An excellent black comedy, handsome thriller and a tall story that keeps you guessing as it unwinds. The genuinely ridiculous plot (a man pays a couple of goons to 'pretend' to kidnap his wife in order to get his paws on his in-laws' 'ransom' money) is completely credible as mighty plans fall apart, spiralling ever more beyond the protagonist's control and leaving us marvelling at the complex stupidity of human nature. A modern classic.

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William Keane struggles with the supposed loss of his daughter at a busy bus terminal in New York, but he is a man struggling with schizophrenia? Is the child's disappearance real or imaginary? And is his obsessive interest in helping young girls of a fatherly nature, or is there a darker motive? Winner of the Critics Award and Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Deauville Film Festival, Keane is a powerful and haunting film driven by a mesmerising performance from Damian Lewis. find out more...

The Dardenne brothers pull out another plum with this tense tale of a young couple in trouble. Bruno makes the not-too-bright decision to offload some 'precious merchandise' for some easy money that he and his girlfriend could sorely use. His attempts to put things right lead the naive kids into deep water that threatens to overcome the both of them... Winner of the Palm d'Or at Cannes in 2005, the film boasts outstanding performances from the two leads and an unsentimental realism lacking in a find out more...

Neil Jordan's Oscar winning thriller. Distinctly unusual very bleak and sure to become a classic. Split into two distinct sections, pre- and post-trauma, the atmosphere is superb. Electric performances from all the cast, and a vicious twist make this a must. British film at its best. find out more...

DeNiro plays a delusional inadequate, a wannabe, but talentless, stand-up comedian, obsessed with the thought of becoming famous and joining the glittering TV paradise that exists in his imagination. When his favourite star (played by Jerry Lewis) won't give him a break he dreams up an incredible scheme, involving abducting him, to get the attention he requires. Watch this film! find out more...

A formidable gangster thriller later to be cribbed by Tarantino. An itchy crew of criminal cronies grab a metro carriage of civilians and demand $1 million ransom, causing the kind of chaos in New York City that a traditional train heist causes the cavalry. But, once they've got the ransom, how on earth do they expect to get away? find out more...

On holiday in France Rex and Saskia stop at a garage, she walks to the shops and disappears. Three years later Rex starts receiving postcards from her abductor promising to reveal her fate. Reminiscent of Blue Velvet, the understated direction creates a sinister and shocking atmosphere. find out more...

A disturbing and emotionally cathartic account of the hijacking of the fourth of the 9/11 planes. Told with great verve we follow the stories of both the abductors and their captives and the chaos in the civilian and military air-control rooms. While the terrible truth dawns on the passengers, those on the ground watch helplessly as the terrible events of the day unfold. As for political comment, Brit director Paul Greengrass makes no overt judgement; we just observe an initial reaction amongst find out more...