Big Eyes

It's the 1950s, and artist Walter Keane (Waltz) has become a national phenomenon in this biographical drama. His paintings of big-eyed people have become enormously popular, and his marketing savvy has practically invented the market for mass-produced, affordable prints that are sold in mass-market stores across the nation. However, as his fame lands him appearances in popular talk shows and bring him national recognition, his wife Margaret (Adams) comes forward with his dark secret: that she is the actual artist creating the famous paintings, and that her husband is simply signing his name on them once they're completed. Soon, the once-loving couple is engaged in a heated court battle to determine who is the true creator of the paintings -- and, ultimately, the future of their marriage.

Director: Tim Burton. Stars: Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz, Krysten Ritter, Danny Huston, Jason Schwartzman. 2014. 106 min. Biography.

The Babadook

Amelia (Davis), a single mother, struggles to raise her troubled son Samuel (Wiseman). Samuel fears that an imaginary monster stalks him and he is so troubled that he never sleeps through the night. Amelia is forced to remove him from school to deal with his problematic behavior. After his mother reads him a mysterious pop-up book about a supernatural creature called the "Babadook," Samuel becomes convinced that the creature is living in their house, and soon, strange occurrences begin to happen to both mother and son. At first she blames these happenings on Samuel, but as the bizarre events continue to torment them, Amelia comes to believe that this Babadook is very real, and that it is most definitely out to get them.

Director: Jennifer Kent. Stars: Essie Davis, Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall, Tim Purcell. 2014. 93 min. Horror.

Echoes

A young writer (French) is haunted by horrifying visions that she encounters while trying to sleep. Desperate, she and her boyfriend (Brand) retreat to an isolated house in the desert where her visions nonetheless intensify. As she teeters on the brink of sanity, her mind may uncover a life-changing secret.

Director: Nils Timm. Stars: Kate French, Steven Brand, Billy Wirth, Steve Hanks. 2014. 93 min. Horror.