JOE takes a look at ace Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow’s best flicks

Kathryn Bigelow is riding high above a wave of adoration at the moment with her latest critical darling Zero Dark Thirty. JOE takes a look at her top 5 movies.

By Genna Patterson

Bigelow was originally an artist, but made a short movie in 1978 called The Set-Up and the rest is history. Her first feature film starred a young William Defoe - 1982’s The Loveless. She has a fondness for exploring violence through film and her subjects include creatures of the night, underground dealings, war zones and cover-ups. Her movies regularly attract huge stars including Ralph Fiennes, Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze and Harrison Ford .

Twice Kathryn has teamed up with journalist Mark Boal to cover Middle East War issues in The Hurt Locker and now Zero Dark Thirty - which follows the ten-year hunt for Osama Bin Laden. The Hurt Locker won Kathryn Best Director award in the Oscars; remarkably the first time for a female director. Meanwhile Zero Dark Thirty has been nominated for five Oscars and five BAFTAs while Jessica Chastain has already won Best Actress for her portrayal of CIA Analyst Maya, in charge of the hunt, at the Golden Globes.

We have tickets to give away to the Irish screening of Zero Dark Thirty at the Lighthouse on Tuesday 22 January. To be in with a chance to win, check out the competition here.

The Hurt Locker (2008)

A deserving Academy Award winner for Best Picture, Jeremy Renner plays a reckless bomb disposal leader in the Iraq war. With a three man team, each bomb they dismantle in war-torn Baghdad is another flirt with death as they try to make the city safe again. The movie is based on journalist Mark Boal’s experiences covering war zones in the Middle East (the same Mark Boal Bigelow teamed up with to make Zero Dark Thirty). Also starring Guy Pearce and Ralph Fiennes.

Strange Days (1995)

Strange Days tells the story of a former cop turned street hustler who uncovers a police conspiracy. Nero (Ralph Fiennes) deals with ‘clips’ that allow someone to use other peoples memories and feel it happening to them. However he uncovers a ‘clip’ that shows the murder of a hip-hop star, and new boyfriend to his ex, by the police. Set in a amusingly futuristic 1999, two days before New Years and the supposed end of the world.

Point Break (1991)

Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah (what a great name), an undercover FBI agent trying to prove that a group of surfers are bank robber group ‘The Ex-Presidents.’ Also starring the late Patrick Swayze as Bodhi, the surfer’s leader,he allows Johnny to join their surfing group, but Johnny gets drawn into their way of life as he tries to find proof to convict them.

Blue Steel (1989)

Jamie Lee Curtis is a rookie bad-ass lady cop in Blue Steel. On her first day she is set up to take the fall for a death. Soon she realizes her lover is behind it all but who can protect her from the law and a stalker. An underrated Basic Instict style thriller.

Near Dark (1987)

Adrian Pasdar (from TV show Heroes) is a young man reluctantly forced to join up with a group of vampires after he tries to seduce one of them - he didn't know at the time, like. The ace Bill Paxton features as the Vampire madman Severen. Made well before Twilight, when vampires were actually evil f*ckers and didn't sparkle. Cracking cult flick.