Marie Kreutzer’s “Corsage”
The reimagined life of Empress Elisabeth of Austria is an oddly detached affair with a great lead in Vicky Krieps let down by some poor production choices and a bland soundtrack
David O. Russell’s “Amsterdam”
A Big Lebowski-style caper with Christian Bale’s Columbo-esque Burt standing in for The Dude in a story covering the rise of fascism that never quite feels weighty as it should while never ceasing to entertain
Maria Schrader’s “She Said”
This is a rock solid, gripping journalist-procedural with stand out performances from Carey Mulligan and Samantha Morton
Hugo Blick’s “The English”
Pulp revisionist spaghetti western with a stellar cast that make up for some uneven pacing across its six episodes
Kim Hopkins’ “A Bunch of Amateurs”
A terrific documentary that touches on community, covid, isolation, aging and the love of film; funny, moving and life affirming with a Northern lilt
Scott Cooper’s “Hostiles”
Revisionist western that never quite manages to be more than average despite a collection of massive talent
Alexandre Rockwell’s “Sweet Thing”
Enchanting, gloriously cinematic view of the underbelly of America through the eyes of children
Panah Panahi’s “Hit the Road”
A life affirming drama-comedy road movie that’s hilarious, accessible and poignant as an Iranian family make their way across the country for reasons unknown
Romola Garai’s “Amulet”
Brooding gothic horror led by a terrific performance from Alec Secareanu, haunting cinematography from Laura Bellingham and a terrific script from Garai herself
Cristobal León and Joaquín Cociña’s “The Wolf House”
Hypnotic but nightmarish propaganda fable told from the perspective of a Chilean Nazi cult is like The Brothers Quay and Brothers Grimm goose stepping in unison
Damien Leone’s “Terrifier”
Effective grindhouse slasher that lacks the depth to be considered a classic
Claire Denis’ “Let the Sunshine In”
Loneliness and the search for love in middle age with a strong performance from Juliette Binoche, the film is steeped in French culture which is at times confounding
Paweł Pawlikowski’s “Cold War”
With sumptuous cinematography from Łukasz Żal and captivating central performances from Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot, it’s a masterfully crafted bittersweet romance with a sting in its tail
Olivier Assayas’ “Personal Shopper”
A fresh genre blending story of grief, its ensuing loneliness and questioning of the world
Jim Archer’s “Brian and Charles”
Charming magic reality fable on isolation and parenting with good humour and open to personal interpretation
Radu Jude’s “Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”
Gonzo meditation on porn, privacy, prejudice, and the ridiculous state of a world where consensual sex is more shocking than fascism
Dean Fleischer-Camp’s “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On”
A touching, often profound story of community and loss whose sweetness is balanced by an air of melacholy
Xan Cassavetes’ “Kiss of the Damned”
Occasionally interesting romantic vampire story let down by an uneven script, poor music and some weak acting
Jean Luc Herbulot’s “Saloum”
Gangster/Horror mashup which eschews western tropes in favour of local storytelling full of cultural references with great character dynamics and a pacy script
Oliver Hermanus’ “Living”
This beautiful, respectful retelling of Kurosawa’s magnificent Ikiru has a soul of its own