A History of Violence (2005)

Director David Cronenberg had a long history of risky film projects before taking on this crime thriller. Films like Scanners, The Fly and eXistenZ established the filmmaker’s fearlessness in taking on unorthodox stories filled to the brim with social commentary about the dark side of human nature. A History of Violence — based on the 1997 graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke — continues that trend, as a small-town family man (Viggo Mortensen) finds his quiet life rocked to its core after a deadly confrontation with two robbers. At its heart, the film is about the nature of violence itself and how it affects the people around it. One of the most critically praised films that year, A History of Violence also paved the way for Mortensen and Cronenberg to reunite on the equally well-received Eastern Promises just two years later.

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