Evidence that serial killers are still dull, derivative cliches even when they’re played by Keanu Reeves. James Spader’s burnt-out FBI man (is there any other kind?) chases Reeves’ killer through Chicago’s gritty streets. There’s hardly a scene without the el in the background, which should give you an idea of the level of creativity at

If you ever wondered what was going through the head of Mary Kay Letourneau when the teacher started an affair with her seventh-grade student, Birth offers a possible answer. The movie stars Nicole Kidman as a grieving widow who meets a 10-year-old claiming to be her reincarnated husband. That’s good enough for her, and before

If you’re a fan of the last-minute switcheroos in The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, this latest genre reworking from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan may initially seem underwhelming – the revelation comes not during a dramatic twist of the plot, but during a quiet change in its hero’s heart. That would be Graham Hess (Mel Gibson),

Despite the tabloid reports, there’s no proof of romance here between stars Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe, which makes this silly thriller – about a hostage negotiator (Crowe) who falls for the wife (Ryan) of a kidnapping victim – a lifeless, chemistry-free affair. If they were trying to hide something on the set, they took

Numbskulls is more like it. Joshua Jackson (television’s “Dawson’s Creek”) plays an Ivy League student who joins a Firm-like secret society. This is a suspense thriller without an inkling of suspense, largely because every move Jackson makes is governed only by the obvious demands of a flimsy script.

Wicker Park, about a Chicago photographer (Josh Hartnett) investigating the disappearance of his girlfriend, goes about telling its story in the most complicated manner possible. The movie mostly consists of flashbacks and replayed scenes from different vantage points – techniques that are partly meant to keep us guessing, but are mostly there to cover up

When a modern cop (Jim Caviezel) hooks up an old ham radio, he’s somehow able to communicate back in time with his late firefighting father (Dennis Quaid). They change history in order to save the father from a fire, but their alterations inadvertently set a serial killer loose. If you take a deep breath and

One more schlocky entry to Angelina Jolie’s filmography and another in a series of thrillers about female FBI profilers who get too close to their work. The movie spends a lot of time covering up its obvious central mystery, then launches into a finale of ludicrous proportions. It’s about then you’ll be thinking of doing

Hitchcock lives in this deeply creepy story about a young man with a gift for impressions (Matt Damon) who lets his passions get the best of him. Like the best of Hitchcock’s work, The Talented Mr. Ripley puts you in the shoes of a killer and makes them feel as comfortable as your own. Also