2 Movies Like Place of Bones (2024)

When modern systems like law enforcement and forensics fail to come up with definite answers to a murder, loved ones of the victim usually have no recourse, which is the fear at the heart of Irish horror film Oddity. To lose someone you care about, forever, hurts. So when Darcy takes more strange and esoteric means of investigation, and when writer-director Damian Mc Carthy slowly reveals through personal effects, psychic images, and an excellent pace, the hurt and the pain intensifies the murder mystery and the hope that she would receive justice for her loss. Oddity feels genuinely unsettling, because Mc Carthy understands what’s truly scary about losing a loved one.

Genre: Horror, Mystery

Actor: Caroline Menton, Carolyn Bracken, Gwilym Lee, Joe Rooney, Jonathan French, Shane Whisker, Steve Wall, Tadhg Murphy

Director: Damian Mc Carthy

Rating: R

In The Killer, Director John Woo resurrects his famous 1989 film of the same name but swaps neon-lit Hong Kong for sumptuous Paris, and steel-faced Ah-jong (Chow Yun-fat) for banter-prone Zee (Nathalie Emmanuel). The result is less than stellar, but enjoyable nonetheless. The script feels contrived in some instances (“Never send a man to do a woman’s job!”) but electric in others. The latter is noticeable during Zee’s flirtatious scenes with Detective Say (Omar Sy), the most charismatic character in the film. Together, both exude a Mr. and Mrs. Smith sort of charm, where they’re both palpably in love with each other despite being clear enemies. “Will they or won’t they end up/kill each other?” is a strong (and sexy!) driver of plot; too bad it’s not the main focus of the film, weighed down as it is by its uneven flourishes.

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Actor: Angeles Woo, Aurélia Agel, Daren Nop, Diana Silvers, Éric Cantona, Fabrice Scott, Grégory Montel, Hugo Diego Garcia, Justin Howell, Michaël Erpelding, Monia Moula, Nathalie Emmanuel, Omar Sy, Saïd Taghmaoui, Sam Worthington, Staiv Gentis, Tchéky Karyo, Trevor Morgan, Vincent Winterhalter

Director: John Woo

Rating: R