THE FIVE BEST FILMS

1

Get Carter (8)

Mike Hodges' gangland picture retains a thrillingly seedy allure, thanks to the bleak Newcastle locations, dialogue that is sharp and spare, and a performance of near-heroic unpleasantness from Michael Caine.

2

A Simple Plan (5)

Cult horror director Sam Raimi makes a dramatic entry into the mainstream with this chilling, snowbound thriller about a $4m windfall that brings nothing but ill. Bill Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton co-star.

3

0 Things I Hate About You (2)

Surprisingly irreverent and sharp teen movie. So many good lines, so little time... Miss Perky, the school's foulmouthed guidance counsellor, deserves a film of her own. See New Films, right.

4

The Travelling Players (5)

Exasperating, moving and disturbing, this treatise on Greek history from 939 to 952 was once voted the most important film in the world for the whole decade. But don't let that put you off. See New Films, right.

5

Cruel Intentions (5)

This sly take on Les Liaisons Dangereuses is set in haute monde Manhattan, where Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe plot their seductions with all the cruelty of the original aristocrats.