Dante's Inferno (2007)

Upon awakening in an unfamiliar part of the city after an especially rough night, Dante asks the first person he spots for a little help in gathering his bearings. When the man responds that he penned an ancient poem called The Aeneid, the perplexed Dante recalls that particular piece of prose being penned two thousand years ago. But with no one left to turn to, Dante has little choice but to follow his enigmatic guide. When the man reveals that it is his duty to lead Dante on an extensive journey through a dreadful world of "horror and torment," the weary traveler becomes convinced that his only hope for survival is to follow his host into the scorching heart of Satan's vast inferno.

Director: Sean Meredith
Writers: Paul Zaloom and Sandow Birk
Stars: Tony Abatemarco, Scott Adsit and Matt Besser
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0479008/

Repeaters (2010)

On a random Wednesday, the residents of a rehab centre in Mission, B.C. are granted a rare one-day-pass to venture back into the world and make amends with those they have wronged. Kyle reaches out to his kid sister, who refuses to speak to him. Sonia decides not to confront her ailing, abusive father in the hospital, only to learn later in the day that he has died. Meanwhile, Weeks is left feeling powerless and quietly enraged after visiting his father in prison. This Wednesday is one that none of the protagonists want to live through again, yet that is exactly what happens when they wake up the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. Compulsive repetition suits these addicts just fine, and before long they embrace the opportunity to make the daily slate as messy as possible, knowing that it will soon be wiped clean. But after allowing themselves some missteps, Sonia and Kyle realize that their freedom from consequences has set Weeks on a path of sadistic annihilation. With every attempt to contain his violence, Sonia and Kyle go through one hellish day after another, searching for meaning and clarity where none can be found.

Director: Carl Bessai
Writers: Arne Olsen
Stars: Dustin Milligan, Amanda Crew and Richard de Klerk
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1580426/

Malice in Wonderland (2009)

American law student Alice is studying in London when she's run down by a black cab and transported to a strange and shady underworld. With time-obsessed cabbie Whitey to help her navigate this sordid new reality, Alice soon realizes that her only hope for getting back home is to fight her way through the pimps, gangsters, and violent drug dealers who are tracking her every move. Can Alice turn the tables on her pursuers long enough to make a clean getaway, or is she doomed to spend all eternity on the run from the tyrannical crime kingpin who controls the entire city?

Director: Simon Fellows
Writer: Jayson Rothwell
Stars: Maggie Grace, Danny Dyer and Matt King
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374853/

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)

Born in a fetid fish market and raised in a dilapidated orphanage, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille toiled his childhood away in a rank tannery run by the thuggish Grimal. Subsequently obsessed by smell, Grenouille's keen olfactory sense becomes so finely tuned that it eventually overpowers such human qualities as love and compassion. Though he has indeed discovered the unmistakable scent of a woman, Grenouille finds it impossible to connect with the fairer sex on any sort of meaningful level. Roaming the streets of Paris late one night, Grenouille catches the scent of a young girl selling plums and impulsively strangles her, later sniffing her nude corpse in a twisted attempt to preserve the distinctive scent in his memory. After persuading legendary perfumer Giuseppe Baldini to take him on as an apprentice, Grenouille travels to the town of Grasse in Southern France in order to learn the art of enfleurage at a firm run by the highly respected Madame Arnulfi. It is there that Grenouille becomes dangerously drawn to the vestal aroma of the young and beautiful Laura, the daughter of widower merchant Antione Richis. Soon driven to madness by such a pure scent, the spellbound Grenouille continues to claim the lives of the numerous young girls in a tragic attempt to bottle the impossibly elusive smell of virginal womanhood.

Director: Tom Tykwer
Writers: Andrew Birkin and Bernd Eichinger
Stars: Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman and Alan Rickman
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0396171/

Bunraku (2010)

A mysterious drifter and an ardent young Japanese warrior Yoshi both arrive in a town that has been terrorized by outrageous and virulent criminals. Each is obsessed with his separate mission, and guided by the wisdom of The Bartender at the Horseless Horseman Saloon, the two eventually join forces to bring down the corrupt and contemptuous reign of Nicola, the awesomely evil "Woodcutter" and his lady Alexandra, a femme fatale with a secret past.

Director: Guy Moshe
Writers: Boaz Davidson (story) and Guy Moshe (screenplay)
Stars: Josh Hartnett, Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1181795/

Dorian Gray (2009)

Fresh-faced and innocent, Dorian Gray arrives in London to move into the house he has inherited. Almost immediately he falls under the influence of amoral and calculating Lord Henry Wotton, leading to a life of increasing debauchery and even violence. Through many years Gray stays as young-looking as ever, while a portrait painted when he arrived grows old, reflecting his increasing excesses. Eventually the picture, now secreted in his attic, becomes almost hideous to behold. When true love finally enters his life he realises he must guard his secret at all costs.

Director: Oliver Parker
Writers: Oscar Wilde (novel) and Toby Finlay (screenplay)
Stars: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth and Rebecca Hall
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235124/

Solomon Kane (2009)

Once a mercenary of Queen Elizabeth I fighting Spaniards in Africa, Solomon met the Devil's Reaper and discovered he was bound for hell. Barely escaping, he soon renounced violence to atone for his past sins, seeking out redemption in a life of peace. That is until the followers of sorcerer Malachi kidnap a Puritan girl, Meredith Crowthorn, and brutally slaughter her family before his very eyes, forcing Solomon to take up arms and return to his violent ways once more to rescue her.

Director: Michael J. Bassett
Writers: Michael J. Bassett (screenplay) and Robert E. Howard (character)
Stars: James Purefoy, Max von Sydow and Rachel Hurd-Wood
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970452/

Another Earth (2011)

Rhoda Williams, a bright young woman accepted into MIT's astrophysics program, aspires to explore the cosmos. A brilliant composer, John Burroughs, has just reached the pinnacle of his profession and is about to have a second child with his loving wife. On the eve of the discovery of a duplicate Earth, tragedy strikes and the lives of these strangers become irrevocably intertwined. Estranged from the world and the selves they once knew, the two outsiders begin an unlikely love affair and reawaken to life. But when one is presented with the chance of a lifetime opportunity to travel to the other Earth and embrace an alternative reality, which new life will they choose?

Director: Mike Cahill
Writers: Brit Marling and Mike Cahill
Stars: Brit Marling, William Mapother and Matthew-Lee Erlbach
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1549572/

Ink (2009)

As the light fades and the city goes to sleep, two forces emerge. They are invisible except for the power they exert over us in our sleep, battling for our souls through dreams. One force delivers hope and strength through good dreams; the other infuses the subconscious with desperation through nightmares. John and Emma, Father and Daughter are wrenched into this fantastical dream world battle, forced to fight for John's soul and to save Emma from an eternal nightmare. Separate in their journey, they encounter unusual characters that exist only in their subconscious. Or do they?

Director: Jamin Winans
Writer: Jamin Winans
Stars: Christopher Soren Kelly, Quinn Hunchar and Jessica Duffy
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1071804/

10,000 BC (2008)

A prehistoric epic that follows a young mammoth hunter named D'Leh's journey through uncharted territory to secure the future of his tribe. When a band of mysterious horse-riding warlords raid the Yaghal camp and kidnaps his heart's desire - the beautiful Evolet along with many others, D'Leh is forced to lead a small group of hunters south to pursue the warlords to the end of the world to save her. Driven by destiny, the unlikely band of warriors must battle saber-toothed cats and terror birds in the Levant.

Director: Roland Emmerich
Writers: Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser
Stars: Camilla Belle, Steven Strait and Marco Khan
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443649/

Thirst (2009)

Sang-hyun is a priest who cherishes life; so much so, that he selflessly volunteers for a secret vaccine development project meant to eradicate a deadly virus. But the virus takes the priest, and a blood transfusion is urgently ordered up for him. The blood he receives is infected, so Sang-hyun lives – but now exists as a vampire. Struggling with his newfound carnal desire for blood, Sang-hyun’s faith is further strained when a childhood friend’s wife, Tae-ju, comes to him asking for his help in escaping her life. Sang-hyun soon plunges into a world of sensual pleasures, finding himself on intimate terms with the Seven Deadly Sins. 

Director: Chan-wook Park
Writers: Chan-wook Park (screenplay) and Émile Zola (novel)
Stars: Kang-ho Song, Ok-bin Kim and Hae-sook Kim
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0762073/

Franklyn (2008)

Set between contemporary London and the dystopic Meanwhile City, where the separation between church and state has been obliterated to make way for a religion-dominated society. Atheist vigilante Jonathan Preest prepares to seek revenge against Meanwhile City's powerful leader, privileged artist Emilia finds her cynicism and depression accelerated by the difficult relationship she shares with her mother. Meanwhile, sensitive Milo attempts to recover from a recent heartache, just as deeply religious Peter arrives in London to search for his missing son, a haunted Gulf War veteran. As the narrative shifts between the real and imaginary worlds, McMorrow explores the complex relationships between fantasy, faith, and love.

Director: Gerald McMorrow
Writer: Gerald McMorrow
Stars: Ryan Phillippe, Eva Green and Bernard Hill
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0893402/

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Carmen recently remarried to sadistic army captain Vidal and soon to bear the cruel military man's child, shy young Ofelia is forced to entertain herself as her recently-formed family settles into their new home nestled deep in the Spanish countryside. As Ofelia's bed-ridden mother lies immobilized in anticipation of her forthcoming child and her high-ranking stepfather remains determined to fulfill the orders of General Francisco Franco to crush a nearby guerilla uprising, the young girl soon ventures into an elaborate stone labyrinth presided over by the mythical faun Pan. Convinced by Pan that she is the lost princess of legend and that in order to return to her underground home she must complete a trio of life-threatening tasks, Ofelia sets out to reclaim her kingdom and return to her grieving father as Vidal's housekeeper Mercedes and doctor plot secretly on the surface to keep the revolution alive.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil and Sergi López
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/

City of Ember (2008)

 

The City of Ember was built over 200 year ago, deep below the earth, where the destruction of a mass-scale disaster couldn't reach it. Equipped with a massive generator and vast supplies, the people of Ember have thrived happily for generations -- but the city wasn't meant to be lived in forever. The generator is breaking down and the supplies are running out, but two centuries in isolation have robbed the Emberites of their knowledge -- nobody knows how the electric lights work anymore, and nobody understands that there's something beyond the city besides darkness. Nobody, that is, besides Lina and Doon, two teenagers who still have the hope that everyone else has lost to ignorance and apathy -- not to mention a sheet of instructions left by the Builders themselves explaining how to leave the city. But the 200-year-old paper is falling apart, and pieces are missing. So with the lights threatening to flicker out for the last time and leave Ember in darkness forever, Lina and Doon set out on an adventure through the streets, sewers, and dark caverns of Ember to put the pieces back together. To solve the mystery, they'll have to get inside the Builders' heads, and avoid the grasp of corrupt Mayor Cole, who wants to keep Ember the way it is -- no matter what the cost.

Director: Gil Kenan
Writers: Caroline Thompson (screenplay) and Jeanne Duprau (book)
Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones and Bill Murray
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970411/

Pulse (2006)

Followed by Pulse 2: Afterlife (2008). When wireless technology puts humans into contact with an unstoppable force that's determined to claim the lives of the living for the souls of the damned, it's up to a group of determined teens to close the gate before it's too late. A doorway between the human realm and the spiritual realm has been opened, and now the technology that once made humankind the ruler of the planet has become its digital Achilles heel. With every call made and every e-mail checked, life is slowly being stolen from the living and claimed for the dead. With no way of turning off the connection and no means of reasoning with a force they cannot understand, a desperate group of college students must discover a means of stopping the takeover before the entire planet is transformed into a cosmic haunting ground for wayward souls in search of a home.

Director: Jim Sonzero
Writers: Wes Craven and Ray Wright
Stars: Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder and Christina Milian
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454919/

Children of Dune (2003)

 

Follows Dune (2000). Officially based on two of Frank Herbert's science fiction novels, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune. The story was set in the year 10,103: Having deposed the evil emperor of the desert planet Arrakis, the messianic Paul Atreides was firmly installed as the planet's supreme "Muad'Dib," as well as the guardian of Arrakis' life-enhancing spice supply. Unfortunately, Paul's efforts to unify his kingdom have had the residual consequences of bloodshed and tyranny. It fell to Paul's twin children, Ghanima and Leto II, to thwart the villainous machinations of the planet's deposed matriarch, Princess Wensicia, and the beautiful but insane Princess Alia.

Director: Greg Yaitanes
Writers: John Harrison (screenplay) and Frank Herbert (novels)
Stars: Alec Newman, Julie Cox and Ian McNeice
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287839/

9 (2009)

The time is the too-near future. Powered and enabled by the invention known as the Great Machine, the world's machines have turned on mankind and sparked social unrest, decimating the human population before being largely shut down. But, as our world fell to pieces, a mission began to salvage the legacy of civilization; a group of small creations was given the spark of life by a scientist in the final days of humanity, and they continue to exist post-apocalypse. One of these creations, 9, emerges to display leadership qualities that may help them survive and possibly even thrive. It is only by chance that he discovers a small community of others like himself taking refuge from fearsome machines that roam the earth intent on their extinction. Despite being the neophyte of the group, 9 convinces the others that hiding will do them no good. They must take the offensive if they are to survive, and they must discover why the machines want to destroy them in the first place. As they'll soon come to learn, the very future of civilization may depend on them.

Director: Shane Acker
Writers: Pamela Pettler (screenplay), Shane Acker (story)
Stars: Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly and Crispin Glover
More info: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472033/

Based on the 2005 short film of the same name by Shane Acker, found just below: