Arnav Srivastav
5. Prisoners (2013)
Dennis Villeneuve stands out as the most complete and compelling filmmaker of this generation. His growing filmography is indicative of his style and inexplicable talent at handling the camera. ‘Prisoners’ takes us into terse rural Pennsylvania and populates its taut narrative with the Dover family, around whom the action revolves. Keller Dover and his neighbor Franklin Birch’s daughters get abducted in daylight. The case is assigned to Detective Loki, a taciturn and lonely man whose botched up jobs from the past haunts his present.
4. Doubt (2008)
Sister James is a naive teacher at a local Christian school. She notices the weird behavior of the only colored student in her class and reports the status with concern after she finds out Father Flynn sniffing around his locker and putting an item of clothing back in. The responsibility to confront him falls upon the able shoulders of Aloysius, the strict principal of the school. In a male-dominated society and environment, she fights her way to the truth and calls a spade for a spade, refusing to turn a blind eye to Flynn’s disconcerting and unbecoming actions. The dream cast collectively boasts of the finest talent that mankind has in terms of acting prowess and emphatically imbues the screen with deftness and vigor.
3. How To Get Away With Murder (2014-)
Annalise Keating, a lawyer, takes up a class titled ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ from which she chooses the brightest to assist her in cases relating to the most nefarious crimes there are. Four seasons, and four nominations. Davis is the lifeline of the show and single-handedly drives this rounded and specifically brilliant show. Throughout its run, ‘How To Get Away With Mother’ has clocked high ratings and enjoys a status as a quirky, laconic, and epigrammatically written crime show.
2. The Help (2011)
Skeeter is a young and rebellious writer who defies societal stereotypes and is generally exhausted living with her pretentious mother. She lands a subsisting job at the local newspaper, being responsible for a cheap, yet popular, column. Skeeter pierces through her cynical and racist rich friends to discover the hardship-filled stories of their “helps”. Initially skeptical and scared to speak out, Aibileen gathers courage and encourages other friends to contribute and tell their story. ‘The Help’ stands out as an intelligent and well-rounded account of a racist America and glorifies the stories of brave and patient women who defeated life with a smile on the face and remained true in their virtues.
1. Fences (2016)
‘Fences’ is an emphatic drama that solely rests on its legendary leads. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis enact Troy and Rose Maxson, a married couple whose union is threatened when Troy reveals he has an affair with another woman. The film delves much deeper than its shallow premise and deals stringently with subjects like racism, poverty, adultery, and lost dreams. The layered narrative, rich with fierce moments of power and drama, offers a number of subplots to further Troy’s current state and his dysfunctional relationship with his family. But it is Viola Davis’ monologue wherein she confronts Troy for his deceitful and shameful acts that steal the show and makes this a memorable film and the performance one of the greatest of the century.
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