You can never go wrong with a good thriller from a director who knows his business. On this list, we’ve selected ten such films from some of the best directors of all time.

From early masterpieces from the Master of Suspense to late-career underrated gems from iconic cineasts of the 1970s, we’ve tried to make the selection of films on this list as diverse as possible and, while most of the films you’ll find below are well-known and highly regarded, we’ve also slipped in a couple of rather underrated thrillers which some of you might have missed.

1. The American Friend (1977, dir. Wim Wenders)

Wim Wenders, best known for his Cannes favorites “Wings of Desire” (1987) and “Paris, Texas” (1984), directed this German neo-noir thriller adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s famous novel “Ripley’s Game”. Starring Dennis Hopper as the infamous criminal Tom Ripley and Bruno Ganz as a man who falls victim to one of Ripley’s schemes, “The American Friend” is one of the most impressive thrillers of the 1970s, while at the same time one of the most underrated ones.

With gorgeous cinematography and perpetual suspense, Wenders’s film is absorbing from start to finish. Perfectly paced and impeccably directed, “The American Friend” features some of the tensest moments ever put on screen (the metro station scene is something ought to be studied in films schools) , memorable performances from Hopper and Ganz and is arguably the best adaptation of Highsmith’s Ripley novels to this day.

2. Blow Out (1981, dir. Brian De Palma)

Brian De Palma’s 1981 political thriller stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a sound technician whose job is to record sound effects for low-budget films. While recording wind sounds for a horror movie in an empty local park, Jack witnesses a car having a tire blowout and plunging into the nearby creek. He immediately jumps into the water, trying to save the car’s passengers, but he only manages to save a young woman. The car’s driver, Governor McRyan, a politician who was running for president, is dead.

Soon after the incident, Jack starts to analyze the audio recordings he made on the night of the accident and discovers a detail that makes him question the things he saw. On the recording, just before the tire blowout, Jack hears what sounds like a gun being shot. However, when he is about to make the discovery public, his tapes are stolen and he comes to the conclusion that there is an entire conspiracy behind McRyan’s death.

With Hitchcockian suspense, a distinctive visual style, and a career-high performance from Travolta, “Blow Out” qualifies itself not only as Brian De Palma’s best film to date but also as one of the best thrillers of the 1980s.

3. Strange Days (1995, dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by James Cameron and Jay Cocks, “Strange Days” is an apocalyptic thriller that blends cyberpunk, neo-noir, and mystery while at the same time acts as a vehicle for political and social commentary on police brutality, racial inequality, and drug addiction.

Taking place in the (then) futuristic 1999 Los Angeles, the film stars Ralph Fiennes as Lenny Nero, a former LAPD officer who now deals with memories recorded on virtual reality data discs. When he receives a disc that contains the memories of a murderer killing a prostitute, Lenny gets plunged into a conspiracy of blackmail, murder and lies.

Poorly received at the time of its release (the film was a box-office bomb and nearly ruined Bigelow’s career until 2008’s “Hurt Locker”), “Strange Days” feels more relevant now than it did 25 years ago. Genuinely thrilling and thought-provoking, with masterful direction, impressive sets, and outstanding performances from Ralph Fiennes and co-star Angela Bassett, this is one of the most underrated sci-fi films of the 1990s and it unquestionably deserves a reexamination.

4. The Ghost Writer (2010, dir. Roman Polanski)

Roman Polanski’s best work after “The Pianist” (2002), “The Ghost Writer” is based on Robert Harris’ popular novel “The Ghost” and stars Ewan McGregor as a ghost writer who gets hired to finish the autobiography of former British prime minister Adam Lang (played by Pierce Brosnan and based on real-life former British PM Tony Blair) after the initial ghost writer is mysteriously found dead in what seems like a drowning accident. Soon after McGregor’s character begins working at the book, he starts to discover some dark secrets about Lang, who is suspected of having had links with the CIA and allowing the torturing of some prisoners suspected of terrorism.

Suspenseful and intelligent, “The Ghost Writer” is not only a great political thriller, but also a top-notch adaptation of its original source material, and (once again) showcases Polanski’s outstanding talent as a film director.

5. Notorious (1946, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

While not as famous as some of the other films from the Master of Suspense, there are many who consider “Notorious” a classic on the same level with Hitchcock’s finest works and we think it deserves a spot on this list.

The film stars Ingrid Bergman as Alicia Huberman, a notorious woman whose father is a convicted Nazi spy and who gets recruited by an American government agent (played by Cary Grant) to infiltrate and spy a Nazi organization from Brazil sometime after the ending of WWII. Alicia falls in love with Grant’s character, but he is using her love in his own interests and requires her to marry one of her father’s Nazi friends from Rio de Janeiro who is a leading member of the Nazi organization.

While the suspense here is subtler than that found in his later works, “Notorious” still showcases Hitchcock’s mastery of the genre and perfectly blends elements of romance with the gripping thrills of espionage film.

Netflix’s selection of 2019 movies isn’t too impressive, but among many rather skippable films, there are a few ones that really deserve a watch. While this list includes a couple of the more popular films from last year, we also tried to include some overlooked gems, so make sure you haven’t missed them. As always, please let us know in the comments if you have any other suggestions of great 2019 films available for streaming on Netflix.

10. The Forest Of Love

The latest film from Japanese director Sion Sono (“Love Exposure”, “Cold Fish”) follows a charismatic con man and a trio of aspiring filmmakers who force themselves into the lives of two young women who’ve been through a traumatic experience while in high school.

With a 150 minutes runtime, this is a long film and if you’re not into gory, weird, excessive, and totally messed up kind of movies, it might not be for you. However, if you’ve seen and liked Sion Sono’s other works, you will probably enjoy “The Forest Of Love”, which feels like an amalgamation of all of the themes, characters, and obsessions that can be found in the director’s past catalogue. It is a self-indulgent, indescribably strange, and nearly impossible to review movie, the kind of film that you will either love or hate.

9. Klaus

Directed by “Despicable Me” creator Sergio Pablos, “Klaus” is one of the most beautiful animations in recent years and a Christmas movie bound to become a classic.

The film follows Jesper (Jason Schwartzman), the young spoiled son of a wealthy postman general who is sent to a remote island town tasked with delivering six-thousand letters within a year. There, Joseph meets a reclusive woodsman named Klaus (J.K. Simmons), whose house is filled with handmade toys. The two develop an unlikely friendship and give birth to an everlasting holiday tradition.

“Klaus” might have been just another rehashed Santa Claus origin story, but this is not the case. The film is not only beautifully animated, mixing 2D animation with volumetric lighting and texturing that give it a breathtaking 3D look, but it’s also surprisingly heartfelt and genuine. Add to that a great cast (J.K. Simmons is perfect as the titular character), a witty and creative story that will please both kids and adults and what you get is easily one of the best Christmas movies in years.

8. Paddleton

Alex Lehmann’s second feature film is a comedy-drama about platonic love between men that stars Mark Duplass and Ray Romano as Michael and Andy, two middle-aged best friends and neighbors who love watching Asian Kung-Fu movies, eating pizza and playing Paddleton (a game the two made up together) near an abandoned drive-in movie theater. When Michael receives the terrible news that he has terminal stomach cancer and only months to live, he decides to get medication to end his life and asks Andy for help.

“Paddleton” tells a pretty straight forward story, yet Duplass’ and Romano’s great chemistry and endearing performances, the well-written dialogue filled with witty jokes and existential questions, and a truly touching ending make it one of the better movies from last year you can watch on Netflix.

7. Tell Me Who I Am

One of the best documentaries of 2019, “Tell Me Who I Am” tells the heartbreaking story of twin brothers Alex and Marcus Lewis. When he was 18 years old, Alex lost his memory after a motorcycle accident and the only person he remembered about was his twin brother. Marcus helped Alex regain his memories and identity, but even nearly 40 years after the accident, Alex doesn’t fully know who he is and is yet to discover some dark secrets about his childhood.

“Tell Me Who I Am” is a truly complex documentary that tackles some very interesting subjects and feels like nothing we’ve seen before. It starts out as a film about identity, memory, and how the brain works, but soon turns out to be something much darker and becomes a rather harrowing story about abuse, trauma, and self-deception. It’s dark cinematography, unexpected twists, and tense atmosphere make it sometimes feel like a true-crime documentary, but it never ceases to be moving, emotional, and a very, very intimate experience that will leave you thinking for a long time.

6. I Lost My Body

“Frozen II” and “Toy Story 4” might have been the most viewed animated films of 2019, but this French underrated gem is probably the best of them.

Freely adapted from the book “Happy Hand” by Guillaume Laurant (screenwriter of “Amélie”), the film revolves around two parallel stories that somehow come together in the end. One of them follows Naoufel, a young man who is grieving over the loss of his parents and falls in love with a girl when he delivers her a pizza. Meanwhile, a second story follows a mysterious severed hand (think about “Thing” from “The Addams Family”) that escaped from a lab refrigerator and wanders the suburbs of Paris, trying to find and reconnect with its lost body.

Weird, atmospheric and sometimes creepy, “I Lost My Body” is an animation aimed at adults and it can get pretty dark at times, but at the same time it is also very poetic, touching, and filled with profound symbolism, dwelling on themes such as loneliness, loss and longing. Its surreal nature and unresolved narrative might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the film is worth watching if only for the visually stunning, unique animation and Dan Levy’s haunting score.

Other than the fantastic Criterion Channel, which is unfortunately unavailable outside the USA and Canada, and UK’s streaming service BFI Player, Amazon Prime is the best place for lovers of older, classic movies. From 1920s silent films to forgotten gems of the 1990s, Amazon Prime’s vast catalogue has a surprising amount of classic films, yet most of them are buried beneath the endless amount of more recent films.

The titles presented on this list are by no means obscure classics that no one has ever heard about, yet they are still not talked about enough, and chances are you’ve never watched some of them. In no particular order, here are our choices for 10 great movie classics on Amazon Prime you may have missed.

1. The Circus (1928)

This early Charlie Chaplin silent movie was released between two of his more famous works, 1925’s “The Gold Rush” and 1931’s “City Lights”, and has been rather overshadowed by the aforementioned films. “The Circus” features Chaplin’s iconic Tramp as he gets hired as a clown in a traveling circus and falls in love with the circus owner’s daughter, a beautiful bareback rider.

Even though it is not Chaplin’s best work, “The Circus” is definitely worth a watch. Technically innovative, filled with energetic slapstick, constantly entertaining, and containing some of Chaplin’s funniest gags, the film might lack the depth of “City Lights”, but when it comes to pure comedy, it is just as great.

2. Love And Death (1975)

One of Woody Allen’s silliest films, “Love And Death” is a funny parody of 19th century Russia in the vein of the films of Mel Brooks or Monty Python.

Set in the czarist Russia, the film stars Allen as Boris, a coward intellectual who becomes a soldier, accidentally gets decorated as a war hero, falls in love with his beautiful and pretentious cousin Sonja (Diane Keaton), and devises a plot to assassinate Napoleon.

Entertaining, filled with over-the-top gags, zany characters, quotable one-liners, and moments of characteristic philosophical debate, “Love And Death” is much more cartoonish than Allen’s more famous films, but clever enough not to fall in the category of mindless comedies.

3. The Long Goodbye (1973)

Perhaps the most known film on this list, Robert Altman’s adaptation of Raymond Chandler’s novel 1953 “The Long Goodbye” is a suspenseful neo-noir that stars Elliot Gould as the charismatic Philip Marlowe, a private detective who finds himself in the middle of a mysterious case that includes a missing man, a murdered wife, violent gangsters, and corrupt Mexican cops.

Set in the moody backdrop of 1970’s Los Angeles, Altman’s film is filled with night scenes, cigarette smoke, and quirky characters. Even though at its base a murder mystery, “The Last Goodbye” subverts genre expectations and takes its plot in unexpected directions. The result is a unique film that is as much a hard-boiled detective story as it is a dark comedy, an examination on the frailty of friendship and trust or, as Altman himself called it, “a satire in melancholy”.

4. The Birdcage (1996)

Mike Nichols’ remake of the 1978 French comedy “La Cage aux Folles” is a funny, flamboyant, heartwarming, and surprisingly progressive film that stars Robin Willilams as Armand Goldman, the gay owner of a South Miami Beach nightclub, and Nathan Lane as Albert, his longtime drag queen lover.

When their son Val decides to get married to a woman with ultraconservative parents (played by Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest), Armand has to pretend to be straight while meeting his soon-to-be inlaws, while Albert presents himself as Val’s straight uncle. The results are, as expected, hilarious.

5. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

An aging Chinese chief has to come to terms with old age, while his three daughters try to make their way in life and romance in “Eat Drink Man Woman”, the third film in Ang Lee’s “Father Knows Best” trilogy.

Perfectly balancing comedy with drama, the movie touches many important themes, from the generational gap and the divergence of moral values between parents and children to family and gender roles, death and aging, religion, and globalization. However, the film’s powers reside in its well-constructed, real-like, and very likable characters. Rarely does a film with multiple protagonists manage to keep each one’s story interesting, yet Ang Lee’s characters are authentic, with quirks that make them so different from the usual Hollywood protagonists, and it’s practically impossible not to root for them all.

Overshadowed by Lee’s more acclaimed films such as “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, “Brokeback Mountain” or “Life Of Pi”, “Eat Drink Man Woman” has become somewhat of a hidden gem in the director’s catalogue, so if you’ve missed it, we strongly suggest you check it out. Just make sure not to be on an empty stomach: there is so much food in this film and it all looks so great!

With cinemas all over the world being closed, there is no better time than now to stream movies, and as it seems that we have to wait some more until getting to see new films on the big screen, it is the perfect time to catch up with last year’s films. For a start, make sure you haven’t missed any of these 2019 movies on Amazon Prime, they are some of the best 2019 had to offer.

Let us know in the comments if there are any other 2019 movies streaming on Amazon Prime that are worth watching.

10. Honey Boy

Based on Shia LaBeouf’s childhood and flawed relationship with his abusive father, “Honey Boy” is a semi-autobiographical drama that follows a young movie star with alcohol problems who takes a look at his past after being forced into a rehab facility.

“Honey Boy” is far from a perfect film, but with a little more development and perhaps a better presentation (the cinematography isn’t stellar), it might have been much higher on this list. Even so, the film is very intimate, definitely a passion project for LaBeouf, and it features great and convincing performances, especially from Shia LaBeouf, who is basically playing a fictional version of his own father and gives a career-best performance, but also Noah Jupe, who plays the younger version of the film’s protagonist and is one of the best child actors we’ve seen on screen in recent years.

9. Light Of My Life

Written and directed by Casey Affleck, “Light Of My Life” stars Affleck as a father who has to keep his daughter safe after the world’s female population is nearly wiped out by a plague.

Reminiscent of “The Road” or 2018’s “Leave No Trace”, this post-apocalyptic story is even more grounded than you’d expect from its premise. While it has a few suspenseful moments, the majority of the film focuses on the father-daughter relationship and it has quite a slow pace. However, the great chemistry between Affleck and his on-screen daughter and their fantastically written dialogues convinced us that “Light of My Life” is one of last year’s underrated gems. And let’s not forget the film’s beautiful cinematography and the memorable intro scene where Affleck’s character reinvents the Noah’s Ark’s story and turns it into something much more meaningful to the film’s theme. If you are into slow-burn dramas with just a bit of thrill, you should definitely check it on Amazon Prime.

8. Rocketman

“Rocketman” was directed by Dexter Fletcher, who replaced Bryan Singer at the helm of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, yet it is a surprisingly better film than Freddie Mercury’s biopic.

Telling the story of Elton John’s breakthrough years as a musician, this is a totally refreshing take on the music biopic movie. Much more a fantasy-musical than a by-the-book biopic, “Rocketman” is filled with great performances from its entire cast, but the main star is Taron Egerton as Elton John, whose full of energy performance was, in our opinion, as worthy (or even more) of an Oscar recognition as Rami Malek’s take on Freddie Mercury.

The film flawlessly goes from upbeat and entertaining to dark and emotional, benefits of a great script, and even though it suffers from some minor pacing issues and biopic clichés, we don’t think there was a better way to make an Elton John movie.

Even if you’re not a fan of Elton John, “Rocketman” is definitely worth a watch as it is overall one of the best and most original musical biopics in many years. Anyway, chances are you’ll be a fan soon after it’s finished.

7. John Wick 3: Parabellum

The third film in the “John Wick” series sees the legendary hitman fighting his way out of New York after a 14 million dollar price tag which is put on his head makes him the target of some of the most dangerous assassins around the world.

Stylish, action-packed and wildly entertaining, the “John Wick” movies have been some of our favorite action thrillers of the last years and this third and latest entry in the series didn’t disappoint us either. “John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” is exactly what fans demand from this franchise and delivers non-stop action, tightly choreographed scenes, impeccable camerawork, and another committed performance from Keanu Reeves.

6. The Farewell

Directed by Lulu Wang, this acclaimed 2019 comedy-drama tells the story of a Chinese-American family who discovers that their beloved grandmother Nai Nai has only a short time left to live after she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Hiding the bad news from Nai Nai, the entire family decides to pay her a farewell visit and travel from America to China under the pretext of a wedding celebration.

Partly based on Lulu Wang’s personal life experiences, “The Farewell” is a touching drama which mixes heartfelt moments with slices of humor and, despite playing it a little too safe to be considered something truly outstanding, there is no doubt that it is one of the best family movies of the year.

The selection of recent horror movies on Netflix is not that impressive. Truth be told, most of them are rubbish. Even so, there are a few films that are really worth your time and, for this list, it’s those ones we’ve tried to select.

If you’re a horror fan, you’ve most likely already seen all of these films – yet there is no such thing as a bad time for rewatching a horror film you’ve enjoyed. However, if you’re new to the genre, this is a great place to start and from home invasion thrills, comedy-horror, alert zombie movies or atmospheric, slow-burns, there is something here for every taste.

Let us know in your comments if we’ve missed any great recent horror films streaming on Netflix.

10. Hush (2016)

Directed by Mike Flanagan (“Oculus”, “The “Haunting Of Hill House”), “Hush” is a home invasion film with a twist.

The movie follows a young woman (played by Flanagan’s wife and frequent collaborator Kate Siegel) who lives in an isolated house near the woods and has to fight for her life when a masked figure tries to break into her house. So what’s the twist? The woman is deaf and mute, so this changes completely the way the film unfolds itself and turns “Hush” a clever refresh for the slasher genre which is worth checking out.

9. The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016)

Helmed by André Øvredal (“Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark”, “Trollhunter”), “The Autopsy of Jane Doe” revolves around a father and son team of coroners who comes across the corpse of an unidentified woman found at the scene of a multiple homicide (hence the Jane Doe name). The two coroners find it strange that there are no visible signs of trauma on the woman’s body, yet what they discover inside her while doing the autopsy is disturbing. Soon, they start to suspect that the mysterious Jane Doe might not be dead after all.

“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” has its flaws and fumbles a little towards the ending, but when it does well, it does very well. Its eerie atmosphere can really get under your skin, and for the most part, the mysterious and clever plot will keep your eyes glued to the screen. Overall, despite some shortcomings, there are still a lot of moments to enjoy André Øvredal’s film to make it worth your time.

8. Creep (2014)

This first entry in a couple of found-footage movies directed by Patrick Brice is one of the most original, tense, funny, and very, very creepy films on Netflix.

“Creep” stars Mark Duplass as Josef, a disturbed man who hires videographers in order to record his life, but can’t help himself and soon he starts acting strangely, devises all kinds of inappropriate scares, and in the end creeps his employees out of their minds.

“Creep” and its sequel are some of the most unsettling and inventive films of the 2010s and they work as yet another proof that you don’t need a lot of resources in order to make an effective horror. Despite mostly taking place inside a house and its surrounding area and featuring just a couple of characters, the films are more entertaining than many high-budget mainstream horror movies and their mix of campy-fun and thrills makes them a very entertaining watch.

7. Cam (2018)

“Cam” is one of the better entries in the series of thriller/horror movies that revolve around modern technology. The film follows Alice (Madeline Brewer), a webcam girl who discovers that her account has been stolen by an exact replica of herself. Perplexed, Alice tries to regain control of her online identity and to find out who is behind the mysterious happening.

Working out as an extended episode of “Black Mirror”, the film is much better than you would expect from its premise. Its tight and suspenseful plot, creepy atmosphere and an impressive lead performance make “Cam” one of the best modern techno-horrors we’ve seen.

6. The Ritual (2017)

This British horror film about four friends who find themselves hunted by a malevolent deity deep in the Scandinavian forests is not a masterpiece or something you’ve never seen before. However, it is a solid horror film, easily one of the best of 2017 and, if you’re a fan of “Midsommar” or “The Blair Witch Project”, you might enjoy it a lot.

That is because “The Ritual” is really entertaining, has great special effects, and for most of the time, scary enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Moreover, what makes it even better is that it doesn’t over-rely on jumpscares, yet still manages to be very atmospheric and unnerving – so much that there are even daylight scenes that feel creepy.

As for its flaws, there are a bunch of horror clichés, the performances aren’t really spectacular (Rafe Spall is the better of the four main actors), and the ending – although surprising – is a little abrupt. However, these shortcomings don’t ruin the film and, if you’re into slow, atmospheric horror, you should definitely give “The Ritual” a watch.

A24 is the studio that revived the American independent cinema and, apart from producing many of the best-received dramas of the last few years, it has also been behind some of the staples of modern horror cinema. Every time A24’s name is attached to a new horror movie we are filled with eagerness, and this is nothing but a testament to the high-standards the production company has made up for itself.

If you are a fan of horror movies, you’ve probably already seen most of the titles on this list, but if you’re new to the genre, this selection of films, especially the top five titles, is a great place to start. Let us know in the comments how you would rank A24’s horror films.

10. The Hole In The Ground (2019)

Lee Cronin’s debut feature-length film follows Sarah (Seána Kerslake), a mother who, after leaving her husband, moves to an isolated near-the-woods house in the Irish countryside and tries to start a new life along with her young son Chris (James Quinn Markey). One night, Chris disappears into the forest and, when he returns, he starts acting increasingly stranger. Soon, Sarah links her son’s unusual behavior with a mysterious sinkhole in the forest.

This A24 horror film has its share of creepy moments, some beautiful cinematography, a great soundtrack and pretty solid performances from its cast. Unfortunately, its pacing problems and undeveloped story turn it into a middling experience. However, this is better than the average horror movie and you should still check it out if you’re a fan of the genre.

9. In Fabric (2018)

Directed by Peter Strickland (“Berberian Sound Studio”, “The Duke Of Burgundy”), “In Fabric” is a Giallo-inspired horror-comedy about a cursed dress and the devastating consequences it has on two of its unlucky owners.

This is another highly stylized, surrealistic and very original entry in Strickland’s catalogue and, while his films are certainly an acquired taste, if you are into Giallo or you’ve enjoyed the director’s previous work, you will surely find many things to like about “In Fabric”.

8. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015)

Directed by Oz Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins), “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” mostly takes place at a prep school, where two girls are left alone after their parents inexplicably don’t appear to take them home for the winter break. At the same time, the film follows a young woman who is desperate to arrive at the school for unknown reasons.

Oz Perkins’ directorial debut is not a flawless film, but it certainly has a lot to offer. Despite a simple plot, a somewhat abrupt ending, and some moments of mediocre acting, the film manages to create a really creepy atmosphere and doesn’t spoil it with cheap jump scares like so many bad horror movies.

Even more, the film makes great use of its soundtrack, which is perfectly balanced with moments of silence, which can sometimes be much more frightening than any loud and creepy music. The film’s narrative also caught our attention. The story unfolds in a very captivating way, using many timeline jumps, and this creates a state of confusion and mystery that only makes sense in the final act.

If you’re into atmospheric horror films, chances are you’ll love “The Blackcoat’s Daughter”.

7. Climax (2018)

Gapar Noe’s “Climax” starts with a television screen that shows a series of interviews with a group of dancers, then it takes us to an abandoned school, where an elaborately choreographed and nearly hypnotizing dancing scene commences. Not before long comes the realization that this is a film like no other you’ve seen before.

After the mesmerizing one-shot dancing scene, the group of dancers starts drinking sangria but soon they start feeling strange. Then comes the realization that their drink was spiked with LSD. From this point on, madness ensues and the film draws you in its claustrophobic, anxiety-inducing world which feels like a never-ending nightmare.

Disturbing, entertaining, dark, crazy, violent, provocative and stylish – these are some words that can describe Noé’s film, which is arguably his best work to date and one of the most demented films of the past decade.

6. It Comes At Night (2017)

“It Comes at Night” is the typical case of a wrongfully marketed film that didn’t really find its audience. Based on the trailers, “It Comes at Night” looked like a better-than-average horror film filled with jumpscares and grotesque imagery. In fact, the film turned out to be a slow burn that, while being atmospheric and having its share of spine-tingling moments, is really more of a psychological horror.

That being said, the film is great and paranoia-inducing. It features a family that lives secluded in a house near the forest after a contagious outbreak took over the world. Things get strange – and very tense – after a stranger asks for their help and seeks refuge for him and his family at their home.

“It Comes at Night” is a film about family and trust. In many ways, it’s like John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place,” but without the monsters and, despite the poor audience reaction, we consider it to be one of A24’s most underrated films.

Since the first edition in 1929, the Academy Awards have honored 38 movies with multiple Oscar acting awards, with only five of them being made in the 21st century (“Mystic River”, “Million Dollar Baby”, “The Fighter”, “Dallas Buyers Club”, and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”). However, there was never a movie to win all of the four acting categories, and until 1934, no film had won both Best Actor and Best Actress.

In fact, only seven movies managed to win both Best Actor and Best Actress, the first of them is “It Happened One Night” (1934), the last 1997’s “As Good As It Gets”. Also, among the 38 movies with more than one Oscar-winning performance, there were only two that won three acting awards – both present on this list.

Without bothering you anymore with our little Oscars trivia, here are ten great movies that managed to take home more than one Academy Award in acting.

10. West Side Story (1961)

Oscar-winning performances: George Chakiris – Best Supporting Actor, Rita Moreno – Best Supporting Actress

The most successful film of 1961, Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ big-screen adaptation of the famous Broadway musical of the same name follows a Shakespearean love story born on the streets of Manhattan, where a Puerto Rican girl named Maria (Natalie Wood) falls in love with Tony (Richard Beymer), a white American, despite the rising tensions between their rival gangs.

A great success at the 35th Academy Awards, “West Side Story” was nominated for no less than 11 categories, winning 10 of them, including Best Picture. Going home with awards were also George Chakiris, who won Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Bernardo, the tough leader of the Puerto Rican gang, and Rita Moreno, who played Bernardo’s feisty girlfriend and Maria’s best friend Anita and also won a Best Supporting Actress award.

Shot in lurid Technicolor, filled with impressively choreographed dance numbers, vibrant performances, and Leonard Bernstein’s memorable songs, this Hollywood classic remains one of the best musicals ever made.

9. The Last Picture Show (1971)

Oscar-winning performances: Ben Johnson – Best Supporting Actor, Cloris Leachman – Best Supporting Actress

Peter Bogdanovich’s adaptation of Larry McMurtry’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name is a timeless coming of age story set in a small 1950’s Texas city, where two high school seniors, Sonny and Duane (played by Ben Johnson and Jeff Bridges) play football, go to the movies, hang out at the pool hall, and fall in love amid an isolated and slowly dying community.

Ben Johnson has earned a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his performance as Sam The Lion, the wise owner of the local pool hall who acts as a fatherly figure to the young men in the town. Cloris Leachman, who plays the lonely and depressed wife of a closet homosexual high school coach who falls in love with the much younger Sonny, was also awarded the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Seen nowadays, “The Last Picture Show” might not be as impressive as it was back in 1971, but its influence on later American coming of age films is undeniable. Filled with round characters, funny, moving, nostalgic, and really courageous for its time (the film features a surprising amount of nudity, sex, and profanity), Bogdanovich’s remains a defining film of the 1970s.

8. On The Waterfront (1954)

Oscar-winning performances: Marlon Brando – Best Actor, Eva Marie Saint – Best Supporting Actress

“I coulda’ been a contender. I could’ve been somebody” – Marlon Brando’s delivery of this iconic line remains one of the most memorable moments in the history of cinema.

“On The Waterfront” secured Brando’s position as one of the top actors working in 1950s Hollywood, yet surprisingly he initially refused the role of Terry Malloy, and the part nearly went to Frank Sinatra, who even attended an initial costume fitting, but was ultimately replaced by director Elia Kazan.

Brando, who plays an ex-boxer turned longshoreman that ends up as a low-level henchman of a corrupt union boss, gives one of the greatest performances of his career, a “tour de force” which displays his chameleonic acting range, naturalness, subtlety, and raw emotion. After getting a nomination for his breakthrough role in “A Streetcar Named Desire”, Brando finally conquered the Academy and, with his performance as Terry Malloy, won his first of two Oscars.

Equally impressive is Eva Marie Saint’s Oscar-winning performance as Edie Doyle, the sister of one of Terry’s victims who ends up having a short-lived relationship with him. Saint, who made her film debut with this film, gives a haunting performance that impresses with its complexity and emotional depth and perfectly counterbalances Brando’s tough-guy character.

7. Kramer vs Kramer (1979)

Oscar-winning performances: Dustin Hoffman – Best Actor, Meryl Streep – Best Supporting Actress

“Kramer vs Kramer”, also known as the original “Marriage Story”, stars Dustin Hoffman as Ted Kramer, an advertising director who has put his career ahead of his family. Unfulfilled with her marriage, Ted’s wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) leaves him and lets their son Billy stay with his father. Just when Ted and Billy start to bond as father and son, Joanna decides she wants to raise the child, so a courtroom custody battle ensues.

Released at a time when Hollywood rarely focused on stories about common life struggles, “Kramer vs Kramer” surprised both critics and audiences with the outstanding way it tackles such an ordinary subject as marriage and divorce and managed to be the big winner at the 52nd Academy Awards, taking home the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor and Actress awards for Hoffman and Streep.

In a year when movies like “Alien”, “Apocalypse Now” or “The Deer Hunter” were released, an apparently simple story about family became the top-grossing film of the year, a thing that would be impossible now, and this is because the film struck home. The reason? Robert Benton’s excellent direction and script and, even more, the realistic and engaging performances given by Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman.

6. Hannah And Her Sisters (1986)

Oscar-winning performances: Michael Caine – Best Supporting Actor, Dianne Wiest – Best Supporting Actress

Woody Allen’s much-lauded “Hannah And Her Sisters” tells a slice of life story about three sisters and their intertwining relationships.

Hannah (Mia Farrow) is married to accountant and financial planner Elliot (Michael Caine), who grows fond of one of Hannah’s sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey). Lee is in her turn married to Frederick (Max Von Sydow), a much older man who no longer stimulates her sexually or intellectually. And there’s also Hannah’s ex-husband Mickey (Woody Allen), a hypochondriac television writer who has been involved with Hannah’s other sister, Holly (Dianne Wiest), a former cocaine addict and unsuccessful actress.

This might sound like the dull plot of a soap opera, and in the hands of another director it might have been so, yet this is Woody Allen at the top of his game surrounded by an elite cast, so the result is anything but dull. “Hannah And Her Sisters” is everything we like about Woody Allen’s movies. It is honest, witty, hilarious, and insightful, an entertaining and remarkable depiction of family and relationships, and nothing short of a masterpiece.

Blumhouse Studios has become synonymous with horror movies and, for over a decade, James Blum’s production company has given us some of the most successful modern horror films.

Made on small-budgets and becoming box-office hits, the Blumhouse horror films have proved that you don’t need much money in order to make a top-grossing movie. Of course, that doesn’t always mean that the film is going to be any good, and there are plenty of stinkers in Blumhouse’s catalogue, yet this time we are going to focus on the better films that the famous studio has put out throughout the years,

If you’re a horror fan, you’ve surely seen all of the films on this list, yet for those ones newer to the genre, this set of ten films is a great place to start.

Let us know in the comments if we’ve missed any of your favorite Blumhouse horror films.

10. Insidious

“Insidious” stars Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne as a married couple who have recently moved into a new house along with their three children. After an incident in the attic, one of their sons falls into an inexplicable coma. Concurrently, the family starts to experience paranormal activity that seems to be linked to their comatose son and hire a couple of ghost hunters to investigate the strange occurrences.

James Wan’s precursor of “The Conjuring” is far from a flawless film, yet it showcases enough of Wan’s talent to be worth a watch if you’re a fan of horror. There are some editing choices that made us scratch our heads, Patrick Wilson’s character is annoying, to say the least, and the scares are not always that great, but the film never ceases to be captivating and, despite its shortcomings, contains enough tense, really well-directed scenes to keep it afloat.

9. The Visit

At the time of its release, M. Night Shyamalan’s film about two siblings who visit their grandparents and get creeped out by their increasingly disturbing behavior was thought to be a return to form of the famous director.

Of course, after the disasters that “The Happening”, “The Last Airbender” or “After Earth” proved to be, critics were more indulgent with this better-than-average found-footage horror film, yet the truth is that for most of the time “The Visit” is a really fun horror flick. While the film doesn’t come close to Shyamalan’s early works, it has plenty of creepy moments, effective scares and a clever enough twist to keep you entertained for its 94 running length and, if you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend you to give it a shot.

8. Sinister

“Sinister” stars Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt, a true-crime writer who moves into a small town in order to write a new book about a girl who disappeared after the murder of her family. Unbeknownst to Oswalt’s wife and two kids is that the house he just moved them in is the exact murder place. Then, when Oswalt discovers a box filled with film reels in the house’s attic, things get creepy. The film reels depict various murders committed by an unseen person and feature a mysterious masked figure called “Mr. Boogie”. Soon, Oswalt and his family find themselves living inside a nightmare.

“Sinister” is one of the best-acted horror films of the decade and its simple yet ingenious and twisty plot might take you by surprise. While it isn’t as scary as it could have been, it is still a very atmospheric film and has some memorable and equally disturbing moments (the footage on those film reels is really something). If you are a fan of Stephen King-like stories, you should definitely check it out.

7. Cam

“Cam” is a pretty decent entry in the series of thriller/horror movies that revolve around modern technology. The film follows Alice (Madeline Brewer), a webcam girl who discovers that her account has been stolen by an exact replica of herself. Perplexed, Alice tries to regain control of her online identity and to find out who is behind the mysterious happening.

“Cam” works out like an extended episode of “Black Mirror” and is much better than you would expect from its premise. Its tight and suspenseful plot, creepy atmosphere and its impressive lead performance make it one of the best modern techno-horrors we’ve seen.

6. Ouija: The Origin Of Evil

2014’s “Ouija” was a disaster and no one thought that a prequel was a good idea. That until Mike Flanagan came along as a director and gave us one of the most surprisingly good follow-ups to a bad movie.

“Ouija: The Origin Of Evil” takes place in 1967 Los Angeles and follows a young widow who, accompanied by her two daughters, scams people by pretending to be able to communicate with the dead. However, after incorporating an Ouija board into her fake medium readings, she contacts a spirit that possesses one of her daughters.

With a filmography consisting of titles such as “The Haunting Of Hill House”, “Oculus” or the recent “Doctor Sleep”, Mike Flanagan has proved himself to be one of the better horror directors working nowadays, so there is no wonder “Ouija: The Origin Of Evil” turned out good. The film is meticulously crafted, boasts some fantastic performances (child actors included), and – most important for a horror film – is genuinely immersive and scary while never feeling flashy, clichéd or over-reliant on jumpscares.

Now that the Academy Awards excitement has settled down, it is time for another look at some of last year’s greatest films. This time, we are going to look at ten of 2019’s best documentaries. Often overlooked, these documentary films made for some of the most rewarding watches we’ve had last year.

The number of documentary films released every year is huge and this is without taking into consideration the miniseries, so narrowing this list down to 10 titles wasn’t an easy task. We are sure we’ve missed a few of your favorites from last year, so please spread the word about them in the comments section.

10. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese

You’ve all heard about “The Irishman”, but how many of you knew that there was actually a second Scorsese film released last year?

This experimental documentary/concert film blends fictional and non-fictional materials and, through 16mm old footage and interviews with Dylan, prominent figures of the tour, and some fictional characters, captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the intimate “Rolling Thunder Revue” concert tour that Dylan performed during the fall of that year. Ingenious, enthralling, and a joy to the ears, this is the 2019 Scorsese film people should be talking about.

9. One Child Nation

Winner of the U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Festival, this American documentary directed by Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang covers the damaging effects of China’s one-child policy that lasted for over 30 years, from 1979 to 2015, when it was replaced by the two-child policy.

Harrowing and deeply personal, “One Child Nation” unearths many truths about China’s long-lasting policy. It is one of the most devastating documentaries of 2019, an eye-opening film of great importance that should receive much more attention.

8. Horror Noire: A History Of Black Horror

Directed by Xavier Burgin and adapted from the book of the same name by Robin R. Means Coleman, this Shudder original documentary that tells the untold history of Black Americans in horror movies is one of the most enlightening and entertaining films of 2019.

From the 1915 silent film “Birth of A Nation” to Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” (2017), the film analyzes the way that black people were portrayed in horror films throughout the years and how the genre utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and in the end, embraced them. Featuring insightful conversations with actors, directors, writers, and critics, “Horror Noire: A History Of Black Horror” is both enjoyable and very informative. If you are a fan of horror films – or film history in general – this is a must-see.

7. Amazing Grace

Sydney Pollack’s previously unreleased documentary/concert film captures Aretha Franklin’s two recording sessions of her 1972 live album “Amazing Grace”.

Shelved for nearly half a century due to difficulties syncing the audio tracks with the footage, Pollack’s film was finally released by producer Alan Eliott after many postponements caused by Aretha Franklin’s unwillingness to screen the footage. After Franklin passed away in 2018, Eliott came to an agreement with her estate and the film eventually hit the screens to universal acclaim.

“Amazing Grace” is among the most powerful concert documentaries we’ve ever seen. It is a transcending experience that feels like traveling back in time. The raw, unembellished footage perfectly captures Franklin’s overwhelming intensity, pure emotion, and enormous talent as she performs one of the most glorious musical moments of all time.

6. 63 Up

“63 Up” is the ninth installment in a documentary series that started with “Seven Up!” back in 1964, and that for over five decades, once every seven years, has documented the lives of a group of British people as they went from childhood to adulthood and now old age.

One of the most unique and fascinating documentary series/social experiments ever made, the “Up” series asks important questions about life, personality, and how much people change over the years. This ninth entry in the series, where the protagonists are all in their 60s and have all started to experience loss and grieving, is both sad, funny, and altogether one of the best entries in the series.

While we encourage you to watch each one of the “Up” films, “63 Up” also works great as a standalone film, as it includes lots of archival footage from the previous entries in the series and it offers an insightful overview of the whole experiment.

As with every year, 2019 had its share of films that critics praised, Rotten Tomatoes deemed as certified fresh, and… were panned by audiences.

If we are to look at the reviews they’ve received, the movies on this list were supposedly among the better films of 2019, with a few titles even appearing on best of the year lists, some of them on our page too. However, based on the audience reaction, the films on this list are at best mediocre, with some of them not even getting a 6/10 on platforms such as IMDb or Metacritic, and all of them being rotten judging by the Rotten Tomatoes audience score.

Without further ado, here are 10 movies from 2019 that critics liked, but audiences didn’t. As always, let us know in the comments what is your opinion on these films.

1. The Souvenir

A semi-fictionalized version of director Joanna Hogg’s experiences at film school, “The Souvenir” is set in the 1980s Sunderland and stars Honor Swinton Byrne as Julie, a young film student who falls in love with Anthony (Tom Burke), an older man who works at the Foreign Office. What starts as an intense relationship shortly stumbles because of Anthony’s untrustworthy character and hidden addictions.

Critics praised Joanna Hogg’s film as a uniquely impactful coming of age drama. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw said that “the director confirms her status as a modern visionary with a deft, distinctive and deeply personal story of young love”, while Monica Castillo from RogerEbert.com called “The Souvenir” “the most empathetic movie to capture that kind of bad romance”, referring to the toxic relationship depicted in Hogg’s film.

With a 90% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes (and an 8.12 average rating), it is obvious that critics really liked “The Souvenir”, yet that isn’t the case with most viewers. The film has a rotten 36% audience score, and many audience reviews call it a dull, boring, and hard-to-sit through experience, and criticize the hard to swallow relationship between the two main characters.

It is true that the film might have benefited from a shortened runtime, as it drags during its second act and at times becomes a little tedious, yet the charming performances from Byrne and Burke combined with Hogg’s very personal script and David Raedeker’s grainy cinematography make “The Souvenir” stand out as one of the year’s better-crafted dramas.

2. See You Yesterday

Perhaps the most divisive film of 2019 when it comes to critics’ vs audience reaction, this Netflix original science fiction film produced by Spike Lee follows C.J. Walker and Sebastian Thomas, two teenage prodigies who create time machines in order to save C.J.’s brother from an incident that claimed his life.

The critical reaction for “See You Yesterday” was overwhelmingly positive. It has a 95% Tomatometer score (with a 7.34 average rating), and a 74 Metascore. Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com labeled it “an ambitious, striking debut that takes unexpected creative risks and heralds the arrival of an exciting new filmmaker”, Benjamin Lee from The Guardian called it “a smart, often ingenious, new film that takes a depressingly familiar scenario and then adds some time travel to the mix” and the list goes on.

Surprisingly, the audiences didn’t feel the same – at all. On Rotten Tomatoes, the audience score is a disappointing 34% (with a 2.45/5 average rating), IMDb rates it as a 5/10, and even the user score on Metacritic is 4.9/10. So what happened?

Most viewers found the film too juvenile, complained about the poor screenplay and acting, felt like the critics praised it only because of political correctness, and above all felt cheated by the film’s lack of an ending.

3. High Life

Claire Denis’ ambitious science-fiction film features Robert Pattinson as Monte, a troubled man who has been sentenced with a deadly space mission whose purpose is to extract an alternate form of energy from a black hole.

The film was lauded by critics for its compelling narrative, dark atmosphere, great production design, and Robert Pattinson’s stellar performance. However, its non-linear and somewhat confusing narrative didn’t appeal as much to audiences, neither did the film’s slow pace and overall strangeness. On Rotten Tomatoes, “High Life” has a certified fresh 82% Tomatometer score (7.42 average rating), while viewers gave it a 42% audience score, with a 2.8/5 average rating.

4. Ad Astra

“Ad Astra” disappointed at the box-office, was panned by audiences, yet it was still one of the best-received films of 2019 if you are too look at the critics’ reactions.

With an 84% fresh score on the Tomatometer, critics praised James Gray’s cerebral sci-fi for Brad Pitt’s fantastic performance, the impressive visuals and technical aspects, and the intelligent and provocative script. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone called the film “absolutely enthralling”, David Ehrlich of IndieWire said that “Ad Astra is one of the most ruminative, withdrawn, and curiously optimistic space epics this side of Solaris. It’s also one of the best.”, and Xan Brooks of The Guardian called it a “superb space-opera” and praised Pitt’s performance.

At the opposite pole, audiences weren’t impressed at all with Gray’s movie. With a 40% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a mediocre 6.6 on IMBd, “Ad Astra” was criticized by many viewers for being too slow, monotone, and unimpressive apart from the beautiful imagery and Pitt’s performance.

Audiences expected another “Gravity” or “The Martian” and instead received a quasi-Tarkovskian, slow-burn, and melancholic space opera that only appeals to a certain type of moviegoer.

5. In Fabric

This Giallo-inspired horror-comedy directed by Peter Strickland (“Berberian Sound Studio”, “The Duke Of Burgundy”) tells the story of a cursed dress and the devastating consequences it has on two of its unlucky owners.

As with Strickland’s previous movies, the critical reaction to “In Fabric” was overwhelmingly positive (the film holds a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes), while the audiences were less enthusiastic. The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw rated the film a 4/5 and called it a ghost story that is “utterly unlike anything else around”, while David Ehrlich from IndieWire gave it a B+ and called it a “mordantly funny and unapologetically fetishistic homage to vintage Euro-horror”.

However, audiences weren’t as impressed with Strickland’s latest film (it holds a 6.3 grade on IMDb, a 5.8 user score on Metacritic, and a 48% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes), with many of them considering “In Fabric” too strange for its own good, and a hard to sit through movie.

“In Fabric” certainly isn’t a film for everyone and it indeed suffers from a somewhat disjointed narrative that loses its steam in the less interesting second act, but if you are into Giallo or you’ve enjoyed the director’s previous work, you will surely find many things to like about it.