Characters swap identities and dreams unfold within dreams in this romantic thriller from star Tom Cruise and writer-director Cameron Crowe. The story – which follows a rich young playboy (Cruise) after he’s disfigured in a car accident – is an intriguing mixture of pop psychology and science fiction, even if it’s not entirely original. The

Katie Holmes shows impressive range as a college senior who is helping a detective (Benjamin Bratt) investigate the two-year disappearance of her boyfriend. Her sly performance, at turns demur and devious, elevates yet another school-set thriller into something more psychologically layered.

Writer-director Chris Kentis’ independent picture will terrify anyone who has ever had some mysterious underwater object brush up against his or her legs. A shark-attack movie that uses real sharks, this manages to create legitimate chills by taking a no-frills approach to its central tale – that of a scuba-diving couple stranded in dangerous waters.