[8.50/10] Wu Xia a.k.a. Dragon (2011)

Wu Xia a.k.a.
Dragon (2011)

QuickRating: Although its story is somewhat similar to 2010's wuxia phenomenon "Reign of Assassins", Peter Chan's "Wu Xia" is still an engrossing, skilfully choreographed, masterfully directed and visually fascinating martial arts drama, that truly captivates the viewer with its compelling characters, gorgeous scenery and strong script, and showcases Donnie Yen in top form, both acting-wise and fighting-wise.

[7.25/10] The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)

The Flying Swords of
Dragon Gate (2011)

QuickRating: It's overstuffed with characters, the pacing is uneven and Jet Li is wildly underused, but "Flying Swords of Dragon Gate" makes up for its lack of coherence with spectacular sandy scenery, amazing costumes, and frenetic, wonderfully-choreographed action sequences, that while a little heavy on CGI and somewhat cartoonish, are exciting and entertaining to watch as is the movie itself.

[7.50/10] The Flowers of War (2011)

The Flowers of War (2011)

QuickRating: Harsh, graphic and truly dramatic, if rather slow and overlong, "The Flowers of War" is just about as visually stunning and beautifully-shot as any of Zhang Yimou's previous movies (which are mostly masterpieces), yet hardly as striking and memorable. However, the director injects enough heart into the sad story to keep it moving and affecting even for Western audiences. Ni Ni is alluring as Yu Mo, but surprisingly, Bale's cocky portrayal lets the film down a bit.

[5.50/10] Intruders (2011)

Intruders (2011)

QuickRating: It starts out strong, with a tense and scary opening scene, than it somehow continues to maintain its vibe of mysterious creepiness right until the end, when it totally falls apart after the twist is revealed. In fact, it has two twists, but sadly none of them works - the first one is predictable, and the second hardly makes any sense at all. However, the always magnificent Clive Owen saves "Intruders" from being just a stinker with bad CGIs.

[6.75/10] The Hidden Face (2011)

La Cara Oculta a.k.a.
The Hidden Face (2011)

QuickRating: Although it suffers from a frustratingly uninteresting first half that feels rather pointless, later on everything falls into place perfectly, and half way through "La Cara Oculta" transforms itslef into a thoughtful, intense and uniquely claustrophobic thriller that quickly falls into the category 'like nothing we've seen before'. Plus, Martina García delivers an anxious and extremely convincing performance.

[5.75/10] Elevator (2011)

Elevator (2011)

QuickRating: Much like 2010's "Devil", "Elevator" mostly takes place in, well, an elevator, hence, those who can't stand such limited settings might get a little bit bored, but for more patient viewers, this surprisingly well-balanced and executed dialogue-driven thriller by Norwegian director Stig Svendsen has a lot more to offer - many thrills, lots of suspense and quite a few unexpected shocks, complemented by a solid amount of humor and some witty dialogues.

[6.00/10] Hell (2011)

Hell (2011)

QuickRating: Ambiguously-titled "Hell" (Hell in German means 'Bright' in English), this German horror has a unique post-apocalyptic scenario where The Earth has turned into a living hell after the sun has burned everything down, and despite its tiny budget and simplistic plot is still effective, compelling and technically well-made - the bright, yellowish cinematography captures the feel of the movie so perfectly, it burns, the barren scenery adds to the bleak visuals and the direction is solid.

[4.00/10] The Darkest Hour (2011)

The Darkest Hour (2011)

QuickRating: It has a decent premise, the special effects are pretty adequate for the most part, and the scenery of Moscow city is absolutely glorious to watch, but "The Darkest Hour" remains an unimaginative and poorly-executed alien invasion flick that feels rushed and contrived from the very beginning and has a paper-thin plot and zero character development. Worst of all, the trailer is more tense, exciting and entertaining to watch than the movie itself.

[6.75/10] Babycall (2011)

Babycall (2011)

QuickRating: This Swedish horror thriller feels a bit muddled at times, and the subplots don't fit together as neatly as they should, but what makes "Babycall" effective, gripping and disturbing is Noomi Rapace's brilliantly intense and vulnerable portrayal of a confused, paranoid and mentally disturbed mother. Plus, director Sletaune maintains an eerie atmosphere throughout the film, and the twist ending, while hardly satisfactory, works well.

[6.50/10] Urban Explorer (2011)

Urban Explorer (2011)

QuickRating: While this German B-horror movie certainly won't win any awards for originality and technical excellence, it still works on so many levels, it's unbelievable. "Urban Explorer" is intense, scary, gory and thoroughly realistic, and it features one of the craziest, most disturbingly believable psycho killers ever put on film. Moreover, set in a maze of dark tunnels under the city of Berlin, the movie is so insanely claustrophobic, it will leave you gasping for air.

[5.75/10] Rosewood Lane (2011)

Rosewood Lane (2011)

QuickRating: Not nearly as scary and intense as director Victor Salva's 2001 creepfest "Jeepers Creepers", but still watchable and fairly thrilling, "Rosewood Lane" is the perfect example of how to make a decent and effective horror movie with a quite limited budget. The charismatic Rose McGowan does a solid job as the protagonist, and Ashton Moio gives an intimidating performance as the devilish villain.

[3.50/10] 7 Nights of Darkness (2011)

7 Nights of Darkness (2011)

QuickRating: Aside from the fairly creepy location and a few decent scares, everything about this 'found footage' horror flick sucks badly - the premise is painfully familiar, the acting is terrible, the characters are daft and annoying, the camera work is exceptionally bad, and it screams cheap and amateurish. "7 Nights of Darkness"?!? More like "90 Minutes of Yawning Boredom"...

[6.75/10] The Awakening (2011)

The Awakening (2011)

QuickRating: It lacks originality and it's more creepy rather than scary, however, "The Awakening" proves to be more than just another ghost story - it's clever, stylishly-shot, intelligently-written, full of chilling moments, and has a fully satisfying twist ending you won't see coming. Visually, it flaunts an atmospheric, gorgeously murky cinematography and a beautiful, yet truly sinister setting, plus, Rebecca Hall turns in a fantastic performance here.

[4.75/10] Absentia (2011)

Absentia (2011)

QuickRating: Probably with a stronger script, bigger budget and more capable director, it could have been a great little indie horror flick, but for what it is, "Absentia" is just mediocre at best. The lackluster execution doesn't live up to the ambitious premise, Mike Flanagan's direction is weak and incompetent, the acting is completely amateurish, and the cinematography is plain and dull. On the top of that, the film is nowhere nearly as scary and original as it thinks it is.

[3.00/10] Kalevet a.k.a. Rabies (2011)

Kalevet a.k.a.
Rabies (2011)

QuickRating: Israel's first-ever horror movie (and hopefully their last) starts out promising enough, with an utterly claustrophobic and intense opening sequence, but soon after that it turns into a nonsensical mess that despite its familiar scenario tries hard to be original and inventive, but ends up being a boring, confusing and tasteless horror flick with lots of gore, but no scares whatsoever.

[7.50/10] Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Extremely Loud &
Incredibly Close (2011)

QuickRating: As quirky as its title suggests, "EL & IC" is overly sentimental, slightly pretentious and emotionally manipulative, therefore, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but those with an open mind will find this strangely whimsical modern-day adventure very touching, emotional and entertaining. The fantastic cast elevates the movie to another level and Daldry's moody, yet energetic direction adds to the experience.

[6.75/10] Young Adult (2011)

Young Adult (2011)

QuickRaitng: It has a dark nature, hence, it's hard to call it enjoyable, and its grim visual style is far from appealing, but "Young Adult" is nonetheless a well-balanced and engaging dramedy, that has as many laughs as it does serious moments. The gorgeous Charlize Theron delivers a very charismatic lead performance, and even though it's hard to feel sympathy for her barely likable character at first, later on you'll find yourself in love with Mavis' childish naughtiness.

[6.25/10] Anonymous (2011)

Anonymous (2011)

QuickRating: It's messily narrated, convoluted and it lacks cohesion, which makes it a bit difficult to watch especially during the first hour or so, but the film's pseudo historical plot is still intriguing and somewhat clever, and it manages to hold your attention on the muddled mystery, plus, "Anonymous" boasts some truly stunning period settings and an exquisitely lavish costumes that make it one of the most visually striking movies of 2011.

[7.00/10] My Week with Marilyn (2011)

My Week with Marilyn (2011)

QuickRating: Even though it is based on a true story, the plot itself is hardly anything special, but Curtis' "My Week with Marilyn" is nonetheless a truly engaging and thoroughly entertaining bio-drama about the most popular woman of all time, that fascinates with its vibrant visuals and refined direction, but what makes it truly outstanding is the sensational performance by Michelle Williams who captures the spirit of Monroe quite perfectly.

[6.50/10] Shame (2011)

Shame (2011)

QuickRating: Bold, daring and graphic, if hardly unforgettable, "Shame" is a a simple and moody, yet somewhat mesmerizing portrait of a sex addict, that relies on its appealing, talented cast. Michael Fassbender delivers one of his best performances so far, and Carey Mulligan does a remarkable job as well, and the on-screen relationship between them is very tense and believable, and probably the most memorable thing about this movie.