16. 2012 (2009) This first entry is a bit of a doozy, but I’m including it for good reason! Back in the 2000s, 2012 was the speculated date for Earth’s end because galactic alignment, Timewave Zero, and the Mayan calendar all suggested doomsday might fall that year. An apocalyptic Hollywood action flick was guaranteed to come out of this widespread superstition, which director Roland Emmerich envisioned as a series of natural disasters—earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, avalanches, tsunamis, you name it....

16. The Mill and the Cross (2011) If you like classical paintings,The Mill and the Crossis a must-watch film. It’s basically like an art gallery in movie form! Specifically, a gallery of the works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, one of the most significant Dutch artists from the 16th century. InThe Mill and the Cross, Lech Majewski’s Polish production brings to life Bruegel’s 1564 oil paintingThe Procession to Calvary, weaving together vignettes of everyday peasant life in 16th century Flanders....

16. The Decline of Western Civilization (1981) Kicking things off with a documentary,The Decline of Western Civilizationnever once feels like trudging through a dull historical textbook like some documentaries do. Instead, Penelope Spheeris suffuses her movie with the spirit of the 1970s. The Decline of Western Civilizationis the first in a trio of Los Angeles-based documentaries that explore subcultures of the late 20th century, with Part 2 looking at “The Metal Years” and Part 3 examining gutter punk homelessness....

16. Immortals (2011) As the league of gods and goddesses are thinking of helping Theseus, Zeus says that they (gods) should not interfere with the affairs of man unless the Titans are released. Though the filmImmortalsincorporates the stories of Theseus, the oracles, the plot to release the Titans, and other gods like Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon, and Athena, it’s not a direct adaptation from any literature. Aside from the plot being out-of-story, the locations, the cinematography, and the cast give life to a new story of heroism and adventure with a classic Greek literature touch....

16. The Unborn (2009) Though it takes quite a bit of time to develop its plot and really get going,The Unborndoes feature several disturbingly possessed characters and creepy figures who haunt the main character. The story revolves around a girl named Casey (played by Odette Annable), who has supernatural ties with haunting events that include her family’s past and a “dybbuk” who lurks in her bloodline. The Unbornuses twisted bodies of animals and people to escalate the horror experience....