The Wall

Director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) takes a minimalist approach to 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 an Iraqi sniper. 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. Taylor-Johnson carries much of the film, with his intensity and determination making up for the lack of co-stars to work with (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.