It's a Conspiracy!

Filmmakers love to paint pictures of grand conspiracy, but the movie's got to do it right if it's going to be believable. Here are ten examples of conspiracy in film, and most of them do the job so effectively, it almost makes you wonder who masterminded them.

The Manchurian Candidate

Manchurian Candidate is a brilliantly realized, acidic satire of American political life. The director takes us into a strange, hallucinatory world that is hard to shake, long after the movie is over.

North by Northwest

Cary Grant plays an innocent man framed for murder in this exciting and enjoyable mystery that has him chased across the eastern United States. It’s fun. It’s smart. It’s even sexy. And it’s one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most enjoyable films.

Rosewood

Wrenching account of the true story of the destruction of a successful black community by a neighbouring village of racists in 1920's Southern Florida. Fine performances, sophisticated characterisations. Firmly establishes John Singleton as one of the most important young filmmakers.

Perfect Murder

This fast-paced psychological thriller features a tight plot, believable script and effective performances by Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow. It's a successful remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder that proves jealousy, greed and lust are timeless.

Wag the Dog

Political spin-doctor turns to Hollywood to alter reality and rescue the US president from an inconvenient sex scandal. Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro and Anne Heche seem to have fun in this enjoyable satire about politics and the media.

The X Files

The television series is made into a movie in this solid, but less than overwhelming science fiction mystery-action-thriller with a convoluted plot, impressive special effects, and a whole lot of time spent crawling, running and fighting in the dark.

Wild Things

Trash-noir Hollywood style, featuring Matt Dillon as a high school counsellor who is accused of rape by students Neve Campbell and Denise Richards. Kevin Bacon plays a local cop who smells a rat. It’s your basic pure, vulgar entertainment.

Tomorrow Never Dies

Latest Bond film faithfully follows the familiar formula. Jonathan Pryce is good as a bad guy media mogul, Michelle Yooh is great as Bond’s sidekick. As usual, good chase scenes, interesting gizmos, beautiful women and bad jokes rule the day.

The Rainmaker

A John Grisham story that focuses less on grand conspiracy and more on individual characters. Director Francis Ford Coppola makes a good effort, but his interesting character-based approach eventually dissolves into yet another uninspired courtroom drama. Some good performances.

Conspiracy Theory

A slightly off centre 'who knows what?' mystery-thriller that's at its best when showing us the strange world of its protagonist Jerry Fletcher, and weakest when trying to convince us that Julia Roberts' character might actually fall for him.