has committed more than one murders and still be entirely remorseless about them?

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy, great acting by Nancy Kelly and Patty McCormack – this one is a classic!

2. We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV7Y5cylhNc

Evil-Children-filmsKevin, a troubled child gets more psychotic as he grows up and his estranged relationship with his mother Tilda Swinton gets even more complicated and threatening which eventually builds up to a frightening climax.

Directed by Lynne Ramsay, an absolutely brilliant movie, highly disturbing and thrilling at the same time. Certainly the most though provoking film in this list.

  1. The Omen (1976)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7CEbd7ffNw

Evil-Children-filmsCertainly the most popular and successful ‘evil-child’ movie till date.

Gregory Peck and Lee Remick, a couple who needed a child finally adopts one but through a series of sinister events they eventually realise that the child is no ordinary. Can the young kid be the son of the Devil?

Directed by Richard Donner, a true horror classic that demands your attention!

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. Orphan (2009)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ywOPNNii9w

Evil-Children-filmsA 9 year-old girl recently adopted by a loving couple seems to have problems – as the poster says ‘there’s something wrong with Esther.’

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, a film full of surprises – the orphan child with a mysterious past is apparantly not what she claims to be. Isabelle Fuhrman as the kid, Vera Farmiga and Peter Sarsgaard as the parents – all at their very best. 

Similar Interest: Best Child Psychology Films ever made

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.com.

Best Time Travel Films ever made (20+1list)

Best Time Travel Films ever made

written by Souranath Banerjee

 

Time-Travel-Films

Best Time Travel Films ever made – We, the mortals have been fascinated with the idea of Time Travel probably ever since the time we have grasped the concept of ‘Time’ itself.

Keeping in mind H. G. Wells‘s epic science fiction novel The Time Machine, numerous books and films have been conceptualized on time travelers who seems to have the magical ability to effortlessly leap through their past, present and future; an unclenched human desire unfortunately impossible in reality (yet).

Be it the recent Christopher Nolan movie Interstellar or the blockbuster Matrix trilogy directed by The Wachowski Time-Travel-FilmsBrothers; though these movies are more focused on the metaphysical angle but somehow the inherent philosophy of time traveling is very much embedded in them. 

And so many other films have taken this concept of jumping in time to such unique levels of imagination!

Basically, we are desperately in search of a world where time machine exists, time travel is possible, and time travelers no longer has to be those mysterious characters of some SiFi cinema.

Well, best of luck but till that time comes, lets enjoy some of the Best Time Travel Films ever made!

20. Donnie Darko (2001)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPeGaos7DB4

Time-Travel-FilmsDonnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal), the troubled unpopular teenager whose imaginary friend (an oversized bunny named Frank) tells him a unique secret – ’28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, 12 seconds. That is when the world will end.’

Now what does Donnie do?

Directed by Richard Kelly, an amazing concept; one of the most popular and brilliant Time Travel Film of all time!

19. The Girl Who Leapt Through Time (2006)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_ULXRMvU7k

Time-Travel-FilmsA school girl learns the unique secret to time travel, and her new ability though at first seems pretty awesome, but later becomes difficult for her to handle.

Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, this artistic young Japanese anime flick tells a well crafted emotional story that points out the few ingenious problems faced only by those who have learnt to travel through time.

18. The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_8WZxHScMk

Time-Travel-FilmsA particular gene causes a man to time travel involuntarily but though it seems fun and magical in the beginning it eventually takes a toll on his married life!

Directed by Robert Schwentke, this is one of the few successful time-travel romantic movies that actually involves you emotionally.

Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams a film worth your time!

17. Source Code (2011)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiBVUulE_wo

Time-Travel-FilmsA soldier is set on an experimental government program where his consciousness is being inserted into another human to alter the reality but then he has very less time for his mission – he lives only eight minutes before it restarts!

Directed by Duncan Jones, this is a super-cool time travel flick starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan and Vera Farmiga.

16. Primer (2004)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nj5MMURCm8

Time-Travel-FilmsFour budding entrepreneurs built some device that they soon realize can be also used as a time-machine!

But this film is much more philosophical than any other so called time-travel flicks.

Shane Carruth‘s debut film, he being the lead-actor, writer, director and also the producer of this amazing movie redefines the very concept of independent cinema.

15. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya (2010)

Suzumiya Haruhi no shôshitsu (original title)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFvd94LPU4U

Time-Travel-FilmsOne morning you make up and your world has changed – one of your friend goes missing and the others don’t seem to recognize you at all!

The main characters and the plot of this movie originates from the popular anime TV Series The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006). But even if you haven’t seen the series the film directed by Tatsuya Ishihara and Yasuhiro Takemoto is a great watch!

14. Mr. Nobody (2009) 

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpi0qsp3v_w

Time-Travel-Films‘You have to make the right choice. As long as you don’t choose, everything remains possible.’

Year 2092, a one hundred eighteen year old man is recounting his strange life story – the choices he made or could have made.

Jared Leto at his best, written and directed by Jaco Van Dormael, a brilliantly executed concept that portrays the illusions of life involving the past, the present and the future!

13. Looper (2012)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQuhsmtfHw

Time-Travel-FilmsA professional “looper” is a hired henchman who use time travel to terminate his targets, men who are sent from the future to the past to be killed by him! But what if his future self becomes the target of his own past?

Directed by Rian Johnson, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily BluntPaul DanoJeff Daniels – a cool action-packed time-travel drama.

12. The Thirteenth Floor (1999)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF6etkcJp_c

Time-Travel-FilmsA computer generated parallel world has been created by a group of scientists but then the unexpected murder of the elderly member of this company automatically turns his colleague into a potential suspect!

An underrated time-travel mystery with an innovative story line, directed by Josef Rusnak and starring Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol, Armin Mueller-Stahl.

11. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1949) 

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_yJBUaNnpY

Time-Travel-FilmsFrom 1912 to Arthurian Britain, 528 A.D, a mechanic is teleported back in time – a splendid comedy and one of first movie that popularized the idea of time-travel!

Adopted from Mark Twain‘s popular SiFi novel by the same name, actually there are multiple films based on this novel but this one directed by Tay Garnett and starring Bing Crosby is the most successful one!

10. The Butterfly Effect (2004)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8_dgqfPXFg

Time-Travel-Films

Some people want to forget their past but some people want to change it. But at what cost?

This film is one insane back and forth ride between the past and the present, with some super cool plot twists and thrilling sequences.

With two sequels to follow, this was a well-crafted film directed by Eric Bress and J. Mackye Gruber

The other two sequels though not as popular as the first one: The Butterfly Effect 2 (2006)The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations (2009).

9. Triangle (2009)

Time-Travel-Films

A deserted ship seems to be the best rescue plan for a group of passengers stranded in the ocean. Or is it?

A dangerous outcome of repetitive events that seem to occur no matter what you do to stop it.

Directed by Christopher Smith, a real cool concept where a never ending cycle of events keep haunting you till the end.

8. About Time (2013)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7A810duHvw

Time-Travel-FilmsAt the age 21, a young boy’s father reveals to him that the men in their family can actually time-travel whenever they wish and change their lives accordingly!

And with the help of this unique ability the young boy goes out to fall in love and make his life a better place, but it isn’t as easy as it seems.

Directed by Richard Curtis, a beautiful love story with a time-travel angle.

7. Timecrimes (2007)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvlTcH4KCWk

Time-Travel-Films

Traveling in time can be fun for most people but in this Spanish thriller, things get real messy when a man goes back in time and finds his own life to be in danger!

With several plot twists and intense paranoia, the innovative screenplay keeps you hooked till the very end.

A clever, very well crafted time-travel film by director Nacho Vigalondo

6. The Jacket (2005)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCxQ83Pg1Ko

Time-Travel-Films

A Gulf war veteran wrongly accused of murder ends up in a mental asylum, put in a straight jacket and tortured.

But this gives him the unique ability to visit into his future and see things that will happen and this unusual power changes his life for ever.

Directed by John Maybury, an interesting take on taking a peep into the future.

5. Predestination (2014)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayAt1BZmJH0

Time-Travel-FilmsDirected by Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig (as The Spierig Brothers), this is surprisingly one of the most underrated time-travel films in spite of being highly entertaining and a very innovative storyline!

A tale of a time-traveling agent who is set on his final assignment to capture an elusive criminal but there is a unique surprise that awaits him at the end!

4. Twelve Monkeys (1995)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuggl3cZD8A

Time-Travel-FilmsTime machine does exist and a man is sent back to the past to find the cause of an epidemic man-made virus that has wiped out most of the human population.

Can he find the maker of the virus and save the planet?

Directed by Terry Gilliam, this is one unique Si Fi tale that is both thrilling and unpredictable, brilliant performances and great script.  

3. Groundhog Day (1993)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSVeDx9fk60

Time-Travel-Films

A pompous weatherman is stuck in a time loop and he is forced to relive a particular day again and again!

Directed by Harold Ramis, this is a brilliantly unusual twist that turns the general time-travel film’s pattern upside down. 

My all time favorite, a classic time-travel comedy that guarantees you a good time and enough laughs for weeks!

2. The Terminator (1984)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHz95RYUbik

Time-Travel-FilmsDirected by none other than James Cameron, the first installment of the remarkable idea where a machine is sent from the future to kill one particular girl in the present world who holds the key to the epic man Vs machine future battle!

An indestructible cyborg in the human form who seems to be unstoppable and determined to terminate his victim. A revolutionary film of the time!

The other installments that followed the original: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)Terminator Salvation (2009)Terminator Genisys (2015).

1. Back to the Future (1985)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvsgGtivCgs

Time-Travel-FilmsA time machine has been invented by a mad scientist and a teenager is accidentally sent back thirty years to the past.

Now the teenager must make sure that his parents should fall for each other so that he can eventually come into existence!

Directed by Robert Zemeckis, probably the most popular time-travel drama ever made.

The other two installments that followed the original one: Back to the Future Part II (1989), Back to the Future Part III (1990).

and (The ‘+1′ film is not necessarily the best but certainly the most innovative one. A must watch)

+1. Les visiteurs (1993)

Film trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h23J5YC98FM

Time-Travel-FilmsAn accidental time-travel – a senile sorcerer who teleports a medieval knight and his sidekick from 1123 to the modern-day France – a perfect French comedy, quirky and hilarious!

Underrated and yet a cult classic, directed by Jean-Marie Poiré, with Jean Reno and Christian Clavier in the lead, this is one of the funniest time-travel movies made till date.

A few other films that are not included in the list but are almost as entertaining as any others: The Time Machine (1960)Sleeper (1973), Time After Time (1979), Somewhere in Time (1980), Time Bandits (1981), Blackadder Back & Forth (1999), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Time Lapse (2014). 

Poster courtesy: www.imdb.comwww.impawards.com

The Judge (2014)

My Ratings: 3.3/5

The genre loosely termed as Family Drama has always patronized this particular theme where the prodigal son, the black sheep of the family returns to his hometown after ages to attend a funeral or wedding and somehow gets entangled to his roots.

The Judge is the latest addition to this theme but may be not the best one.

I guess the trailer pretty much gives you the story line.

Hank Palmer, the hotshot city lawyer comes back to his hometown to attend his mother’s funeral but has to extend his stay when he learns that his father, Joseph Palmer, the Judge of the town is suspected of homicide!

Did The Judge really kill somebody? Will his son be able to defend him?

Yes, the film eventually answers these questions but not before Hank Palmer resolves all his past issues – his messy relationships with his father, his two brothers, his girlfriend and so on.

And believe me Hank takes his time – the film is 2hrs 22mins and could have been a much better experience if it was at least 15 to 20 mins shorter.

Most of the times actors feel lucky to have been casted in a particular film that eventually make their career but in films like The Judge, the film itself should feel lucky that actors like Robert Downey Jr and Robert Duvall are part of it.

Robert Duvall perfectly fits the aged, stubborn and respected Judge who hates to love his middle son Robert Downey Jr, still blames him for his accidental childhood mistakes and more importantly for leaving him and his hometown.

On the other hand Robert Downey Jr flawlessly plays the confident, arrogant city lawyer who wants to help his family especially his father as much as he wants to go back to his city life and forget his past.

The tussle, the conflict, the brilliant father-son chemistry between two such distinguished actors is the only reason to watch The Judge.

Vera Farmiga and Billy Bob Thornton also made their presence felt in the film.

The dialogues in the film are often a bit too loud and straight forward, i felt a few more subtle emotional sequences could have challenged the actors in a better way.

Especially the court room scenes – too dramatic almost in the verge of losing reality.

But despite of not having a perfect script or exquisite camera angles or crisp editing, the director David Dobkin still goes lucky with his casting.

The Judge is a slow emotional film; before you buy the tickets do make sure you have the time and the mood for it.