D.O.A. (1950)
After the deliciously dark setup of a man revealing he's been murdered, noirish thrills take a while to kick in as Edmond O'Brien finds he's poisoned and has only a few days to find his killer. Blunt visuals, and increasingly frantic pacing, overcome often arch characters.
D.O.A. (1988)
Other than the initial premise, appealing leads Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan find themselves on the run from police and killers in an increasingly flimsy narrative very different from the original noir fatalism. With an erratic visual style and uneven pacing, momentum never builds.
Daglicht (Daylight) (2013)
Solidly told drama of family secrets benefits from clean, persuasive visuals and appealing lead, Angela Schijf, as lawyer who discovers unknown brother in jail might be innocent. Maintains intrigue while delivering modest twists, narrative and characters well defined.
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Classical structure of redemption informs unconnected lieutenant Kevin Costner's immersion into Sioux life and respect for nature, entwining mystical and cruel with lucid emotion. Involving characters and powerful set pieces, captured with strong visuals and elegiac John Barry score.
Dangerous Crossing (1953)
Sound and visuals conjure up a suitably eerie atmosphere on foggy ocean liner as desperate Jeanne Crain searches for her husband and tries to maintain her sanity. However, the central narrative lacks urgency and only minor pleasures maintain interest.
Dangsin, Geogi Isseojullaeyo (Will You Be There?) (2016)
Elliptical narrative spins through time as consumed Kim Yoon-seok is given ability to travel back to meet younger self and rescue lost love, Chae Seo-jin. Strong performances maintain involving emotional lilt, conclusion delivers with satisfying feeling.
Dante's Peak (1997)
Disaster porn that teases for an hour before persecuting its central characters with an unlimited series of deadly situations. Adhering gleefully to genre construction, striking visuals of volcanic desolation alternate with action ramped up to comic absurdity.
Daphne (2017)
On screen throughout, Emily Beecham inhabits a character who's intriguing, frustrating and cynical, drifting through South London until witnessing a knife attack causes a break in her outlook. Clinical, detached observations burrow into modern life and relationships.
Damn Yankees (1958)
Breezy score and hummable songs mix with Bob Fosse's striking choreography to allow cast to shine, as Ray Walston's Devil and Gwen Verdon's Lola entice Tab Hunter into selling his soul for baseball fame. Staging solid rather than exciting, colorful characters prove winning.
Dark Blue (2002)
Intensely drawn, unsurprising tale of police corruption and attempt at personal redemption set against burning LA after 1992 Rodney King verdict. Adroit blend of racial politics and violence, Kurt Russell provides formidable presence, street atmosphere is potent.
The Dark Corner (1946)
After meandering start, fiendish noir plot ensnares PI Mark Stevens when he's framed for murder with only resourceful secretary Lucille Ball left to help unravel jealous Clifton Webb's scheming. Mild thrills, wittily played by a solid cast, building atmosphere on a minor scope.
Dark Light (2019)
A fractured mother returns to her remote childhood home which initially seems haunted but actually turns out to hide life-energy draining monsters beneath the ground who want her daughter. A fractured narrative and predictable visual style don't elevate tension.
The Dark Mirror (1946)
Intriguing setup results in fun cat and mouse suspense as Lew Ayres delves into the Freudian textbook to work out which of Olivia De Havilland's twin sisters is the murderer. Moody lighting and Dimitri Tiomkin's unrepentant score amps up the melodrama.
Dark Power (2013)
When mayoral candidates are assassinated, FBI agents Kristanna Loken and Sean Patrick Flanery investigate crime-ridden, corrupt city, a labyrinth of deceit and violence that makes progressively little sense. Not helped by static style, only murmurs of technique survive.
Dark Skies (2013)
Initially intriguing, domestic issues dovetail with increasingly strange phenomena in a suburban family house, a slow-burn tension that's enhanced by a genuine Keri Russell. More predictable as it progresses, scares are dissipated while ending and coda feel flat.
Dark Tide (2012)
Damp, ponderous thriller has shark expert Halle Berry dealing with emotional and economic scars after crew member's death, until ex-husband Olivier Martinez re-appears with millionaire's desire to experience 'shark alley'. Sleek visuals & fish. Murky action & characters.
Dark Waters (2019)
Solidly produced, metronomically told social justice tale with obstinate lawyer Mark Ruffalo turning against the corporates to lead decades long crusade against Dupont and dangers of teflon. Monochrome approach prevents emotive saturation, but delivers the despair and anger.
The Day The Earth Stood Still (2008)
Visuals effects sparkle against shiny design yet emotion and narrative consequences remain cold as implacable Keanu Reeves learns about humans through scientist Jennifer Connelly. Always watchable without gravitas the storytelling reaches for.
The Day Will Dawn (1942)
Initially reluctant reporter Hugh Williams is drawn into efforts to repel scheming Nazis from a remote Norwegian village. Finely produced piece of wartime flag-waving, with an expansive cast including heroic Deborah Kerr and imperious Ralph Richardson.
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)
Affectionate homage to noir thrillers splices knowing private eye Steve Martin with host of Hollywood stars in 1940s film clips in typically convoluted plot. Willing femme fatale Rachel Ward and sweeping Miklós Rózsa score help maintain playful, absurdist humor amid gleaming design.
Dead On Arrival (2018)
With some sleek visuals amid atmospheric Louisiana locations and peppered with snappy dialog, a routinely enjoyable retread as a vaccine salesman struggles to find who poisoned him. Without dark, noir fatalism, the story and thrills never quite deliver.
Deadfall (2012)
Twisted family dynamics inform noirish fall for ex-boxer and ex-con Charlie Hunnam as well unhinged sibling robbers Olivia Wilde and Eric Bana. Unfolding violence in icy wilderness drags in father and daughter cops and solid parents Sissy Spacek and Kris Kristofferson. Solid technique but drama never bites.
Dear Murderer (1947)
Darkly melodramatic and atmospheric, icy Eric Portman plans the perfect murder of the man having an affair with manipulative wife Greta Gynt, then discovers she has a new lover. Nicely twisted, with crisp, wry dialog and oppressive, noir visuals, a modest treat.
Death On The Nile (2022)
Despite flashes of visual ingenuity and dramatic intent, intrigue and mystery fall away as Kenneth Branagh's hardened Poiret investigates flighty heiress Gal Gadot's murder among boatful of sly suspects. Evident CGI location artifice remains distracting,
The Decoy Bride (2011)
Vibrant, heartfelt Kelly Macdonald is the redeeming feature of otherwise curiously flat romcom, as movie star Alice Eve and creatively blocked writer David Tennant plan wedding on remote Scottish island. Never creates own internal logic let alone genuine situations.
Deep Impact (1998)
Despite disaster movie trappings, and final sequences of mass destruction, in many ways a more considered thriller and a narrative that leans towards family relationships. Beyond the wild contrivances, a solid cast sells the emotion even when pummeled with VFX.
Deep Water (2022)
Study of fractured relationship amid stale wealth remains distinct from tale of descent into jealousy and murder, despite brooding danger of Ben Affleck. Caustic Ana de Armas is the teasing wife, production provides glossy visuals, yet misses on needed sensual thrills.
Deepwater Horizon (2016)
Economic visuals and blunt narrative effectively tell events of Gulf Of Mexico disaster, clear politics of greedy John Malkovich's oil company set against Kurt Russell's safety ethics solidifying empathy. Tension successfully ratcheted up without emphasising survival heroics.
Defenseless (1991)
Told with sleazy style, committed lawyer with ill-advised life choices Barbara Hershey represents controlling friend Mary Beth Hurt accused of murdering the husband Hershey was having an affair with. Laconic Sam Shepard investigates enjoyably seedy improbabilities.
La Délicatesse (Delicacy) (2011)
Whimsical romance sees contrary Audrey Tautou, three years a widow, abruptly fall for shyly awkward François Damiens, both searching for predictable, irresistible resolutions. Charming leads promote a tender innocence, while plain stylings tiptoe across light drama with winning simplicity.
Délicieux (Delicious) (2021)
Democracy of first restaurant mirrors personal change as reluctant chef Grégory Gadebois and surprising apprentice Isabelle Carré find independence amid murmurs of French revolution. Lack of substantial drama compensated with ravishing detail, compassionate characters, and rousing finale.
The Demi-Paradise (1943)
Heavy handed propaganda as a prejudiced and thickly accented Laurence Olivier is a Russian propeller designer who finds friendship and love among the eccentricities of provincial Britain. A typically colourful supporting cast provide the main pleasures.
Demolition Man (1993)
Loud in design and execution, crude utopian future crumbles beneath pulverizing force of violent cop Sylvester Stallone and even more violent criminal Wesley Snipes, thawed out from insensitive 1990s. Sandra Bullock provides spark. Action and score bruising.
Demon Seed (1977)
Told with artful control and a chilly aesthetic that confronts genre conventions, a compassionate Julie Christie finds home AI has taken control and needs to impregnate her. An uneasy mix of thoughtful sci-fi and techno horror, always intriguing, even if not always compelling.
Denial (2016)
A timely if uninspired dramatization of the London court case that argued the truth of the Holocaust against the arrogance and cruelty of deceit. An intelligent David Hare script never fully delivers on the emotions, but the tale is worth telling and the performances are uniformly strong.
Le dernier diamant (The Last Diamond) (2014)
Crafted with precision, enjoyably deft heist plot builds tension and provokes surprises. With something to prove, Bérénice Bejo is promoter of titular gem's auction, while devious Yvan Attal the seasoned thief. Appealing leads, polished production.
The Descent (2005)
Undeniably tense, claustrophobic and filled with gory shocks, as a group of thrill-seeking women drop into an Appalachian cave system and battle psychological and literal demons. The cast provide energy, production is polished, the atmosphere and action becomes numbing.
The Desperate Hour (2021)
Apart from brief bookends, sole focus is with practical Naomi Watts on morning run through remote forest when alerts come through of shooting at her kids' school. Compulsive, affecting lead compensates for uneasy mix of suspense twists and social message.
Despite The Falling Snow (2016)
As both 90s New York artist and 60s Russian agitator, Rebecca Ferguson provides spirited core that flat spy and love story can't fulfill. Hints at visual perception undone by bland staging and stilted characters, lacking intensity and shading for political and personal revelations.
Destination Wedding (2018)
Biting, controlled two-hander throws together caustic, judgmental loners Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves in remote California setting to both contradict and accept genre conventions. Amid reserved visuals and cynical sparring, easy leads find twisted emotion.
Deux jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night) (2014)
After colleagues vote for annual bonus at expense of her job, insecure Marion Cottilard has weekend to convince them to change minds. Artfully natural observations on humanity and modern economic pressure compassionately realised; ending both fitting and liberating.
The Devil And Daniel Webster (1941)
Evocative visuals and deliciously wicked Bernard Herrmann score accompany crafty, diabolic Walter Huston, promising riches for farmer James Craig's soul. Tempting Simone Simon claims victims' hearts, as dreamy style infuses playful storytelling.
Devotion (1946)
Lavish production values partly compensate for a disjointed narrative that prevents emotional sweep in a fanciful telling of the Brontë sisters and their creative muses. Erich Wolfgang Korngold's provides some class, Ida Lupino, Olivia de Havilland and Nancy Coleman lack spark.
Di 36 ge gu shi (Taipai Exchanges) (2010)
Charming and affectionate tale of youthful dreams as hopeful Gwei Lun-mei opens a coffee shop with skeptical sister Zaizai Lin, and create a hub for swapping personal belongings rather than money. Delicately made, winning humor and human drama.
Diabolique (1996)
Trashily involving thriller twists through murder and manipulation as abused wife Isabelle Adjani and mistress Sharon Stone take revenge on cruel Chazz Palminteri while casual detective Kathy Bates suspects. Mild diversion with anonymous visuals that never build needed tension or establish distinctive atmosphere.
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Irrelevance of Blofeld plot to destroy cities with diamond-powered satellite lasers doesn't hinder effectiveness of action set pieces and individual moments of design invention, despite cynical approach and strained sense of better days. Unruffled Sean Connery provides charismatic anchor amid flashy explosions, bullets and women.
The Diary Of A Teenage Girl (2015)
Generous, evocative study of precocious Bel Powley's exuberant, confusing and humorous exploration of her youthful sexuality in 1970s San Francisco. Incisively visualized, messily complex, an intoxicating and dangerous blend with sensitive performances.
Die Hard (1988)
Expertly controlled action thriller, a giddy mix of violent set pieces and sustained tension maintained with fluid visuals and tight pacing, as unreformed cop Bruce Willis and snarling thief Alan Rickman square off in glittering office tower. Caustic humor spices breaks between bullets and explosions.
Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995)
New York provides inventive playground for potent odd couple of maverick Bruce Willis and laconic Samuel L Jackson to race above and below city preventing Jeremy Irons' bombs from igniting. Kinetic style elevates well-choreographed action, though story twists falter last act momentum.
The Dig (2021)
Honest, sensitive performances from Carey Mulligun, Ralph Fiennes and Lily James headline a touching story with more than just archeology on its mind. Handsomely produced, yet stylistically self-conscious and letting shifting points of view confuse the themes and purpose.
The Discoverers (2012)
Eccentricities of historical re-enactment provide forced situation for burnt-out Griffin Dunn to reconcile with teenage kids, reserved father Stuart Margolin and own career. Deliberate pace and muted colors mesh with understated humor for amiable, unsurprising journey.
Dishonored Lady (1947)
Convoluted melodrama luxuriates in fashion world background before transforming to psychological crime after lively Hedy Lamarr has emotional breakdown and goes on trial for murder. Story elements never quite coalesce, tension dissipated by time of predictable resolve.
Displacement (2016)
A woman flips through various time loops trying to prevent catastrophe and murder. A polished production that mistakes impenetrable complexity for involving thrills, Courtney Hope's physics student seeks to alleviate guilt, but the emotion is lacking and tension subdued.
Distant Drums (1951)
Burnished with lush Technicolor, Florida locations provide distinct sets for Everglades Western as Gary Cooper's unit destroys fort used by Spanish gunrunners and is pursued by violent Seminoles. Robust action sequences enliven staid narrative and character mechanics.
Disturbia (2007)
Despite generally amiable cast and slick production details, slavish reconditioning of better suspense tales fails to deliver on tension, while action sequences substitute narrative momentum. Whining Shia LeBouf spots killer neighbor David Morse. Sarah Roemer is the girl next door.
Do Revenge (2022)
Darkly satisfying riff on high school genre builds comic energy against saturated design as unlikely, uncompromising allies Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke devise revenge on wealthy fellow students. Ostentatious cruelty weaves enjoyable revelations despite extended conclusion.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Effectively disturbing, and anchored with melancholic taste of personal loss, a fusion of literary and cinematic legacies that stylishly builds character and scares as damaged Ewan McGregor faces off with malevolent Rebecca Ferguson. Somber and messy return to Overlook Hotel, sparked with bracing ideas.
Dodookdeul (The Thieves) (2012)
Swaggering cast and expansive action sequences dovetail with enjoyable mechanics of executing heists, as bickering gang move from South Korea to plan theft in Hong Kong. Yet tone and pacing feel fractured with constant surprises strained. Immaculate visuals.
A Dog's Way Home (2019)
Shamelessly manipulative, a technically polished animal adventure that follows the Lassie template of a canine trekking 400 miles to return home. With an adroit balance of action and laughs, nothing surprising or particularly memorable, yet always enjoyable.
Don't Look Now (1973)
Compelling, unsettling tale of unrepentant grief and dread, bracingly shot and jaggedly edited to conjure an ominous, finally horrific atmosphere. Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland are the couple recovering from their daughter's death. Gripping and emotional.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Wildly uneven and unwieldy satire, though never dull or lacking in feeling, with earthbound meteor a thinly veiled metaphor for ravages of ongoing climate change. Funny sequences, frustratingly unfocused, Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio lead estimable cast.
Don't Take It To Heart (1944)
Often frantic comedy with a German bomb dislodging a ghost who decides to rectify past misdeeds and corrupt developers. Richard Greene and Patricia Medina supply the romantic core as various eccentrics populate the local village. Fitfully amusing.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Striking design and crisp visuals create edgy atmosphere yet toxic male fragility never quite delivers on thriller threats, despite a committed, involving Florence Pugh. Without irony, frustratingly vague and uneven real world remains clouded by the symbolic.
Dora And Lost City Of Gold (2019)
Crisply told, knowingly derivative and defiantly good-natured, Isabela Merced's eponymous lead provides infectious optimism and guile to solve ancient jungle mysteries, bond with friends and rescue parents. Sunny energy brims with action, humor and music.
Double Jeopardy (1992)
Midlife crisis leads weak Bruce Boxleitner into a shower with manipulative ex Rachel Ward while his progressive lawyer wife Cela Ward represents her for murder. Expected twists bookended by cliff climbing stunts, told with an anonymous sheen and an effective pace.
A Double Life (1947)
Luminously shot, full of noirish secrets and shadows, a literate if sometimes unpersuasive narrative delineates the descent into madness and murder of Ronald Coleman's Broadway actor. Some striking sequences and a distinct feel for backstage theater.
Down A Dark Hall (2018)
Rebellious AnnaSophia Robb is sent to an imposing, gothic school with four similarly troubled teens and faces mysterious Uma Thurman and the ghosts in the shadows. Visually efficient, suitably eerie, thrills are subdued and never quite deliver on potential.
Down To Earth (1947)
Burnished with a seductive Technicolor glow, disdainful muse Rita Hayworth brings art to a Broadway-bound musical before finding love and populism. Soft satire and mediocre musical numbers feed a Mr Jordan follow up with heaven an eternal escape. Some funny moments.
Dracula (1958)
Shot in glorious, lurid colours, crafted to highlight shocking horror as well as sexual desire, a still jolting and mesmerizing vampire tale. Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing embody the battling forces and James Bernard provides the thunderous score. Essential Hammer.
Dracula (1978)
Dashing Frank Langella is a ferociously romantic vampire, shipwrecked in Whitby and establishing a bloody confrontation with hysterical Laurence Olivier's Van Helsing. Lush production provides expansive settings for lurid set pieces and bracing John Williams score.
Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Made with playful verve and a visceral knowingness, insecure bank officer Alison Lohman turns down an old woman's loan and receives titular curse. Stylish shocks accentuate humor, social context and psychological depth jettisoned in favor of stacked thrills.
Dragonwyck (1946)
Though the titular house maintains a suitably oppressive presence, the story beats of Gothic romance hold few surprises. Individual performances and scenes provide efficient drama and the historical background is interesting. 'You can't marry a dream...'
Dream Horse (2020)
Both emotionally involving and entirely predictable, story of oppressed Toni Collette persuading neighbors to take chance on fledgling racehorse never quite takes creative flight. Thematic restoration of small-town Welsh social spirit equally diminished despite spirited performances.
Dream Lover (1983)
Teasing romantic drama sees vulnerable, intense James Spader fall for exciting, impulsive Mädchen Amick until whirlwind marital bliss unravels as seductive games turn to cruel illusions. Polished performers and style maintain interest to suitably twisted end.
Dreamscape (1984)
Enjoyable genre mixup sees reluctant psychic Dennis Quaid join Max von Sydow's secretive sleep studies to enter people's dreams. Though it resolves with standard shady government thriller plot (and ropey creature fx), fluid pacing highlights inventive, twisty fun.
Dressed To Kill (1980)
Giddy, sensationalist narrative strands allied to controlled, encompassing visual style sees frustrated Angie Dickinson's murder throw son Keith Gordon and unknowing witness Nancy Allen within killer's shadow. Shady Michael Caine looms, lyrical Pino Donaggio score heightens scares.
Duel (1971)
Precisely engineered, stripped-away narrative builds from mounting unease to unnatural threat as irritable Dennis Weaver finds himself terrorized by anonymous driver on desert roads. Vigorously rendered visuals including creation of beaten, angry truck and sparsely effective use of sound and score.
The Duke (2022)
Humanely spun, gentle comedy lightly touches on Jim Broadbent's socio-political aims whilst providing rousing courtroom antics after valuable painting is 'borrowed' from National Gallery. Generous performances include despairing Helen Mirren. Solid production and design.
Dune (2021)
Gorgeously rendered and impressively scaled visuals promote enveloping atmosphere to portray warring forces on desert planet of Arrakis and origin of Timothy Chalamet's savior. Clean narrative provides space for robust action and defined characters, without elevating thematic or mythical strength.
Dune Drifter (2020)
With controlled visuals and a layered sound mix that features an effective score, a low key scifi survival tale that's enjoyably tense. The opening space battle threatens to drag, but once crash-landed on an alien planet, pacing and storytelling is solid.
Dungeons & Dragons Honour Among Thieves (2023)
With accent on absurd humor, performances and mood retain breezy good nature, even as narrative devolves into series of effects-fueled sequences. Wily Chris Pine and warrior Michelle Rodriguez break out of prison on quest to defeat duplicitous Hugh Grant and save kingdom.
Durante la Tormenta (Torment) (2018)
Intricately plotted, slickly made, the narrative gradually grips tight with genuine surprises. Taking place across three timelines, with the usual frustrations of time travel thrillers, but anchored by Adriana Ugarte's heroine who provides real emotion.