Miwa Nishikawa’s “Under the Open Sky”
This story of an ex-Yakuza trying to go straight after spending much of his life in prison deals effectively with specific social commentary on the Japanese system while never quite feeling completely authentic or fully realised
Luc & Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s “Tori and Lokita”
Engaging crime drama with captivating leads which rushes some of its most dramatic scenes and though sympathetic sometimes veers towards uncomfortable tropes
Götz Spielmann’s “Revanche”
Absorbing and naturalistic story built around a bank robbery at its centre which quietly discusses ethics, freedom, guilt, revenge and redemption to great effect in this daylight noir
John Patton Ford’s “Emily the Criminal”
Social commentary through crime thriller is engaging and reminiscent of Vondie Curtis-Hall’s “Gridlock'd” with a terrific performance from Aubrey Plaza
Ali Abbasi’s “Holy Spider”
Thrilling, thoughtful and multilayered story based on true events as a female journalist tracks down a serial killer in a conservative Iranian city