Perfect endings / endings that send shivers down your spine

Very dark and depressing material is sensitevly brought to the screen in this one-of-a-kind, emotionally draining and astonishngly acted drama. I found it hard to watch but at the same time couldn't tear my eyes from the screen; this is one of the best book to screen adaptations I've seen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Brady Corbett are amazing in the lead roles. The ending shot is probably my favourite ending in any film I've ever seen.

Much imitated, never bettered horror classic. Polanski ratchets up the tension practically from the beginning and the story cleverly puts doubt in the viewer as to whether Rosemary is right to be paranoid or if she's just delusional (for instance, was the dream real or imagined?).

Mia Farrow is inspired casting, giving a pitch-perfect perfomance and using her physicality to great effect (she seems to get paler and more fragile as the movie progresses).

Little bit of trivia: Ira Levin, who wrote the book the film is based on, dedicated the sequel, Son of Rosemary (which was also made into an abysmal made-for-TV film) to Mia Farrow.

From looking at the poster you might reasonably assume you'd be getting a standard chick-flick slushy romance type film. Instead, this is a bitter-sweet, tart and fairly downbeat film with a slowish pace with occasional detours into farce and slapstick. There's some classic scenes and memorable dialogue. Julia Roberts is on top form as the anti-heroine ("I'm the bad guy"), and there's great support from Dermot Mulroney (who's often wooden but plays what is a pretty bland character very well), Cameron Diaz, Rachel Griffiths and Rupert Everett (who comes close to stealing the movie). The one gripe I did have: was it me or did at one point the film turn into a Marlborough commercial? I don't have anything against characters smoking in movies, it's a part of life, but the scene in the hotel corridor was dragged on rather unnecessarily.

What a fantastic film, about real things; relationships, change, consequences, opposites, action & inaction, and possibly hope.

I sat down to watch this movie knowing next to nothing about it, other than the fact that Ryan Gosling was Oscar nominated for his role, and that's probably the best way to go about seeing it, so there's no 'synopsis' in this review.

Everything in this film gels together exceptionally well: the direction complements the fantastic locations (I haven't seen settings so perfect in a movie for a long time), the music score and soundtrack are faultless, the characters are all living, breathing creations, no matter how small, the performances feel natural, unpractised and vivid.

Ryan Gosling deservedly garnered much critical acclaim, but he's not the only rising talent on display. Shareeka Epps (who also starred in the short film this feature was developed from) is clearly going places, playing a character who is both older than her years and also a naive girl, often in the same scene.

And if that's not enough, the ending is also perfect - the final shot expertly framed and cautiously optimistic.

It's going into my faves.

The Descent is probably my favorite horror movie of this decade so far, and horror is one of my favorite genres so I don't make the claim lightly (especially since I didn't care at all for director Neil Marshall's debut, Dog Soldiers). Don't just take my word for it though, respected film magazine Sight & Sound (published by the BFI) ranked the film in its top 10 films of 2006 (alongside such films as Brokeback Mountain and The Beat That My Heart Skipped).

This film is tense, scary stuff (even before it takes a more supernatural turn around half-way through). I actually felt claustrophobic watching this at home in the dark, but resisted the urge to turn on the lights.

You know that feeling you get when you're watching a superb movie that is going to end soon, and you have a slight anxious feeling that the ending is going to be a cop-out, or fudged by the acting or writing? Well this has not only a perfect ending, it has two (watch to see what I mean) - and the final scene is haunting in its psychological weirdness.

Absolutely brilliant.

"Jack, I swear..."

The best film of 2005, and should have won best picture at the 2006 Oscars.

A short story that spans many years is faithfully transported to the screen, ideas and hints expanded to full scenes with the spirit of the source remaining intact.

The synopsis is pretty much common knowledge by now, but the label of "gay cowboy" movie is unhelpful as it will, unfortunately, prevent a larger proportion of an audience in seeing this film. It greatly troubles me to hear of people either boycotting this film outright because of its subject matter, or walking out of screenings, since this is a beautiful, moving and heartfelt movie. At the screening I saw, I'm glad to say the audience all seemed to appreciate the film, and I found it interesting to see that when the lights came on at the end, most of the women were crying and most of the men were sat in silence or deep in thought (or, indeed, crying themselves).

In any case, this a stunning film: the direction, the photography, the music, the writing and of course the acting; at the time of release, the film was graced with career best performances from all five key cast members - Jake Gyllenhaal, Heath Ledger, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, and in a small but key role, Linda Cardellini as the waitress.

Required viewing for everyone who loves film.

Quite possibly one my favourite movies (yes, really); it portrays grief and guilt realistically and is poignant without being sentimental (aside from a just-about-forgivable courtroom scene towards the end). Gyllenhaal gives a performance that surely would have had directors speed-dialling his agent, had the movie been the box-office success it deserved. Five stars.

Exceptional, well written and directed dysfunctional family road movie. Each of the six lead actors gets their moment to shine. After all the hype I was expecting to be disappointed, but this is really superb stuff - nicely poignant without being sentimental, sometimes laugh out loud funny, and the ending (which evidentally took some getting right according to the DVD) is perfect.

EDIT: I've now seen this movie a good six or seven times, and can't honestly find fault with it, therefore I'm changing the rating to five stars.

The story is over-complicated and the CGI work is, with hindsight, overrated, but this is actually a pretty good film. I'm not in the least bit familiar with the Final Fantasy universe of computer games, but was still able to enjoy this suprisingly emotional and quite exciting film. The voice work by Ming-Na (ER, The Joy Luck Club), Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi and Peri Gilpin (Frasier) is very good, and though the film sometimes drags it come together in the final third and has a rather unconventional and beautiful ending.

Extremely powerful, compelling and very well structured film, featuring excellent performances from Brad Renfro, Nick Stahl and Michael Pitt.

Marty and Bobby, two teenagers living in Florida, have been 'best friends' most of their lives but their relationship has always been troubling. When Marty's new girlfriend, Lisa, starts hanging out with them, she sees how Bobby treats him, and then things start to spiral out of control...

Based on true events, it's a familiar story that's been utilised in different ways before and since (Fun and Mean Creek are two examples I can think of), but this is probably one of the best films of its kind I've seen. The camerawork is dizzying at times and I really felt like I was there. The storyline is also a lot more complex than appears - there's definitely a lot of subtext to Bobby's story that is hinted at - and the film is also surprisingly subtle at times (Ken Park this is not). Fantastic film.

Oh... and I love the final scene with the music which gets gradually louder.

NICK: Do you think you're getting over the shock?

MERYL: The dad shock or the accident shock? Do you think you can have two at once? Maybe I'm into 'bargaining' on one of them. Y'know, the seven stages of grief. What's the point in knowing where you're up to when you've still got to go through it anyway?

This is one of those clever-clever films that feature an ensemble cast of characters who are all linked together in someway without knowing how, in the style of Heights and Crash. Unlike the latter, however, I never felt like I was being continually hit over the head with a stick or that coincidences and links became too contrived or over calculating.

Look Both Ways is a film that everyone who has ever thought about or dealt with mortality or grief can relate to. Meryl, whose father has recently died, imagines her death everywhere she goes - train crashes, drownings, STDs. Nick, who has just discovered he has testicular cancer that has spread to his lungs, is on the verge of complete breakdown. Their paths cross at the scene of a train accident, and an unexpected connection is made.

If the film sounds depressing, then it is at times, but it is also very thoughtful, funny, observant and beautiful. The acting is first rate (Justine Clarke is particularly brilliant) and the direction is very inventive - Meryl and Nick's thoughts are shown as animation or sped up photo montages and it's a very effective way of showing what they are thinking. The use of songs rather than a music score was also a good decision.

Finally, there's another link between two characters that I had almost forgotten about that provide a nice and poignant twist, and the ending is done just right.

Fantastic.

Nine years on from when they first met on a train in Europe, Jesse and Celine meet again in Paris. Almost instantly, they re-connect, and talk about what they've been doing with their lives. For both of them it seems, that day nine years ago has had a huge effect on their lives.

A continuation that is just as good, if not better than Before Sunrise, Before Sunset is one of the most beautiful looking films I have seen - Paris is bathed in golden sunlight and the architecture of the city is brought stunningly to life. Taking place in real time, the film is only 78 minutes long, and director Richard Linklater keeps cuts to a minimum, instead using gorgeous tracking shots, which make you feel like you're in Paris with the characters.

Although short, the film is perfectly formed, and Jesse and Celine feel like real, breathing people, conversing naturally (sometimes it feels improvised) and sharing laughter and pain. The film also ends absolutely perfectly, on an ambigious but hopeful note. The romantic optimist in me adores this film.

"...you and I are the same. We're both going to die soon."

In Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste), thirty year-old Romain (Melvil Poupaud), a successful fashion photography, is diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis is not good. He decides to forego the chemotherapy that would give him a slim chance of prolonged survival, and, unable to tell his boyfriend - who he subsequently breaks up with - or his immediate family, he instead confides only in his grandmother (Jeane Moreau). From there, he tries to find acceptance and meaning in his mortality, and is given an opportunity he never thought he would have after a chance encounter with a waitress.

This is a lyrical, intimate and economical film, without even a hint of artifice in the writing or the performances (Melvil Poupaud is surely an actor to watch). Refreshingly free from sentimentality, with realistic characters - Romain is not exactly a hero and doesn't become one in the course of the film - and a script with few words but which has a lot to say. Writer-director François Ozon filmed Time to Leave in cinemascope, an interesting choice for such a small-scale film, but one that rewards with a staggeringly, beautifully shot denouement. A thoughtful, moving film.

We all get it in the end.

You know, I'd read so many positive things about this film in the press and through recommendations that I had exceptionally high hopes, but even so I didn't think I would fall so head over heels in love with it. The last time a film has left me feeling so simultaneously happy and reflective was after seeing C.R.A.Z.Y. for the first time.

Shortbus is infamous for its explicit, real sex featuring the leading cast in all different forms, partnerships, genders etc. It's also become something of a cliché to read reviews stating how the sex is just a small part of the film when in fact the story goes deeper (no pun intended) than sex itself. But the sex is a necessary part of the film and is a part of the narrative, and in a way quite apart from other 'real' films featuring real sex (9 Songs and twenty-nine palms for instance, both of which feature real sex, completely fail to achieve anything except boredom; they're not even arousing). It helps that the cast all seem to be genuinely 'into' it, and director John Cameron Mitchell gets fantastic, way beyond the call of duty performances from pretty much the entire main cast; they should all be proud of the film they have made and deserve to be cast in more features.

Things I loved about this film include: The way the city of New York is visualized through computer graphics and art design (which includes an almost show-stopping power out moment). The end music number. The music, period. The story of the 'spying' guy. The funny, relatable script. The homes of the characters set design/props are extremely well thought out and fit well into the stories. The heartbreakingly funny moment when a character confesses their real name, and another moment where a character gets a visual of how worthless they feel. The uplifting ending. And everything else.

"...it's a great workout, it feels good, and I love, you know, loving my husband. It's just you know there comes a point sometimes where it just gets really... a lot of pressure, and kind of like, uh, it feels a little bit, ah, kind of like, um, like someone's gonna kill me and I just have to, you know, smile and pretend to enjoy it. Yeah. That way I can survive."

Massively successful film adapted from a very complex, interior and monologue-heavy novel, Atonement is every bit as good as I'd hoped for given all the hype it has been getting.

It's entirely understandable, especially from a marketing point of view, that you see the characters of Cecilia (Keira Knightley) and Robbie (Jmaes McAvoy) on the poster, the DVD cover and throughout the theatrical trailers - it wouldn't be possible to promote the film in any other way - but the film belongs to the character of Briony, and the three actresses who portray her. Saoirse Ronan, Vanessa Redgrave and especially Romola Garai (who the Academy have somehow forgotten) give exceptional, psychologically rich performances. That's not to say that Cecilia and Robbie's cruelly separated romance doesn't grip, nor that Knightley and McAvoy's performances are anything less than astonishing, but they are really the background to Briony's journey from 13 year-old brat to desperately repentant elderly woman, the conclusion to which rings so true it's almost painful to watch.

Superbly structured, masterfully scored and beautifully lit, with a breathtaking steadicam shot at Dunkirk beach that just about avoids showing off, Joe Wright, following his BAFTA winning Pride & Prejudice has another success on his hands.

I had been itching to see this film practically since I first found out about it - on this very website as it happens. I sometimes don't know how I managed to keep sane as there was always a voice in my head saying "er yeah, so when you going to get round to watching 'May' then?". I had high expectations - they were met, they were exceeded.

This film works so well: it is in and of itself, near impossible to classify (not that I would want to label it anyway). It's a stunning work and by the time the ending rolls around - which is beautifully, heartbreakingly poignant - May becomes a defining film, by which I mean it becomes something iconic, so good that by proxy other films look less successful.

It's impossible to imagine anyone other than Angela Bettis in the lead role - she plays it exactly right - even amidst the bloodshed it is always clear where sympathy should lie. Jeremy Sisto is equally excellent - smouldering, charismatic - possibly his best performance to date. I've watched Lucky McKee's Masters of Horror instalment as well as his feature The Woods prior to watching this, and although they could all arguably be considered as horror they are all completely different from one another, save for their originality of vision and inventiveness. I am now very much anticipating Roman.

A film quite unlike anything I've seen before, The Mudge Boy deserves a larger audience then it is ever likely to get, thanks to its peculiar title, cheap, 70s looking cover art and "funded by cable" credentials. But it's a stunning film.

Duncan (Emile Hirsch) is a teenager trying to come to terms with the unexpected death of his mother. An outsider who doesn't have the self-awareness to express himself adequately and without any support in friends or his emotionally unavailable father, Duncan, who helps out on the farm he lives on, cycles the countryside with his favorite chicken and begins to form relationships with some of the people he meets.

Psychologically rich and complex, realistic, beautifully photographed and stunningly performed (Emile Hirsch, Richard Jenkins and Tom Guiry are all superb), The Mudge Boy builds to a devastating conclusion that is truly shocking and difficult to watch; a brilliant depiction of teenage life, sexuality and grief in all its forms.

Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, winner of the Grand Jury Award at L.A. Outfest.

This is a definite cult classic if ever I saw one. It's called Sleepaway Camp for good reason - this is over the top, massively fun stuff - and about four times better than, say, Friday The 13th. What I wasn't quite expecting was *that* ending - genuinely disturbing and shocking. The final freeze frame, coupled with that blood-curdling cry, is expertly done and catapults this into near five star status. Brilliant!

It's not perfect - the film has many faults, and as, always, my review is pretty subjective, but I *loved* Diary of the Dead. It's the horror underdog of 2008 in my opinion.

"The film was shot with a Panasonic HDX900 and an HVX200. I did the final cut on Jason's laptop. I've added music occasionally for effect, hoping to scare you. You see, in addition to trying to tell you the truth, I am hoping to scare you, so that maybe you'll wake up."

Comprised of edited footage shot by film students, along with voice-over narration and assembled CCTV, web-cam and cell phone clips, Diary of the Dead depicts the outbreak of the dead 'waking up', and the ensuing plague that encompasses everything around it. Instead of a continuation from Day of the Dead or even Land of the Dead, Diary starts afresh, whilst still bearing the hallmarks of vintage George A. Romero. And appearances can be deceptive; this is no standard zombie horror film, or even that sub-genre of horror - the 'found footage' horror (a la Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, [Rec] etc). This is first and foremost a social satire.

"The President continues to monitor the situation from his ranch"

There are parallels here, believe it or not, to the Bush Administration; the 'handling' of the outcome of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, human rights violations and torture. There's also witty comment and critique on the role of the media and the way in which a campaign of panic can affect people's responses, and how things can be edited in order to shape mood or personal gain. The manner in which Diary is filmed means there is also a lot of self-reflection and irony, strengthened by the narration and a bleak epilogue.

"I thought long and hard about whether to leave this footage in the film. I decided, in the end, to show you exactly what happened."

Executed with style and invention, Diary is also, of course, filled with some excellent zombie despatches. It's remarkable that after so many zombie films in a crowded market dangerously close to saturation, there's still plenty of ways in which to kill the undead. Here, two of the highlights are an I.V. stand and a bow and arrow, and for a low-budget independent film, there's plenty of satisfying blood and gore. Coming to Diary and expecting a gorefest though is likely to leave you disappointed - it's the political commentary that stands out the most and what has always made Romero a cut above the rest. So ignore some dodgy performances, some technical inaccuracies (which, thinking about it, could arguably have been added in by the narrator to add 'authenticity') and turn the lights out.

"Are we worth saving? You tell me."

Masterpiece? Yes, I think so. Beautifully photographed, sparingly but powerfully scored, and above-all, intelligently written and very well acted, The Mist left my jaw dropping on the floor at least half a dozen times, and the double-whammy ending is one of the finest things I've watched this year. Funny, clever, and frequently very scary - this is the kind of film that had I watched when I was 11, could seriously have fucked me up. Clearly, Stephen King's short stories make the best films: The Shawshank Redemption, Stand By Me and now The Mist. I honestly think in 20 years time this will have true recognition. Review soon.

"Er... that was kinda odd; what are you saying?"

Ohmygosh, this is brilliant, brilliant stuff. With verve and intelligence The Signal accomplishes so much on a TINY budget that I can't help but be completely overwhelmed, and ignore any (mostly cost related) failings.

Told in three parts with three different directors and from three different, but connected and blurred, points of view, the concept sounds on paper like a mish-mash of Stephen King's Cell (which I'm still waiting impatiently for a film adaptation on) and the 28 Days/Weeks Later films. But there's a lot more to it than that - this isn't a straightforward pseudo-zombie flick, as the signal in The Signal not only insights homicidal rage but also fucks up people's perceptions. The damage this does to the characters would only be involving if there are people to actually care about, and luckily the film doesn't rely merely on its concept but also the skill of the actors and the idiosyncrasies they bring to the screen. Especially effective in this regard is Anessa Ramsey as Mya, who is our way into the film and whose perspective the first part of the story we see things from. Ramsey truly brings so much with very little dialogue - her reactions are completely believable, making the third, final section especially difficult to watch and the ending poignant and bittersweet. The bizarre shift in tone to black comedy in the second section, sort of Frasier-esque in delivery but with the knowledge that lives really are at stake, works exceptionally well, even though the Jim Parsons cameo (though very funny) does slightly outstay its welcome.

Though the budget limitations inevitably mean the scale is not as grand as hinted at (there are precious few city shots, and those that we do see look too obviously like they were filmed at 3 AM in order to get the required 'deserted' look), there is so much going on here and it's handled with such panache that I found myself with jaw open on more than one occasion. This is so very good, and together with Splinter has reasserted my faith in American horror. Best of all, in the end, it's all about love.

"Even with that faraway stare, she looks just like she did in our wedding video."

P.S. Loved the ending.

P.P.S. Don't ask me why, but Scott Poythress (Clark) really does things for me.

Stunning, I can't fault it. Review soon.

This French/Canadian production is the latest in a recent trend of extreme French cinema, alongside films such as Frontière(s), Haute Tension and À l'intérieur. This is undoubtedly the most effective of them, however, with an ingenious, genre-bending plot, extraordinary twists, lots of ideas and plenty of scares to justify the blood-letting. Unlike À l'intérieur, Martyrs is making valid points, and despite its excesses I found it moving and imbued with tragedy (though it's still undeniably difficult to watch). Morjana Alaoui and Mylène Jampanoï both give exceptional performances that propel the film, and Pascal Laugier's direction is assured. Maybe I'm having some sort of short/long term memory glitch (i.e. déjà vu), but I'm sure that I've read somewhere about something similar to the concluding events in this film before, making it even more personally haunting, weirdly... resonant. The ending could be interpreted as mean-spirited or nihilistic. I prefer to think of it as existentialist. This is the stuff of nightmares, and dreams.

I've now seen this movie over 10 times and the final image *still* sends shivers up my spine.

One of the most profitable films of all time (largely thanks to its ingenious marketing), it was released to almost unanimous critical acclaim but has since had a fair amount of backlash.

For some people it just didn't live up to the hype, but for me this was a breath of fresh, scary air, and undoubtedly a groundbreaking (psychological) horror film. The film was largely improvised and the three performances by Joshua Leonard, Michael Williams, and in particular, Heather Donahue are astonishing.

A hastily shot sequel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, followed a year later but lightning didn't strike twice (although it's still an interesting failure).

Tod Williams skilfully adapts a portion of John Irving's "un-filmable" novel A Widow for One Year; A Door in the Floor is a wonderful, beautifully acted and photographed film and is an exploration on grief, guilt and love that feels both unique and, most importantly, completely real. Jon Foster, who plays Eddie as a mixture of confused hormones, has this almost monotone delivery, which, like Keanu Reeves' most honest performances (My Own Private Idaho, River's Edge), draws you in and makes you very aware of the actually quite complicated feelings beneath the words being said. Kim Basinger proves once more that she can be a remarkably good actor; Marion is a broken being, unable to be close to her daughter for the feelings that just being near to her bring up. But it is Jeff Bridges who really delivers. Initially what seems like his default 'slacker' mode (Ted wanders his house either wrapped in a sheet or naked, completely unbothered by embarrassment, and makes Eddie type the same lines out over and over, with minor grammatical adjustments, in search of the perfect sentence) is revealed to be a kind of survival mechanism, for he too is grief-stricken - in a very different way, but no less damaging. The film offers no real resolution but does allow at least two characters a kind of catharsis. The final images are sure to raise questions but it isn't the answers that are important, in this fascinating and unquestionably moving film.

Realistic, improvised feeling 'bromance' taken to the next 'logical' step - this is a hilarious, surprisingly touching and wonderfully acted mumblecore film. Joshua Leonard (who I haven't heard much of since Blair Witch) and Mark Duplass are brilliant as the buddies who haven't seen each other for the best part of a decade, and as the film progresses it becomes less about the film they have bluffed each other into agreeing to make than what they want to achieve by making it. The buried sadness of Andrew's regrets of potential wasted, and Ben's admission of loneliness from when he first moved to Seattle are two especially standout moments in what is simply a very well made film, that just so happens to be extremely funny. The pitch perfect ending is also striking.