We’re ranking all the movies of actor Jeffrey Wright, including his Basquiat major debut, blockbusters (The Batman, the Daniel Craig Bond films), and arthouse films (The French Dispatch, Only Lovers Left Alive). —Alex Vo
Critics Consensus:Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007.
Synopsis: After receiving a license to kill, British Secret Service agent James Bond (Daniel Craig) heads to Madagascar, where he uncovers [More]
Critics Consensus: Finding the human story amidst the action, director Duncan Jones and charming Jake Gyllenhaal craft a smart, satisfying sci-fi thriller.
Synopsis: Helicopter pilot Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) is part of a top-secret military operation that enables him to experience the last [More]
Critics Consensus: Smart, smoothly directed, and enriched with a deeper exploration of the franchise's thought-provoking themes, Catching Fire proves a thoroughly compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series.
Synopsis: After arriving safely home from their unprecedented victory in the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta [More]
Critics Consensus: Bill Murray's subtle and understated style complements director Jim Jarmusch's minimalist storytelling in this quirky, but deadpan comedy.
Synopsis: When his latest girlfriend (Julie Delpy) leaves him, retired computer magnate Don Johnston (Bill Murray) has no greater ambition than [More]
Critics Consensus: Worth watching for Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton's performances alone, Only Lovers Left Alive finds writer-director Jim Jarmusch adding a typically offbeat entry to the vampire genre.
Synopsis: Artistic, sophisticated and centuries old, two vampire lovers (Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston) ponder their ultimate place in modern society. [More]
Synopsis: A biographical portrait of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a seminal public intellectual and sociologist, policy specialist, ambassador and long-serving senator. [More]
Critics Consensus: A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, The Batman ranks among the Dark Knight's bleakest -- and most thrillingly ambitious -- live-action outings.
Synopsis: Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the scale [More]
Critics Consensus: While not exactly exposing revelatory truths, The Ides of March is a supremely well-acted drama that moves at a measured, confident clip.
Synopsis: As Ohio's Democratic primary nears, charming Gov. Mike Morris (George Clooney) seems a shoo-in for the nomination over his opponent, [More]
Critics Consensus:The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete uses its compelling streetwise setting -- and powerful performances from its young leads -- to offer a refreshing twist on the coming-of-age formula.
Synopsis: The sons (Skylan Brooks, Ethan Dizon) of two drug-addled hookers must fend for themselves after one's mother goes missing and [More]
Critics Consensus: It isn't the sleekest or most daring 007 adventure, but No Time to Die concludes Daniel Craig's franchise tenure in satisfying style.
Synopsis: In No Time To Die, Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace [More]
Critics Consensus: Stellar performances and gripping subject matter help Confirmation overcome production values that occasionally feel as dated as the infamous real-life case it covers.
Synopsis: Nominated to the Supreme Court in 1991, Judge Clarence Thomas (Wendell Pierce) must testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee after [More]
Critics Consensus: Brett Morgan's half-animated, half-documentary film is an arresting, sometimes visionary portrait of the historic and chaotic trial.
Synopsis: Deftly combining contemporary commentary with archival materials and animated reenactments, "Chicago 10" examines the demonstrations at the 1968 Democratic Convention [More]
Critics Consensus:The Good Dinosaur delivers thrillingly beautiful animation in service of a worthy story that, even if it doesn't quite live up to the lofty standards set by Pixar, still adds up to charming, family-friendly entertainment.
Synopsis: Luckily for young Arlo, his parents (Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand) and his two siblings, the mighty dinosaurs were not wiped [More]
Critics Consensus: A loving ode to the spirit of journalism, The French Dispatch will be most enjoyed by fans of Wes Anderson's meticulously arranged aesthetic.
Synopsis: THE FRENCH DISPATCH brings to life a collection of stories from the final issue of an American magazine published in [More]
Critics Consensus: Ambitious, complicated, intellectual, and demanding of its audience, Syriana is both a gripping geopolitical thriller and wake-up call to the complacent.
Synopsis: The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday [More]
Critics Consensus:Hold the Dark's unsettling aesthetic offers more of what filmgoers expect from director Jeremy Saulnier - and is often enough to prop up shaky narrative underpinnings.
Synopsis: Summoned to a remote Alaskan village to search for the wolves that killed three children, a wolf expert soon finds [More]
Critics Consensus:The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 sets up the franchise finale with a penultimate chapter loaded with solid performances and smart political subtext, though it comes up short on the action front.
Synopsis: Following her rescue from the devastating Quarter Quell, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) awakes in the complex beneath the supposedly destroyed District [More]
Critics Consensus: With the unflinchingly grim Mockingjay Part 2, The Hunger Games comes to an exciting, poignant, and overall satisfying conclusion.
Synopsis: Realizing the stakes are no longer just for survival, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) teams up with her closest friends, including [More]
Critics Consensus: Though perhaps no film could fully do justice to the fascinating life and personality of Muhammad Ali, Mann's direction and Smith's performance combine to pack a solid punch.
Synopsis: With wit and athletic genius, with defiant rage and inner grace, Muhammad Ali forever changed the American landscape. Fighting all [More]
Critics Consensus:Monster would have benefited from a less heavy-handed approach, but Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s performance gives this timely drama emotional heft.
Synopsis: Monster tells the story of Steve Harmon (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.) a seventeen-year-old honor student whose world comes crashing down around [More]
Critics Consensus: With affected strokes, Basquiat paints an expressionist portrait of a misfit artist, masterfully rendered by a riveting Jeffrey Wright.
Synopsis: Despite living a life of extreme poverty in Brooklyn, graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (Jeffrey Wright) strives to rise up through [More]
Critics Consensus: Its intentions are sometimes easier to appreciate than its execution, but The Public remains an earnest and reasonably engaging social advocacy drama.
Synopsis: An act of civil disobedience turns into a standoff with police when homeless people in Cincinnati take over the public [More]
Critics Consensus: Brutal and breathless, Quantum Of Solace delivers tender emotions along with frenetic action, but coming on the heels of Casino Royale, it's still a bit of a disappointment.
Synopsis: Following the death of Vesper Lynd, James Bond (Daniel Craig) makes his next mission personal. The hunt for those who [More]
Critics Consensus: A well-acted, eccentric Civil War film, Ang Lee's Ride With the Devil is often more visually striking than it is emotionally engaging.
Synopsis: On the fringes of the Civil War, Missouri Bushwackers engage in guerrilla warfare with Union Jayhawkers. Bushwackers Jake Roedel (Tobey [More]
Critics Consensus:All Day and a Night addresses worthy issues with thoughtfulness and care, although its effectiveness is undermined by a disappointingly familiar story.
Synopsis: A young man embarks on a journey of self-discovery after landing in the same prison as his father. [More]
Critics Consensus: It has a bleak sense of atmosphere and a terrific performance by Sam Rockwell, but A Single Shot is undercut by its predictable story and slow pace.
Synopsis: A poacher (Sam Rockwell) becomes the quarry of merciless criminals after he takes the cash he found while hunting in [More]
Critics Consensus:Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close has a story worth telling, but it deserves better than the treacly and pretentious treatment director Stephen Daldry gives it.
Synopsis: Oskar (Thomas Horn), who lost his father (Tom Hanks) in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, is convinced [More]
Critics Consensus:The Laundromat misuses its incredible cast by taking a disappointingly blunt and unfocused approach to dramatizing the real-life events that inspired it.
Synopsis: When her idyllic vacation takes an unthinkable turn, Ellen Martin begins investigating a fake insurance policy. [More]
Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed yet mostly inert, The Goldfinch mishandles its source material, flattening a complex narrative into a largely uninvolving disappointment.
Synopsis: Theodore Decker was 13 years old when his mother was killed in a bombing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art [More]
Critics Consensus: A far-fetched story with little suspense and unconvincing scenarios, Lady In The Water feels contrived, pretentious, and rather silly.
Synopsis: When Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) rescues an enigmatic young woman (Bryce Dallas Howard) from danger, little does he know that [More]
Critics Consensus: Despite the beautiful visuals, Crime and Punishment is too somber and pretentious. Also, the acting is of mixed quality.
Synopsis: At school, Roseanne (Monica Keena) is the object of fellow student Vincent's (Vincent Kartheiser) infatuation, By night, she deals with [More]
Critics Consensus: Whether it's being presented as D-Tox or Eye See You, this Stallone starring vehicle is a slapdash thriller to actively avoid.
Synopsis: Recovering from the psychological effects of witnessing a brutal crime, FBI Agent Jake Malloy (Sylvester Stallone) checks into a rehabilitation [More]
Masterminds, a heist comedy based on a 1997 North Carolina robbery directed by Napoleon Dynamite‘s Jared Hess, has seen multiple reported release dates come and go over the past year, having been stuck in limbo after production company Relativity Media went belly-up. But in the annals of delayed movie history, a year is a mere blip. In this week’s gallery, here are 24 movies that sat on the shelf for years after completion (or relatively close thereof).
Accidental Love (2015, delayed 7 years)
Money problems plagued this comedy starring Jessica Biel as a waitress who survives a nail gun shot to the head, prompting cast and crew walkouts and union pullouts. Producers held the production hostage by delaying filming of the crucial nail scene, and when all funding evaporated, the movie was left incomplete. In 2014, Millennium Entertainment cobbled the footage together for release while director David O. Russell took his name off the project, with credit now going to one Stephen Greene.
All The Boys Love Mandy Lane (2013, delayed 7 years)
Nothing particuarily wrong about this grindhouse slasher by way of Badlands, except that original distributor Weinstein Company got cold feet after the spectacular failure of the Grindhouse project by Tarantino and Rodriguez. After premiering at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival, the Weinsteins sold the movie to Senator Entertainment’s nascent distribution arm, which then went out of business. It took another half-decade until the movie showed up on VOD with a limited theatrical release.
Fanboys (2009, delayed 2 years)
The Weinsteins strike back! This raunchy paean to Star Wars worship features a group of friends (one of them dying of cancer) plotting to break into Skywalker Ranch and steal a workprint of The Phantom Menace. After production, the Weinstein Company hired another director to shoot new vulgar scenes and tested versions with the cancer plotline cut. The movie was eventually released as an amalgamation of the original and reshot versions.
Cabin in the Woods (2012, delayed 2 years)
A mega winky deconstruction of horror films, Cabin was a piece of film flotsam that emerged from the bankruptcy of MGM in 2010. Lionsgate, mid-thrall with Twilight and Hunger Games, picked it up in 2011 and scheduled it for release the year after.
Take Me Home Tonight (2011, delayed 4 years)
No changing hands of distributors with this one. Star Topher Grace contends that Universal sat on this ’80s-set party comedy because the studio didn’t know how to handle a movie featuring copious cocaine use.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (1997, delayed 3 years)
The once shining depraved star that is the Texas Chainsaw franchise continued to dim throughout the ’90s, when Columbia pushed back this maligned comedy sequel until Renee Zellweger became a household name post-Jerry Maguire. Co-star Matthew McConaughey insisted on not releasing the movie at all by that point.
Case 39 (2010, delayed 2 years)
To comment on the wild nature of show biz, by 2010, Zellweger’s name was no longer big enough to guarantee a movie hitting theatrical release. Paramount shelved Case 39 until it saw a release opening after co-star Bradley Cooper hit it big with The Hangover.
Roar (2015, delayed 34 years)
The most violent film shoot in history without fatalities, Roar features lions, tigers, elephants, and more tearing apart a house and mauling cast and crew, with real bloodletting onscreen. Melanie Griffith, Tippi Hedren, and cinematographer Jan De Bont required hundred of stitches between them. Completed in 1981, the movie was never shown in America until Drafthouse picked it up for limited release.
Red Dawn (2012, delayed 2 years)
Another victim of the MGM bankruptcy starring Chris Hemsworth, Dawn attracted controversy when the invading enemies were changed from China to North Korea. FilmDistrict eventually picked it up.
Margaret (2011, delayed 4 years)
For his follow-up to You Can Count On Me, Kenneth Lonergan was unable to stick to Fox Searchlight’s mandate to keep Margaret at 150 minutes or less, resulting in years of post-production tinkering and conflict. Even Martin Scorsese was brought in to do a cut, which ran 165 minutes. Litigation threats compelled Lonergan to finally turn in the 150 minute cut, though you can see the original 3-hour movie on DVD.
A Thousand Words (2012, delayed 4 years)
Eddie Murphy shot several movies virtually back-to-back-to-back with director Brian Robbins, resulting in Meet Dave and the Oscar-nominated Norbit. The third, A Thousand Words, was halfheartedly released years later when, by that point, Murphy had largely quit the film scene to focus on home life.
White Dog (2008, delayed 27 years)
Explosive genre maestro Samuel Fuller’s final American film, co-scripted by the late Curtis Hanson, plays ruff with a dog trained by a former white supremacist owner to only attack black people. Fuller was run out of town for the movie and moved to France, with White Dog never hitting theaters in the States. It was finally released uncut by Criterion, 11 years after Fuller’s death.
Eye See You (2002, delayed 3 years)
By 2002, Sylvester Stallone’s career had entered the darkest timeline. His attempt to rebrand in CopLand didn’t work (people apparently don’t need to see fat Rocky), while passion project Driven hit a wall. So when a producer abandoned Eye See You mid-shoot, UIP was convinced another Stallone stinker was on the horizon and didn’t release it ’til years after the fact.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1989, delayed 3 years)
A cinema verite descent via dismemberment and placid madness, Henry played the festival circuit for years unable to pick up distribution due to its content. After a positive review from Roger Ebert linking the stigma of the “X” rating to arthouse challengers like The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, Henry was released uncut as an X feature. The following year, the NC-17 rating was introduced.
Night of the Ghouls (1984, delayed 26 years)
Aww yeah, you knew Ed Wood would show up in this list! Ghouls, shot post-Plan 9 as a sequel to Bride of the Monster, lay dormant in a production lab due to lack of funds. Decades later, a Wood fanatic footed the bill for its release onto VHS.
Prozac Nation (2005, delayed 4 years)
The Weinsteins (again!) picked up this depression cherry during their Miramax days after it debuted at the 2001 Toronto Film Fest. The company muddled around with multiple cuts without finding the movie’s right edge, before dumping it on Starz! mid-decade.
Rampage (1992, delayed 5 years)
Somewhat fresh off his artistic comeback with To Live and Die in L.A., William Friedkin made this Michael Biehn vehicle — part murder spree, part histrionic courtroom drama. Italian producing legend Dino De Laurentiis was set to release Rampage; his company, DEG, then went bankrupt, delaying the movie by several years.
Shanghai (2015, delayed 5 years)
The Weinstein Company shot this 1940s-era mystery in Thailand, after China revoked their permit a week before shooting was to start. The movie gross almost $10 million internationally during initial release (a far cry from its $50m budget) and the Weinsteins did nothing with the product for years until suddenly and quietly dumping it in theaters last year.
The Lovers on the Bridge (1999, delayed 8 years)
Directed by Leos Carax (Holy Motors) and released in France in 1991, this strung-out romantic drama starring Juliette Binoche didn’t see an American theatrical release until the fin de siècle for any real known reason.
The Plot Against Harry (1990, delayed 21 years)
Independent filmmaker Michael Roemer only shot two features, during the 1960s. The second, Plot Against Harry was shot in 1969 and abandoned after failing to connect with any audience. Decades later, while transferring the film to videotape as a gift to his kids and witnessing the technician laughing, Roemer passed the film around again to acclaim.
Tiefland (1954, delayed 10 years)
Leni Riefenstahl, she of neutral docudrama Triumph of the Will fame, directed and starred in this adaptation of Hitler’s favorite opera. After resolving a global inconvenience during the later 1940s, French authorities confiscated the Tiefland reels, with Riefenstahl only able to complete the film a decade after shoot. Cannes then rejected it.
Unconditional Love (2003, delayed 4 years)
Using his clout after My Best Friend’s Wedding success, P.J. Hogan directed this way offbeat comedy about a mild housewife who becomes involved with tracking down a murderer of singers. New Line Cinema eventually released the movie on Starz!
Blue Sky (1994, delayed 3 years)
This Tommy Lee Jones/Jessica Lange drama took a while to hit theaters due to Orion’s bankruptcy in 1991. Lange, who won the Best Actress for this movie, would’ve had to compete with Jodie Foster (Silence of the Lambs) for the Oscar had Blue Sky released on time, though Lange did beat out Foster in ’94 over Nell.
A Sound of Thunder (2005, delayed 3 years)
Production company Franchise Pictures went bankrupt during this Ray Bradbury adaptation’s post-production. Budget reports vary wildly for this, and the higher the number goes, the sadder the final result looks on the screen.
94%
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