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#10 |
HOT FUZZ (2007) |
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CAST
SIMON PEGG, NICK FROST, JOM BROADBENT, TIMOTHY DALTON, PADDY CONSIDINE
DIRECTED BY
EDGAR WRIGHT
On top of being a spot on piss take of the buddy action film, Hot Fuzz also weaved together quite the conspiracy involving murder and small town gossip.
Starring dynamic duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as mismatched cop’s hell bent on delivering justice Lethal Weapon style, Hot Fuzz mixed comedy, mystery and action in a film that will intrigue as well as make you laugh.
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#9 |
INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) |
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CAST
DONALD SUTHERLAND, BROOKE ADAMS, JEFF GOLDBLUM, VERONICA CARTWRIGHT, LEONARD NIMOY
DIRECTED BY
PHILIP KAUFMAN
Philip Kauffman’s remake of the 1950s classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers tapped into the paranoia of post-Watergate America, as alien pods slowly take over the world one unassuming human at a time.
Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams and Jeff Goldblum play the “survivors” trying to stay ahead of the extra-terrestrial interlopers who lurk in every crevice of society.
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#8 |
THE CONVERSATION (1974) |
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CAST
GENE HACKMAN, JOHN CAZALE, TERI GARR, HARRISON FORD, ROBERT DUVALL
DIRECTED BY
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA
Released between the first two Godfather movies, The Conversation saw Francis Ford Coppolla create a more intimate film starring a subdued Gene Hackman as a surveillance expert drawn to events out of his control.
Dripping with paranoia, this is a slow-burn thriller where character is just as important as developing thrills.
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#7 |
CHINATOWN (1974) |
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CAST
JACK NICHOLSON, FAYE DUNAWAY, JOHN HUSTON, DIANE LADD
DIRECTED BY
ROMAN POLANSKI
Roman Polanski’s noir mystery Chinatown still remains one of his best films. Starring Jack Nicholson as private eye Jake Gittes, the film investigates what is believed to be an act of adultery, only to delve into darker territory which will leave many shocked by its conclusion.
L.A. never seemed so seedy, Faye Dunaway has never been so sexy, and real estate never so dangerous an investment.
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#6 |
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) |
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CAST
FRANK SINATRA, LAURENCE HARVEY, JANET LEIGH, ANGELA LANSBURY, HENRY SILVA
DIRECTED BY
JOHN FRANKENHEIMER
Although over 50 years has passed since its release, The Manchurian Candidate still manages to shock and disturb in our “we’ve seen it all before” times.
Directed by thriller master John Frankenheimer, the film saw Frank Sinatra and Lawrence navigate the world of dirty politics where brainwashing is the key to power. Surprises come thick and fast in the one.
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#5 |
SERPICO (1973) |
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CAST
AL PACINO, TONY ROBERTS, BARABRA EDE YOUNG, JACK KEHOE, CORNELIA SHARPE
DIRECTED BY
SIDNEY LUMET
Directed by the late, great Sidney Lumet, Serpico followed the righteous path tread by New York City cop Frank Serpico (Al Pacino) who uncovered and exposed rampant corruption within his own ranks.
Played by Pacino with sincerity and raw emotion, Serpico struggles to find a middle ground between his duty as a servant of the people and the guilt of “betraying” his fellow men in blue, all the while constantly looking behind his back in case someone with a badge and a grudge tries to out one in his back.
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#4 |
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) |
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CAST
RUSSELL CROWE, GUY PEARCE, KEVIN SPACEY, KIM BASSINGER, DANNY DE VITO
DIRECTED BY
CURTIS HANSON
Set in the “ring-a-ding” days of swinging Hollywood, L.A. Confidential is a superb adaptation of James Elroy’s pulp novel where three different cops (Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey) get more than they bargained for when a murder investigation leads them into the seedy depths of Hollywood’s elite.
Brilliantly directed by Curtis Hanson, filled with career defining performances from its esteemed cast, and featuring a twist so unsuspecting it will literally make your draw drop, L.A. Confidential is a conspiracy thriller that will have many of their toes.
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#3 |
THE INSIDER (1999) |
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CAST
RUSSELL CROWE, AL PACINO, CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER, DIANE VENORA, PHILIP BAKER HALL
DIRECTED BY
MICHAEL MANN
Placing big business and big media in a less than flattering light, The Insider is one of those rare beasts that combines intelligence, heavy drama and thrills to make for an absorbing watch.
Based on true story of corporate whistle blower Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe), his battle against big tobacco, and the 60 Minutes producer (Al Pacino) who faces opposition trying to get Wigand’s story on air, The Insider displays Michael Mann’s knack for stark thrills in this example of the shady relationship between the business and news worlds.
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#2 |
ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976) |
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CAST
DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ROBERT REDFORD, JASON ROBARDS, JACK WARDEN, HAL HOLBROOK
DIRECTED BY
ALAN J. PAKULA
Chronicling the unearthing of the Watergate scandal which would lead to the impeachment of President Richard Nixon, All the President’s Men is a thinking man’s conspiracy thriller that is not weighed down by the weight of its information, and will keep many glued to the screen as to what revelation will be revealed in this pursuit for the truth by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman).
Tense in tone and mesmerising in structure, director Alan J. Pakula includes every deadline, dead end, and death threat these two ambitious reporters encounter without jeopardising the thrills and mystery that makes All the President’s Men such a suspenseful watch, as a conspiracy that leads all the way to the White House is revealed and a president is stood down.
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#1 |
JFK (1991) |
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CAST
KEVIN COSTNER, GARY OLDMAN, TOMMY LEE JONES, JOE PESCI, SISSY SPACEK
DIRECTED BY
OLIVER STONE
The daddy of all conspiracy movies, JFK was a controversial and enthralling look into the varied conspiracy theories which still surround the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Kevin Costner delivers his best performance as New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, the only man to bring about conspiracy and murder chargers towards Kennedy’s death, unearthing a vast and wide conspiracy which seemingly featured everyone from the mafia, to anti-Castro groups, to Communists and the United States government itself.
Of course the majority of Garrison’s assertions have since been disproven, yet that does not stop JFK from being an engrossing, thrilling and moving piece of faux historical fact checking, with director Oliver Stone on top of his game and the likes of Tommy Lee Jones, Joe Pesci and Gary Oldman as Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, delivering stellar performances.
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