Writer Stephen King shared, in a special survey conducted this year by The New York Times, the list of films that most impacted him in the century. The selection includes diverse and surprising titles, but only two are horror, the genre that made the author famous. Despite this, many explore suspense, violence, and psychological tension—features present in his work. Below are the choices from the master of horror.
BLACK HAWK DOWN | Max
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Directed by Ridley Scott, the film follows a mission of American soldiers in Mogadishu, Somalia. The scenario quickly turns into hell when two Black Hawk helicopters are shot down. Starring Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor, the movie won two Oscars for Best Editing and Best Sound, highlighting the brutality and chaos of modern warfare.
THE SECRET OF BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN | Telecine
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Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal play two cowboys who fall in love, but face a life of secrets and suffering. The drama, which addresses prejudice and historical homophobia in rural America, was directed by Ang Lee and won three Oscars: Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Original Score. However, it itself suffered prejudice from the Academy’s older voters and lost the Best Picture Oscar to the mediocre “Crash.”
CHILDREN OF HOPE | Prime Video
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Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the film presents a dystopian future in which humanity is on the brink of extinction due to global infertility. When the first pregnant woman in 18 years emerges, a man must protect her at all costs. Starring Clive Owen and Julianne Moore.
GOLDEN GIRL | Telecine
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Clint Eastwood directs and also stars alongside Hilary Swank and Morgan Freeman in this touching drama about a waitress who dreams of becoming a boxer and finds in a bitter coach the chance to change her life. The film, which has a tragic ending, won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actor.
WHERE THE WEAK DON’T STAND A CHANCE | Mercado Play, Prime Video
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Directed by brothers Joel and Ethan Coen, the film tells the story of a man who finds a suitcase full of money amidst a bloody scene and becomes pursued by a professional killer. Starring Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones, this brutal journey of pursuit across Texas won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Supporting Actor for Bardem.
WHAT’S UP, MY BROTHER, WHERE ARE YOU? | Vod*
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Another Coen brothers film, but in a very different tone. Three prisoners escape in search of treasure during the Great American Depression and, amidst political escapes and natural disasters, become folk singers. Starring George Clooney and John Turturro, the movie blends lots of humor with a memorable soundtrack and, although it’s not available on traditional streaming services, can be found on digital rental platforms such as Prime Store, YouTube, and Apple TV.
OPPENHEIMER | Prime Video and Netflix
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The Oscar-winning film by Christopher Nolan portrays the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist responsible for creating the atomic bomb. Starring Cillian Murphy, the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. Available on Prime Video, it will move to Netflix halfway through next week.
THE IN FILTERS | Prime Video
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The police thriller that won Martin Scorsese an Oscar stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon respectively as an undercover cop in the mafia and an informant within the police. The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, but it is an inferior remake of the original, “Conflitos Internos” (2002), a masterpiece of Hong Kong crime action cinema.
JENNY PEN’S RULE
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In this psychological thriller, a retired judge is hospitalized after suffering a stroke and becomes tormented by a psychopathic doctor and his evil doll. Released commercially this year, the New Zealand film by James Ashcroft has not yet been released in Brazil.
ZOMBIE INVASION | Netflix
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Considered one of the best zombie apocalypse movies, the film by South Korean director Yeon Sang-ho follows a zombie outbreak aboard a train traveling from Seoul to Busan, where passengers face terror while trying to survive. With impressive tension-filled scenes, the movie became South Korea’s most successful horror film.
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