The Most Original New Thriller Classics
Sweeney Todd, 8mm, Suspect Zero, Donnie Darko, The Cell
Jan 12, 2009
The following is a countdown of five thrillers produced within the past ten years – some of which have become cult classics, some not – but all of which are innovative or original in some way. They may not be as infamous as Fargo or as mythic as Jaws, but they have each have something interesting to offer the movie-watching public.
Number Five: Sweeney Todd
This may not be Tim Burton’s best-reviewed or highest-grossing movie. And some people (particularly of the male persuasion) may feel a bit silly watching a film version of a Broadway musical made famous by the likes of Patti LuPone and Angela Lansbury (that’s right, the teapot from Beauty and the Beast).
But this film deserves a place on the list because it proves that even a musical can be a thriller. How else could you classify a movie where two people secretly kill people and serve them in the form of pie while plotting revenge for past abuses? Now that’s one thrilling – yes, that’s right – musical.
Number Four: This spot is shared by two movies that are thematically similar - 8mm and Suspect Zero
Showtime’s TV series Dexter has recently achieved a moderate degree of popularity, due in no small part to its unusual concept; the protagonist is a serial killer who kills other criminals.
This concept has been seen before, however, in films like 1999’s 8 mm and 2004’s Suspect Zero. 8 mm follows a private eye played by Nicholas Cage who is presented with a supposed snuff film and asked to identify whether it is genuine, and if so, who made it. The mystery that unfolds is like a good episode of Law & Order: SVU, but it’s nothing spectacular . . . until Cage’s character realizes that the only way to take down a monster is to become a monster.
Suspect Zero stars Ben Kingsley as an FBI-trained psychic who uses his power to track down serial killers and kill them before they can hurt anyone else. This movie suffers from some weak plot points (including an arguably sloppy ending), but it successfully and interestingly blurs the line between protagonist and antagonist, and is said to be based on a real FBI program in which agents were trained to harness supposedly-latent psychic abilities (see the film's DVD features for more information on that).
Number Three: Donnie Darko
This film is too complicated and too nuanced to sum up, but it simply has to be featured on any thriller countdown. That’s because it’s one of the biggest cult films of the past decade.
This is not to say it doesn’t have its detractors; for every person purchasing a Donnie Darko calendar at Hot Topic, there’s someone else shouting to the rooftops that it’s the most pretentious movie ever made. But Donnie Darko mixes sci-fi, romance, and, of course, thrills in such an artful way that it’s difficult not to find something to appreciate about it. Besides, it strives to make viewers question their beliefs on pretty much everything, from time travel to the afterlife. And that’s pretty thrilling.
Number Two: The Cell
Don’t be fooled by the fact that this movie stars Jennifer Lopez – it’s no Wedding Planner. In fact, it’s one of the most chilling and visually stunning movies to come out of Hollywood in a long time. The Cell tells the story of a psychotherapist, played by Lopez, who has to literally venture into the mind of a psychotic killer, played by Vincent D’Onofrio. Here, she finds both breathtaking imagery and terrifying depravity.
This movie takes a fantastic question – what if people could essentially step inside eachother’s minds? - and makes it seem utterly plausible (and it deserves credit for that, if nothing else). It also features extremely innovative graphics, costumes, and cinematography, all of which are truly haunting.
Number One: American Psycho
Before Christian Bale was fighting bad guys as The Dark Knight, he was a bad guy. Bale played Patrick Bateman, the main character in the controversial movie adaptation of the even more controversial novel by Bret Easton Ellis. American Psycho is a brilliant satire of the worst aspects of mainstream American culture - including greed, conformity, and misogyny - but viewers can only understand that if they take the time to see past the violence and blood.
After all, Patrick Bateman spends his days making a killing on Wall Street, and spends his nights torturing and killing hookers. The film is much less graphic than the book, but it still isn’t for the faint of heart - if it weren’t so thought-provoking, one might be tempted to label it a mere horror film. Featuring a star-making performance by Bale, this movie deserves the #1 spot on this list.
