Matthew Davis Movies
The thoughtfully squinting eyes peering from beneath the thick brow of this Hollywood brunette have mesmerized fans, as well as directors, in a rapid succession of mainstream film appearances. They can be found on the face of handsome Matthew Davis, who made suddenly frequent film appearances in his early twenties, after laboring on-stage in New York for some time. He was born on May 8, 1978, in Salt Lake City, UT, where he grew up before venturing to New York and then to Los Angeles. His first starring role came in 2000, when he was just 22, with Colin Farrell in Tigerland. Davis portrayed a writer in the Vietnam War, thus beginning a series of appearances in war films. That same year, he played a dual role as twins in Urban Legends: Final Cut, a role that allowed Davis to explore his range in the genre of mystery/horror. In 2001, he appeared in the role of Lt. Joe Olson in the blockbuster Pearl Harbor, the dramatization of the World War II event starring Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett.Shifting gears from his work on the battlegrounds once again, he starred opposite Reese Witherspoon as the ex-boyfriend she follows to Harvard Law in the romantic comedy Legally Blonde, also in 2001. While neither film was critically successful, both gave Davis a tremendous amount of media limelight, and big roles would continue the following year. Another World War II film, Below (2002), featured Davis as captain of a submarine, and blended the genre-boundaries of war film into more horrific and science fiction-oriented themes. Bouncing back into the romantic comedy world, he starred in the adventurous surfing film Blue Crush and then Lone Star State of Mind, the latter with Joshua Jackson and James King, both also in 2002.
While 2003 saw little of Davis save for the independent comedy drama Something Better, in 2004 the actor would star alongside Jay Mohr and Julianne Nicholson in the sexy comedy film Seeing Other People, as well as work with James Spader and Aidan Quinn in the thriller Shadow of Fear. In 2005, Davis worked with Glenn Close and James Mardsen in the drama Heights, which followed five New Yorkers charged with deciding their respective destinies before sunrise the following day, and played a rookie FBI agent in Into the Sun, an action-thriller starring Steven Seagal. Though reviews were largely negative, filmmaker Uwe Boll's adaptation of the popular video game BloodRayne featured Davis as part of a team of vampire hunters.
Davis worked in television throughout 2006 and 2007, when he starred in the role of a lawyer for ABC's drama What About Brian, and as a character in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2008. From 2009-2012, Davis had a regular role as Professor Alaric Saltzman in The Vampire Diaries, the CW's hit series adapted from author L.J. Smith's popular paranormal romance series for young adults. In 2012, The CW's Cult Davis stars as a journalist blogger investigating a series of bizarre disappearances that all appear connected to the same television show.
~ Sarah Sloboda, Rovi
- 2010
- PG13
A lonely man devotes his life to being near his childhood friend, a failed Hollywood actress looking to start a new life while caring for her ailing father, in this romantic drama starring Tom Sturridge and Rachel Bilson. Growing up, Emma (Bilson) and Will (Sturridge) were inseparable. When Emma moved out to Hollywood she forgot about Will. But Will never forgot Emma; as far as he's concerned, they're just two soul mates separated by distance. These days, Will just drifts though life while trying to be as close to Emma as possible, earning enough money to stay well fed by performing on the streets. When Emma's father falls ill, she turns her back on Hollywood and returns home to take care of him while reevaluating her hectic love life, rediscovering a kindred spirit in the process. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rachel Bilson, Tom Sturridge, (more)
Daveigh Chase reprises her role as Samantha Darko in this sequel set seven years after the events of director Richard Kelly's acclaimed cult hit. The day Donnie Darko died, his family died too. Almost a decade later, eighteen year old Sam still feels the loss every day. She longs to become a professional dancer, and decides to take a road trip to California with her best friend Corey (Briana Evigan). When their car breaks down just outside the dusty small town of Conejo Springs, carefree Corey bides her time waiting for a new water pump to arrive by striking up a friendship with local bad boy Randy Holt (Ed Westwick). The following morning, a meteor crashes to the ground nearby, destroying a local farmer's windmill and leaving a gaping crater in the ground. In the aftermath of that unsettling incident, Sam's disturbing prophetic dreams seem to start spilling over into the real world. Could the people around her prove the key to unlocking this unearthly mystery? Unfortunately for Sam, religious fanatics Trudy Potter (Elizabeth Berkley) and Pastor John Mellit (Matthew Davis) seem more interested in spouting religious clichés that pondering the end of the world, and Randy and the locals are too busy partying to notice that events are coming to a head. When the locals begin to gossip, Sam and Corey's friendship starts to suffer, and the pair have a bitter falling out. Unaware of the fact that they have become inexorably bound by fate to a missing child, an unstable Gulf War veteran, and a mysterious rift in the time-space continuum, the former friends discover that the world will soon perish unless a substantial sacrifice is made. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daveigh Chase, Briana Evigan, (more)
An award-winning film school graduate is forced to confront her sexual hang-ups when she makes the move to Los Angeles and reluctantly becomes an editor at a profitable pornography studio. Jody Balaban (Leelee Sobieski) is a 25-year-old filmmaker who's about to get a rude awakening. Despite Jody's collegiate success, she's still unemployed a year after graduating, and she's about to be faced with one of the most difficult decisions of her life. Jody isn't a fan of pornography, but it seems that an editing position at Grind Productions is her best shot at earning a steady paycheck. With great reluctance, the idealistic Jody goes to work cutting skin flicks by day, and scheming to realize her own personal vision as a filmmaker by night. Before long, Jody and Grind Productions director Jeff Drake (Matthew Davis) have become fast friends. Much like Jody, Jeff was once a "serious" filmmaker with ambition to spare. Jeff sees a little of himself in Jody, though these days his youthful idealism has long since given way to jaded cynicism. Meanwhile, as Jody begins feeling aroused by the very films she once judged so harshly, she realizes that the only way to truly live free is to finally face her own sexual hang-ups. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Leelee Sobieski, Matthew Davis, (more)
A young writer's friendship with a famous author turns sour when he falls for the wrong woman in this independent drama. Sanford Pollard (Rutger Hauer) is a once-famous and successful novelist whose career is in a bit of a slump. Pollard has used his still-impressive literary reputation to land a prestigious teaching position at a major university, where English student and aspiring author Carter Baines (Matthew Davis) is his student and assistant. While it doesn't take long for Baines to discover how petty and manipulative Pollard can be, he's also more than a bit awed by the great man, and feels privileged to be taken under his wing. Pollard has another favorite student, Julia (Dagmara Dominczyk), a beautiful coed who becomes his lover, but as the friendship between Pollard and Baines becomes closer, Julia finds herself increasingly attracted to Pollard's handsome young assistant. For a while, Pollard and Baines share Julia's affections, but when she decides she wants Baines more than Pollard, the older man becomes increasingly angry and vindictive against his charges. The first feature film from director David Langlitz, Mentor received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rutger Hauer, Matthew Davis, (more)
A Midwestern bar tender hungering for life in the fast lane enters a Hollywood King of the Bar contest in this fast-paced showbiz satire starring Jason Mewes and Paris Hilton. Owen Peadman (Mewes) is Minnesota's "Golden Boy" of bartending, but the Midwest has grown a little bland, and now Owen is looking make a name for himself in the thriving L.A. nightclub scene. When Owen gets word of a high profile bartender contest with a hearty cash prize, he sets his sights on Hollywood and prepares to knock the judges dead. Unfortunately for Owen things don't quite work out as planned, and after losing out to a well-known L.A. barman he is forced to seek the help of his flamboyant Uncle Earl. A fast-talking producer of a popular tabloid new program, Uncle Earl offers Owen a job and the pair soon set out to get the scoop on Hayden Field - the hottest young star around. Getting to Hayden isn't going to be easy though, and after hatching a plan to befriend Hayden's glamorous girlfriend Lisa Mancini (Hilton), the one-time drink slinger find out just how wild the west coast nightlife can truly get. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paris Hilton, Jason Mewes, (more)
The war against the forces of darkness becomes a family affair in this cinematic prequel to the popular video game Bloodrayne. In 16th century Europe, Lord Kagan (Ben Kingsley) is an evil ruler who holds more power than any man alive, but he still dreams of having more, and when he's told of three magic talismans who, when united, will give him intense supernatural strength and the gift of immortality, he will stop at nothing to attain them. However, three warriors who have learned how to battle the forces of darkness -- Vladimir (Michael Madsen), Katarin (Michelle Rodriguez), and Sebastian (Matt Davis) -- have formed the Brimstone Society, with the goal of stripping Kagan of his power and restoring justice to their land. They can't accomplish this on their own, though, so they enlist the aid of Rayne (Kristanna Loken), a half-human, half-vampire who can approach Kagan's sinister gifts while having a desire to do good. However, Rayne is torn about signing on with the Brimstone Society, and for a good reason -- Kagan is her father. Scripted by actress, screenwriter, and video-game enthusiast Guinevere Turner, BloodRayne also stars Geraldine Chaplin, Udo Kier, Billy Zane, Michael Paré, and Meat Loaf Aday. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kristanna Loken, Michelle Rodriguez, (more)
When an underground society of powerful and dangerous men transforms from a secretive safe haven into a tangled web of lies and deceit, their unwavering desperation culminates in a shocking act of murder in this thriller from director Rich Cowan. Everyone in the secret society has committed a crime that could bring their fortune and public face crumbling to the ground, and Harrison French (Matt Davis) is no exception. Convinced by leader William Ashbury (James Spader) that the only way to make his troubles disappear is to confess his agonizing secret to the members of the group -- who will in turn exchange his confession for a "favor" designed to take the weight off his crushing conscience -- French soon discovers that the price for a future of lies and deception may be more than he is willing to pay. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- James Spader
Directed by Wallace Wolodarsky, Seeing Other People features Jay Mohr and Julianne Nicholson as Ed and Alice, a soon-to-be married couple with one rather significant problem facing them: Alice doesn't think she's had enough sex to excuse settling down with one man for the rest of her life. Though reluctant, Ed agrees, at Alice's insistence, to have a premarital free-for-all of sorts; a period in which both Alice and Ed are allowed to explore sexual and emotional relationships with other people. Complications ensue when it turns out that fooling around with multiple partners as a method of strengthening the sanctity of marriage isn't as easy as it appeared. Seeing Other People also stars Lauren Graham, Bryan Cranston, Josh Charles, and Matthew Davis. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jay Mohr, Julianne Nicholson, (more)
A handful of New Yorkers find their paths crossing in ways that force them to examine their lives in this contemporary drama produced by Ismail Merchant. Isabel (Elizabeth Banks) is a twentysomething photographer who is supposed to marry her boyfriend, Jonathan (James Marsden), in a month. But Isabel has found herself wondering if marriage is the right thing for her. Meanwhile, her mother, Diana (Glenn Close), a well-known film actress, has learned her husband has been seeing another woman, and while they have an open relationship, Diana finds this hurtful. Over the course of the day, Diana meets Alec (Jesse Bradford), a handsome young actor, and Isabel is introduced to Peter (John Light), a journalist, and both women begin to question their current relationships. The first feature for director Chris Terrio, Heights also stars Michael Murphy, Eric Bogosian, Thomas Lennon, and Rufus Wainwright. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, (more)
Move over, Gidget -- a new breed of female surfers with style, guts and attitude hit the screen in this feature, which combines romance with a sports drama. Anne Marie (Kate Bosworth) is a young woman living in Hawaii who has been surfing since she was a little girl, and over the past year has been training for the prestigious Pipe Masters surfing competition. But Anne Marie is still dealing with emotional baggage that's holding her back -- her mother abandoned her years ago, leaving her to raise her younger sister Penny (Mika Boorem) while having to guide herself through adolescence, and Anne Marie nearly drowned while trying to surf the famous Maui Pipeline three years ago, and has yet to shake the anxieties of this traumatic event. Anne Marie and Penny share a house with Anne Marie's friends Lena (Sanoe Lake) and Eden (Michelle Rodriguez), both fellow surf enthusiasts, and the three friends work as maids at a hotel, a job which offers them flexible hours for riding the waves. When a pro football team checks into the hotel, Anne Marie meets Matt (Matthew Davis), a promising quarterback who has his eye on her. Anne Marie is just as attracted to Matt as he is to her, but will Anne Marie have to choose between the man of her dreams and the recognition as a surfer she's worked for years to receive? Kate Bosworth, Michelle Rodriguez, and Sanoe Lake did all their own surfing in Blue Crush; Bosworth and Rodriguez went into training to learn the sport before shooting began, while Lake, a native Hawaiian, was already a confirmed surf enthusiast. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Kate Bosworth, Matthew Davis, (more)
Reflecting studio executives' taste for material that crosses genres, this film from director David Twohy and co-screenwriter Darren Aronofsky mixes the war movie and supernatural thriller genres. After they rescue a trio of survivors that includes a nurse, Claire Page (Olivia Williams), from a British hospital ship sunk by the Nazis, the crew of the American submarine U.S.S. Tiger Shark comes to believe that their vessel is haunted. The unexpected death of their commander forces first officer Lt. Brice (Bruce Greenwood) to take command, trying to avoid a German destroyer on the hunt for his ship, while investigating the series of mysterious incidents that are terrifying his crew. Is the Tiger Shark haunted, or is there something otherworldly inhabiting the waters where the sailors are currently trapped? Originally entitled "Proteus," this project was slated to be Aronofsky's follow-up to Pi (1998), but the writer/director opted to helm Requiem for a Dream (2000) instead. Below co-stars Scott Foley, Zach Galifianakis, Dexter Fletcher, and Holt McCallany. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Bruce Greenwood, Olivia Williams, (more)
A Southern-flavored black comedy concerning a small-town mechanic desperate to help his girlfriend/stepsister realize her dream of becoming a soap opera actress, Lone Star State of Mind finds Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson in an increasingly sticky predicament. Though at first Earl (Jackson) and Baby's (Jamie King) plans to make for Los Angeles seem close enough to realize, it isn't long before Baby's slow-witted cousin Junior (DJ Qualls) finds Earl working double time to help Junior out of a jam and hit the road within the space of 48 hours. It seems that Junior has gotten himself into a bit of trouble with the Mob, and if Baby doesn't get to L.A. soon, pilot season will be over and all hopes of a career as an actress lost. Having provided the testimony that put away the mobster who killed his father when he was a young boy, Earl soon begins to realize that his situation may be more dire, and more personal, than he previously thought. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Reese Witherspoon stars in this romantic comedy, the feature film debut of award-winning Australian director Robert Luketic. As a ravishing Miss Hawaiian Tropic, sorority president, and calendar girl, Elle Woods (Witherspoon) is a big hit on the campus of her sun-drenched Los Angeles college. She's also got the perfect boyfriend in Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis), a wealthy East Coast blue blood. Fearing that his snooty friends and family will never accept the bubble-headed Elle, however, Warner dumps her before heading off to graduate law school at Harvard University. Determined to win back her man, Elle enrolls in the same imposing institution, quickly becoming an object of scorn and ridicule, especially to Warner's old prep school flame (Selma Blair). Despite her penchant for malls, makeup, and tanning, Elle is no dummy and is soon showing elite Ivy League snobs a thing or two about class, self-confidence, and courtroom victory. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi
- Starring:
- Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, (more)
A young man tries to fight the military system only to find it fighting back in unexpected ways in this hard-edged drama. In 1971, Roland Bozz (Colin Farrell) is a draftee who has been sent to the Advanced Infantry Training Facility in Fort Polk, LA, where with hundreds of other new soldiers he's to be taught a final course in combat skills before being shipped out to Vietnam. Bozz has no interest in going to war, and is determined to get sent home as a troublemaker. But his plan backfires; his superiors regard his insubordination as a sign of intelligence and independent thinking, and he's told he might some day become an officer. Bozz and his fellow soldiers -- aspiring writer Paxton (Matthew Davis), sensitive Miter (Clifton Collins Jr.), philosophical Cantwell (Thomas Guiry), bloodthirsty Wilson (Shea Whigham), and heroic Johnson (Russell Richardson) -- are taught how to survive as they face their fears of death and wonder if they can somehow escape going to war. Tigerland was directed by Joel Schumacher; in a change of pace from his best-known work (Falling Down, Batman Forever, and Batman and Robin), the film was made on a relatively low budget (under $10 million), was written by first-time screenwriters Ross Klavan and Michael McGruther, and features a cast of young, little-known actors. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Colin Farrell, Matthew Davis, (more)
Tall tales turn into chilling reality in this sequel to the 1998 horror hit Urban Legend. Amy Mayfield (Jenny Morrison) is a film student at Alpine University who for her thesis project (which will also be her entry to a prestigious competition for young directors) has decided to make a horror film about urban legends that suddenly and disturbingly come true. However, as Amy and her student cast and crew begin filming staged murders for the project, members of her team begin dying for real, and the survivors have to track down the killer before they become the next victims. And where do Travis (Matthew Davis), Graham (Joey Lawrence), and Toby (Anson Mount), three other students vying for the same prize as Amy, fit into this scenario? Urban Legends: The Final Cut marked the directorial debut for John Ottman, who previously distinguished himself as an editor and composer (he also performed both of those functions for this film). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, (more)
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