Escapist entertainment is one of the most favored pop culture remedies for dealing with tough times,especially for movie goers but that doesn't always mean lighthearted comedies and 3-D spectaculars.
The thriller genre provides plenty of dark distraction from many day-to-day woes with it's frightening funhouse mirror reflections into the depths of darkness that way too many of our friends and neighbors are capable of. Think of it as Schadenfreude Cinema,folks;things may be bad for you and yours at the moment but be thankful you're not like some of these poor souls coming to a theater near you.
First up on the hit list is The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,based on the first of three mystery novels by the late Steig Larsson that have taken the bestseller lists by storm. Like the original source material,this adaptation was made in Sweden and will be released in a translated format in the U.S.A. on March 19. Judging by the trailer,this looks to be a quality thrill ride worth checking out:
Next up is Mother,directed by Bong Joo-Ho best known for the offbeat sci-fi flick The Host. For his latest movie however,the terrors are more down to earth for Hye-ja, the single mother of a mentally disabled adult son seeks to clear his name after he is accused of murdering a local girl.
With the legal authorities being more than willing to make this an open and shut case,Hye-ja takes matters into her own hands as she hunts down the real killer and proves her devotion to her child in very deadly ways. The advance word on this movie has been excellent and those who miss it at the multiplex should add to their Netflix queue as soon as it's listed:
If you prefer a dash of futuristic flair with your thriller,Repo Men has that on sale with a full line of credit to spare. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker co-star here as a team of organ transplant collection agents,one of whom finds himself on the other side of the knife as the payment plan on his new heart can't cover the cost which means the ultimate price must be paid in blood.
This looks like one of those movies that tries to tap into the current angst about a hot button social issue with a sci-fi twist and hopefully,Repo Men will add up to more than just the sum of it's standard plot parts:
Another fantastic thriller film foray is due this summer from director Christopher Nolan,well renown for Batman Begins and The Dark Knight but also for mental movie puzzle boxes like Memento and Insomnia.
There's not a lot of info regarding the plot for Inception at the moment but it does have Leonardo DiCaprio as a CEO taking a rather unusual approach to stealing a concept that could change life as we know it,with Ellen Page and Joseph Gordon-Levitt at his side. It certainly seems promising and perhaps might offer up some relief from the typical batch of braindead blockbusters lining up at the cineplex this summer season:
Of course you can just go straight for the throat with the upcoming remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street,which wisely chose to cast Jackie Earle Haley as the new incarnation of Freddy Krueger. Normally,I can't stand these senseless remakes of classic terror films yet this one appears to truly attempt to recapture the merciless fear factor of the original film.
Don't get me wrong,I doubt that this movie will top the artistry of Wes Craven but as a Freddy fangirl who enjoyed the screams as much as the gruesome giggles of this slasher movie icon,it's great to see him be reintroduced to a new generation as the sinister midnight menace he was meant to be:
While some of these current and upcoming thrillers may not be your cup of grim tea, partaking in one or two of them might be a real eye opener in more ways than one. If you'd rather not,rest assured that there will be plenty of less intense but hopefully action packed thrillers awaiting your viewing pleasure. After all,what's a movie season without at least one typical buddy cop movie to idle away a hot afternoon with?:
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