season of the witch (2011)

"I beg you. I beg you. I'm not a witch. "
Behmen (Nicolas Cage) and his friend Felson (Ron Perlman) disillusioned with their part in the bloody Crusades, decide to return home. But their journey co-insides with a plague sweeping Europe, and at one town they are pressured into transporting a girl (Claire Foy) who is suspected of being a witch and of spreading the sickness, to a remote monastery, where she will stand trial.
A film in search of what it wants to be, and thus pleasing none of the audiences to any great extent. It skips from wise cracking adventure, to action, horror, and mystery, then back again! Each element is well produced, but its schizophrenia leaves you dizzy. Witchcraft, Horror, Dominic Sena,

animal kingdom (2010)

"Have you worked out where you fit?."
When his mother dies, Josh (James Frecheville) has to move in with his estranged gran and his uncles. Unfortunately his uncles are armed robbers, and the robbery squad are determined to take them down, preferring to take them in dead, if possible.
Gripping drama, with starts off slowly, but builds an unease, that draws you in, as the gang unwind under the pressure.

deadline (2009)

"I have no interest in writing a horror film."
Alice (Brittany Murphy) moves to a remote house to escape the city, an ex about to be released from prison, and to concentrate on her writing, as she is behind in her deadline. But once installed in the house Alice soon finds herself intertwined with the story of previous occupants David and Lucy (Marc Blucas & Thora Birch), whose happy marriage dissolved into jealously and recrimination.
Well made, but at the same time unsatisfactory ghost story.

perfect creature (2006)

"You want her. don't you?"
A steam punk verion of the world which has Vampires co-existing with humans, and have formed a religious sect known as the brotherhood. But when one brother, Edgar (Leo Gregory), runs amok and starts to kill, Brother Silas (Dougray Scott) is teamed up with detective Lily (Saffron Burrows) to catch him, but Edgar has a bigger plan than just to kill...
An interesting concept, well made, but lacking that certain spark that lifts it above the average.

the house at the end of the street (2012)

"I don't really come into this part of the house."
Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) moves to a rural home, bringing her daughter Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) with her. They rent a beautiful house they can only afford as it's next door to a house where a girl murdered both her parents. Whilst Elissa settles down at her new school she gets to know Ryan (Max Thieriot), the son of the murdered couple, who is still living in the house, and many in the neighbourhood dislike.
A film that manages to play with the standard cliques, and our perceptions, before the inevitable twist at the end, and although nothing special, this is still a step above most.