A Most Violent Year

Abel Morales (Isaac) is the owner of a heating oil company, Standard Oil, in New York City in 1981, a year often cited as one of the most violent in the city's history. After several of his trucks transporting heating oil are hijacked by armed assailants, Morales' wife Anna (Chastain) urges him to fight the escalating violence with violence, a request that he refuses. As an assistant district attorney (Oyelowo) launches an investigation into Standard Oil and its competitors over suspected tax evasion, price fixing and other illegal activities, Morales decides to purchase an oil terminal to ensure financial independence for his company. However, as the hijackings against his fleet of trucks continue and armed assailants attempt to break into his home, not only does he begin to fear for the lives of those around him, but he also begins to have difficulties finding enough investors to secure the money to close the deal on the terminal.

Director: J.C. Chandor. Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola, Albert Brooks, Elyes Gabel. 2014. 125 min. Drama.

The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death

Set four decades after the supernatural events at Eel Marsh House, the horrible haunting of the Woman in Black continues. As German bombs decimate London during the Second World War, Eve Parkins (Fox) and Jean Hogg (McCrory) evacuate the students from the boarding school that they run together, taking them to the country village of Crythin Gifford. There, they are accosted by a madman who warns them of dire consequences should they remain there with the children, telling them that they cannot escape "her." The women and children settle in to Eel Marsh House, an abandoned manor house in the village, but strange events soon start to occur. While the terrifying threat of air raids continues to loom over them, the children begin to suffer horrible deaths, and Eve comes to realize that the spirit tormenting them has a special reason for hating her above all the others.

Director: Tom Harper. Stars: Phoebe Fox, Helen McCrory, Jeremy Irvine, Mary Roscoe. 2014. 98 min. Horror.