Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood, the leading star of the legendary Westerns of yesteryear, reinterprets the conventions of the genre, engaging in a dialogue with his great predecessors such as Sergio Leone and John Wayne. He portrays the Wild West as it always was — a brutal meat grinder. And the lone heroes celebrated in 20th-century films turn out to be mere thugs, ready to kill anyone for a few dollars.
A gangster, played by Eastwood himself, weary of lawlessness, decides to settle down and start a family, but circumstances force him to finish one dirty job. A realistic and sombre film that offers a completely different perspective on a classic cinematic setting.
Basic Instinct
In cinemas, *Basic Instinct* was a flop; in the press, it was savaged by renowned critics, and even Verhoeven himself recalls it with reluctance years later. Yet among film buffs and genre enthusiasts, this erotic thriller has, over time, acquired cult status.
The story of the relationship between a brooding detective and a young writer suspected of murdering her husband is steeped in sexual tension, although by modern standards there aren’t that many excessively explicit scenes. Sharon Stone brilliantly embodied the image of a seductive and terrifying femme fatale in the finest noir tradition. You never know what to expect from her character right up until the final credits. That’s why it’s so hard to tear yourself away from watching it — you want to see why she actually needs that ice pick…
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Cutting Through the Waves
Young Scottish girl Bess waits for her beloved Ian to return from work and prays to God that Ian will always be by her side. But her wish is granted in the most cruel way: the man returns home crippled and finds himself bedridden. The heroine blames herself for what has happened and is prepared to do anything to bring her dearest person back to life.
Those around her initially pity her, then suspect her of madness and, finally, begin to despise her, but Bess does not waver.
A heart-wrenching tale of self-sacrifice that earned Lars von Trier the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival long before he earned his reputation as the world cinema’s foremost provocateur
The Sixth Sense
When recalling the best films of the 90s, it is impossible to overlook this classic film by the master of unexpected plot twists in modern Hollywood — M. Night Shyamalan. A slightly eerie thriller starring Bruce Willis in an unexpected role as a child psychologist trying to help a boy who is convinced he can see ghosts.
The most surprising thing is that, even knowing the ending, you can still get immense pleasure from watching *The Sixth Sense* again. The main characters are fleshed out in detail, and you instantly feel sympathy for them, whilst the atmosphere of the otherworldly is deeply immersive.
Funny Games
A happy family arrives at a country house for a holiday, and they are visited by their new neighbours — a pair of strange boys. At first they behave politely, but as soon as the situation escalates, they make it clear to the hosts: none of them will leave here alive.
Critics have labelled this groundbreaking film by the radical Austrian director Michael Haneke as ‘anti-cinema’, and quite rightly so. The director so ruthlessly rejects the conventions of plot structure, filmmaking and common sense. The dénouement of this thriller is no less shocking.
The story of the holiday home maniacs caused such a sensation that, ten years later, Haneke himself directed a frame-by-frame Hollywood remake of *Funny Games* starring Tim Roth and Naomi Watts. But this is one of those cases where the original is the better version.
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