Dragon Blade
dir. Daniel Lee (2015)
Historical epic fail. Lots of fighting. Adrien Brody is half-decent but Lee’s script is nothing but flung sand and big emotional scenes that haven’t been earned and don’t hit home. Jackie Chan and John Cusack do their best in the quiet moments.
The Frozen Ground
dir. Scott Walker (2013)
A real-life ordeal turned equally bleak film, more dirge than thriller. John Cusack makes for a credible serial killer but isn’t given room to be truly unsettling. Nicholas Cage walks his usual line between subtlety and woodenness. Vanessa Hudgens outshines them both.
Grosse Pointe Blank
dir. George Armitage (1997)
Professional hitman Martin Blank suffers an existential crisis when work takes him back to his hometown on the weekend of his ten-year high-school reunion. While the low-key oddball script provides an obvious vehicle for John Cusack, it’s Minnie Driver behind the wheel.
The Raven
dir. James McTeigue (2012)
Reviled by exacting Poe fans and cinemagoers demanding plot twists beyond reason, this dark, at times gory period piece is actually quite engaging through not having being over-played by John Cusack (a bearded, non-romanticised Edgar Allan Poe) and a quality support cast.