Andrew Dominik’s “Blonde”
Horror of the highest calibre that has more to do with “Revulsion”, “Hour of the Wolf” and “Mulholland Drive” than any true attempt to create a biopic of Marilyn Monroe; a mesmerising though arduous journey worth taking
Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”
An ornate, engaging and fizzing experience which avoids the pitfalls of most biopics and maintains focus on its core story while packing in a huge amount of information
Janus Metz Pedersen’s “All The Old Knives”
Surprisingly effective, twisting spy yarn that plays out like a murder mystery and offers plenty of twists
Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson's “Pinocchio”
A brave and beautiful interpretation of the classic story with real feelings, menace and depth delving into death, loss and the rise of fascism; an instant classic
Jacques Audiard’s “Paris, 13th District”
Adapted from short stories by graphic novelist Adrian Tomine with a screenplay by Audiard, Céline Sciamma and Léa Mysius, this slice of life about a trio of twenty-somethings’ relationships and their sex lives is solid if frothy light
Todd Field’s “Tár”
A powerful character study that is more than an investigation into cancel culture led by a potent and convincing performance from Cate Blanchett
Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All”
Coming of age romance built around original lore of cannibals is full of captivating performances, beautiful cinematography and an arthouse lens on what is on its surface, a pulp horror story though open to interpretation
Tommy Wirkola’s “Violent Night”
If a "b-movie Die Hard with magic and Santa Claus" sounds like a good idea, you deserve this movie
Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans”
A potentially great film obscured by sugar-coated and stagey visuals with great performances keeping its head above water
Mark Mylod’s “The Menu”
Dark satire whose genre is probably best unknown prior to viewing offers an entertaining feast if one that’s a little light on calories
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Gangubai Kathiawadi”
This biographical of Gangubai Kathiawadi, a woman sold into prostitution and her rise to power straddles genres while maintaining coherency led by a superb performance from Alia Bhatt
Colm Bairéad’s “The Quiet Girl”
An absolute powerhouse of quiet intensity that beautifully blends a terrific script, cinematography and music to achieve something truly special
Sebastián Lelio’s “The Wonder”
A brilliant, layered and compelling film about belief, faith, grief and storytelling led by an exceptional performance from Florence Pugh and a crackling script from Emma Donoghue
Lena Dunham’s “Catherine Called Birdy”
A frothy, modernist medieval coming of age story that probably works for the tween demographic from which the source material was written
Clio Barnard’s “Ali & Ava”
A social realist romance with optimism despite the difficult and marginalised lives of its protagonists
Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun”
A poetic haze of memory perfectly executed in a subtle and affecting narrative of a father and daughter
SiouxWIRE Talks 001: Thoughts on AI
A video essay on the considerations around using AI for art creation and its context in the history and future of creative endeavour and beyond
Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness”
Half-baked with no surprises, this tedious black comedy lacks the punch of Östlund’s earlier work
Noah Baumbach’s “White Noise”
Don DeLillo by way of Spielberg before straying into darkness in this absurdist look at modern American culture
Edward Berger’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”
An intense, visceral and beautiful film with an incredibly effective minimalist score and breathtaking cinematography that says as much about inequality as it does war