The Wall

Director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) takes a much more minimalist approach in this tense thriller. At the tail-end of the Iraq War, an American soldier answers a phoney distress call only to find himself engaged in a battle of wits with the Iraqi sniper who has them trapped. There's very little action on the screen, as the film becomes a game of mental chess between the slightly stereotypical Iraqi sniper, who is mostly heard and not seen, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's stranded soldier. Liman sets the scene perfectly, making the vast emptiness of their surroundings feel claustrophobic. Johnson carries much of the film, with his intensity and determination making up for the lack of co-stars to work with (wrestler John Cena makes an impressive appearance as his wounded comrade). The thin story isn't quite enough to stretch over an hour and a half, but The Wall has enough to make the majority of the experience nail-biting.