David Hewlett Movies

The Escapist director Rupert Wyatt takes the helm for this Planet of the Apes prequel centering on genetically engineered chimp Caesar (Andy Serkis), who was created in a San Francisco lab by an ambitious scientist (James Franco), and who uses his powerful intellect to lead an ape uprising against all of humankind. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Celebrated genetic engineers Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) conduct a clandestine experiment to create an animal/human hybrid that could revolutionize modern medicine -- if it doesn't destroy humanity first. On the heels of engineering an entirely new species of animal, Clive and Elsa become the toast of the scientific community. Their experiment begins to spiral out of control, however, when the superstar scientists introduce human DNA into the equation. When Dren is born, Clive and Elsa welcome her into the world as the next leap in human evolution. Now, the faster Dren evolves, the more her creators start to realize they may have made a catastrophic mistake. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this offbeat comedy - a U.S./Canadian co-production - Patrick (David Hewlett) is an eccentric and socially inept man who lives alone in his parents' rural Washington state house with just his pet dog, Mars, for company. One of the few members of his family who shows much concern for him is his sister Marilyn (Kate Hewlett, David's real life sibling), and he's delighted when she stops by to pay a visit - a little too delighted, as he feels extremely possessive of her on an almost unhealthy level. Marilyn works as a make-up artist on a science fiction television series, and accompanying her is her fiance, the genial actor Ryan (Paul McGillion) -- a cast member on the same series. Despite Ryan's attempts to get off on good footing, Patrick immediately starts scheming and plotting the young man's murder, but he botches the majority of attempts and frequently only succeeds in injuring himself. When Ryan accidentally dies, Patrick realizes that Marilyn will inevitably blame him for it and read the death as deliberate. He buries the body and cooks up some phony reasons for Ryan's disappearance; problem is, the corpse mysteriously keeps getting exhumed - or does it? It isn't quite clear if what is happening is actually happening or if Patrick is merely hallucinating. Leading man David Hewlett made his directorial debut with A Dog's Breakfast, in addition to writing the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

The thrilling Stargate: SG-1 spin-off, Stargate: Atlantis, is set in the lost city of Atlantis in the Pegasus Galaxy, built millions of years ago by the most advanced race in the Stargate Universe. Season 3's (2006-7) 20 episodes brim with adventure, throwing wild new challenges weekly at the ensemble cast: Joe Flanigan (Lt. Col John Sheppard); David Hewlett (Dr. Rodney McKay); Torri Higginson (Dr. Elizabeth Weir); Rachel Luttrell (Teyla Emmagan); Jason Momoa (Ronon Dex); Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett); and Mitch Pileggi (Col. Steven Caldwell). Executive-produced by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, the five-disc DVD set is flooded with bonus features including audio commentaries for 19 episodes, many behind-the-scenes featurettes, and photo and production design galleries.

Filmed in Bulgaria, this made-for-cable thriller draws upon both Greek and Herbraic legend for its inspiration. Shiri Appleby stars as Liz Parker, a normal 24-year-old woman living a normal existence. At least, that's the case until Liz is informed that she is actually the immortal demoness Lilith, who in Biblical times had been the first wife of Adam and thus the evil doppelganger of Eve! Having cut a murderous swath through the world for centuries, Lilith had disappeared from view when she was hypnotized into believing she was an orphaned mortal--and thus "Liz Parker" was born. Now, a secret society called Faith is determined to bring Lilith back to life and to rechannel her evil powers for the forces of Good. It is up to Faith's chief agent William Shaw to keep Liz/Lilith on the path of righteousness, a task made doubly difficult by the fact that Lilith had killed Shaw's son years earlier. Naturally, there are those in the world who hope to benefit from the activities of the "bad" Lilith, and there's also a certain demon who must be destroyed in order to save mankind. Evidently intended as the pilot for a weekly series, DarkLight first aired September 18, 2004 on the Sci-Fi Channel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In the two-part opener of Stargate Atlantis' first season, scientist Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) organizes a new Stargate team to journey through a newly discovered "time portal" and explore the lost city of Atlantis -- not on Earth, but somewhere in the Pegasus Gallery. Major John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his cohorts Lt. Aiden Ford (Rainbow Sun Francks) and Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlitt) have volunteered for the mission despite the foreknowledge that they will not be able to return to Earth unless they locate the advanced technology left behind by the ancient alien race who built Atlantis in the far-distant past. As it turns out, the wondrous city is populated by a variety of beings who'd been lost in space, including a few Earthlings. And what happened to the original Atlantans? This question is answered during the Stargate team's stopover at a primitive planet populated by a vicious and voracious race known at the Wraith, who have gobbled down a number of space dwellers and undoubtedly intend to add the people of Earth on their list. Early attempts to experiment with the alien technology come a cropper, the Stargate ship is imperiled by a variety of unforeseen circumstances, and the crew persons are constantly under attack by strange and deadly alien life forms. On the plus side, they have picked up a valuable new crew member, a fiercely independent native of the Pegasus Galaxy named Teyla (Rachel Luttrell). As the season progresses, the Stargate team comes across a planet populated by a lemming-like race whose members commit suicide upon turning 25; an alien drug which may repel the Wraith has unexpected side effects; General George Hammond (Don S. Davis) from the original Stargate SG-1 makes a guest appearance in the story of a strange fog with stranger powers; investigating a crippled Wraith ship, the crew members meet their enemy face to face with surprising results; a visit to a world without technology may provide a safe harbor from the Wraith, but of negligible value if the means to return to Earth are never discovered; and upon recovering a woman held in suspended animation, the team is shocked to find that she is none other than their mission leader, Dr. Weir! The season's finale is the two-part cliffhanger "The Siege," wherein a military force from Earth arrives in Atlantis to help the team fend off a full-frontal assault by the Wraith -- but even these reinforcements may prove useless unless Dr. McKay can activate an orbital-weapons platform after thousands of centuries of disrepair. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Two roommates fed up with the outside world find that it's easier to avoid responsibility than they thought when a wish to make it all go away comes true in this mysterious tale from Cube director Vincenzo Natali. David (David Hewlett) and Andrew (Andrew Miller) are best friends with a grudge against the outside world. From bill collectors to obnoxious neighbors to a landlord who seems to have it out for the pair, it seems that lately the weight of the entire world is resting on their shoulders. Everyone wishes that their problems would simply just go away, but when that wish actually comes true and the world around them simply begins to disappear, Andrew and David must get to the bottom of the mystery before they too fade into oblivion. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Based on a true crime story, the two-part TV movie And Never Let Her Go recounts the disappearance of Anne Marie Fahey in June of 1996, and the subsequent arrest and conviction of her accused murderer. Hired as a secretary by powerful Delaware attorney and gubernatorial aide, Thomas Capano (Mark Harmon), Anne Marie enters into a torrid and ofttimes abusive affair with her kinky boss. When Anne Marie's relatives report that she is missing, the governor of Delaware solicits the aid of the U.S. Department of Justice to solve the case. Although detective Frank Gugliatta (Paul Michael Glaser) and assistant U.S. attorney Colm Connolly (Steve Eckholdt) suspect that Capano has done away with Anne Marie, they are stymied by a lack of tangible proof...notably, the girl's body. It is not until Anne Marie's diary turns up in a most unexpected manner that Gugliatta and Connolly are able to fully act upon their suspicions -- and even then, the ultimate solution rests with the cooperation (or lack of same) of Capano's brother, Gerry (David Hewlett). Oscar winner Olympia Dukakis appears as Thomas Capano's formidable mother. Filmed in Toronto and told largely in flashback, And Never Let Her Go was originally telecast by CBS on April 1 and 4, 2001. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

After a five-year absence, Sherry Stringfield returns to ER in the role of Dr. Susan Lewis -- the same week that series regular Erik Palladino makes his farewell appearance as Dr. Dave Malucci. In Chicago to interview for a job at another hospital, Lewis drops into County General to see her former "crush" Greene (Anthony Edwards) -- and is offered a position in County's ER when Weaver (Laura Innes) fires one employee and kicks another one "downstairs." Naturally, Lewis welcomes the chance to come home -- but what will Greene's current spouse, Elizabeth (Alex Kingston), think? ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Canadian filmmaker William Phillips makes his feature debut with this psychological thriller about an ad exec, a gang of juvenile thugs, and a really big tree. Murray Roberts (David Hewlett) is an up-and-coming salesman for an advertising company who, while strolling in a city park one day, encounters a 14-year-old mugger named Carter (Kevin Duhaney). Being a life-long alpha male, Roberts refuses to play the victim and a tussle ensues. The lad's comrades in crime emerge from the surrounding trees and soon Roberts is forced to flee. He eventually finds refuge in the higher branches of a rather large tree. The gang members, led by the charismatic Shark (Clé Bennett), lay siege. A battle of wills and wits ensues between the adman and the gangster. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Exploring concepts of fate and free will, Jerry Ciccoritti's contemplative drama shows the lives of a handful of random people during the 12 hours leading up to a bloody shooting spree in a posh coffee shop. Maggie (Emily Hampshire) is a waitress in the café whose acting career is going nowhere fast. Her co-worker Connie (Sarah Polley), who is learning to love her lawyer boyfriend, is supposed to have the day off. Sheena (Catherine O'Hara), who frequents the shop, is a lovelorn bridal consultant looking for a decent man. And Brian (Stephen Rea), an exterminator/philosopher, is still mourning the death of his daughter, who died a year ago. Their petty, everyday problems gain ironic resonance when juxtaposed with the day's bloody ending. This film was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A man learns an unexpected lesson about the power of the written work in this dark independent comedy from Canada. Martyn (David Hewlett) is a young man who seems to be devoting his life to going to college; he's persuaded into stealing a rare and valuable book, but the burglary goes awry and Martyn is forced to kill a book dealer when he tries to hold on to the previous volume. Martyn now has to make a getaway, get rid of the body, and deliver the purloined letters, but there's a problem -- his car won't start. Martyn finds Theresa (Tanya Allen), a beautiful female auto mechanic, and persuades her to fix his vehicle. She agrees, but Martyn soon realizes that her boyfriend is the man he's just murdered. Theresa soon catches on that Martyn has stolen the book, and displays a greater interest in his ill-gotten literature than her boyfriend's death or repairing the car. Clutch also features comic Tom Green in a small role as a "computer gimp"; it was his first appearance in a feature film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This low-budget science-fiction drama, winner of a 1997 Toronto Film Festival prize for "Best Canadian First Feature," depicts the plight of a group of people clad in prison-style uniforms and trapped in futuristic cube-like metal cells. Their memories are hazy; no one can recall how they got there. Alderson (Julian Richings) awakens in a cell, seeks an exit, and arrives in an adjacent cube where he's sliced and diced. Former cop Quentin (Maurice Dean-Wint) becomes the group leader, and he's challenged by conspiracy theorist Dr. Holloway (Nicky Guadagni). Government worker Worth (David Hewlett) remembers a past government link to the project. A discovery that the cubes have numerical codes suggests study by math-student Leaven (Nicole deBoer) while former thief Rennes (Wayne Robson) knows some escape tricks. However, the extreme behavior of Kazan (Andrew Miller) becomes a threat to their survival. The film was also shown at the 1997 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi