20 Movies Like Salem's Lot (2024) (Page 2)

Produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Caddo Lake isn’t the most shocking thriller out there. It starts slow, suffers from low-budget CGI, and tends to be schmaltzy at times. But it is, overall, a strong and suspenseful film. Once it kicks into gear and finds its rhythm, it turns into something wholly arresting. The plot twists and turns, while the solid performances of Eliza Scanlen and Dylan O’Brien guide you through them. Its folksy setting adds to the mystical feeling the film is gunning for, too. Don’t expect all your questions to be answered by the end of the film, but be prepared to be taken aback by the eerie mystery of it all.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Actor: David Maldonado, Diana Hopper, Dylan O'Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Eric Lange, Kim Baptiste, Lance E. Nichols, Lauren Ambrose, Nina Leon, Sam Hennings

Director: Celine Held, Logan George

Rating: PG-13

Visual artist Ann Oren's first foray into feature-length filmmaking is a sensual delight and a gift that keeps on giving. Oren approaches her film with sincere dedication to every single building block: Piaffe looks, sounds, and feels sensational while being a fairly modest production. A true indie film, Piaffe verges on experimentation as a young woman named Eva (Simone Bucio) takes over the job of a foley artist from her sister. Even though she's under-qualified, she tries her best t0 come up with the sounds for a horse-themed commercial to no avail. However, in the process, she notices a bump on her lower back that grows into a horse's tail. Piaffe is a tale of metamorphosis, not only of the flesh, but also of the heart, as the themes it explores are also directly related to sexuality, submission, and, of course, love as a manifestation of all those things.

Genre: Thriller

Actor: Bjørn Melhus, Josef Ostendorf, Lea Draeger, Nico Ehrenteit, Sebastian Rudolph, Simon(è) Jaikiriuma Paetau, Simone Bucio, Tristan Bumm

Director: Ann Oren

George Clooney and Brad Pitt are two of the coolest actors to come out of Hollywood, and this film is a testament to this fact. Watching them, you’ll be reminded of how leading men should be effortlessly funny and charming, but there is such a thing as too cool. Clooney and Pitt are so relaxed and unbothered, you rarely feel the danger of some scenes. When they’re chased by a mob of hitmen or enter a mafia house, you can tell from their expressions alone that they’ll survive, which strips all the fun and mystery out of a thriller such as this. Not that the plot is anything to speak of; its bones are formulaic, helped only by the witty dialogue and charming delivery. They can be hilarious, but mostly watching them feels like hearing a joke that’s gone on for way too long. The movie quickly loses its novelty and drags on, picking up only during the Kid’s (Austin Abrams) whose earnestness and liveliness make him a scene-stealer, yes even and especially with Clooney and Pitt there.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller

Actor: Amanda Aday, Amy Ryan, Anthony N., Austin Abrams, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand, Frank Trigg, George Clooney, Irina Dubova, Poorna Jagannathan, Richard Kind, Robert Timothy Smith, Vladimir Sizov, Zlatko Burić

Director: Jon Watts

Rating: R