By Jared Curtis jared@dmcityview.com

‘Contraband’

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur

Rated R, 109 minutes

“Contraband” shocked critics thanks to its tension-filled action sequences and a couple of really good bad guys. Mark Wahlberg shines as Chris, a former top-notch smuggler who left a life of crime and is now living in suburbia with his son and wife (Kate Beckinsale). When his wife’s brother, Andy (Caleb Landry Jones), is forced to dump a shipment he is smuggling, he is indebted to local thug Tim Briggs (a scene-stealing Giovanni Ribisi). With nowhere to turn, Andy is forced to ask help from Chris, who reluctantly agrees to help him smuggle millions of dollars in counterfeit bills. While in Panama, Chris must do business with an old acquaintance, Gonzalo (Diego Luna), and things quickly get out of hand. Thanks to the outlandish characters Luna and Ribisi provide, “Contraband” is an action-packed thrill ride. CV

‘Fear’

Directed by James Foley

1996, Rated R, 97 minutes

“Nicole 4 Eva” will always be stuck in my brain, just like it will forever be carved into the chest of David McCall (Mark Wahlberg). “Fear” showed viewers the real dangers of bad relationships and stalking before it became a common occurrence on Facebook. Nicole (Reese Witherspoon) is a normal teenage girl with loving parents (William Petersen and Amy Brenneman). But when she goes to a party with her friend Margo (Alyssa Milano), she meets David, a seemingly nice guy. That is, until he beats her best friend up and begins stalking her. Nicole tries to break up with David, but he isn’t having it, and things quickly go from bad to worse. “Fear” isn’t the best movie ever, but what it lacks in story, it more than makes up for it with an overabundance of tension. CV>