Black Swan

In Black Swan, Nina (played by Natalie Portman) is a ballet dancer whose life is ruled by her love for dancing. Nina is the director's first pick to replace his ballerina in the company's inaugural staging play of Swan Lake. She has to face some fierce competition from Lily (Mila Kunis), a newbie. Lily typifies the Black Swan, whilst Nina is ideal for the portrayal of the White Swan. As the two dancers' competition morphs into a perverse camaraderie, Nina's evil side starts to show.

Black Swan - a movie that is inspired from the classic fairy tale "The Swan Lake" - is a top-tier thriller that is visceral, affecting, and breathtakingly beautiful. In the same vein, it is also a picture of the shadows of our own minds, generated when they are overpowered by ambition.

Director Aronofsky, whose earlier recent films demonstrate a similar interest in the acute humanity and obsessive ambitions of his characters, gives us a dramatic and moving perspective inside the hallucination of a perfectionist dancer. There are, however, times when his storyline falters, and it appears as if the filmmaker is catering to a mass audience that might not need to be persuaded.

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%

Year of Release: 2010

Stars: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis