Christopher Zalla’s “Radical”
“It challenges but isn’t too challenging, it’s heartwarming without being sweet and it’s familiar while still feeling fresh.”
Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight”
Sublime and surprising coming-of-age, romance and social commentary masterpiece with pitch perfect performances, sumptuous visuals and a haunting soundtrack
Jonathan Glazer’s “Under the Skin”
A wholly cinematic experience of the highest calibre fuses visuals, narrative and performance into a cohesive, compelling and sublime piece of visual storytelling
Pawo Choyning Dorji’s “Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
Charming parable of a young Bhutanese man faced with the choice of pursuing his dreams or staying where he’s needed is sentimental though tempered by an ending which leaves just enough unresolved to dull the edge of preachiness
Elegance Bratton’s “The Inspection”
A low key but compelling, fresh and sincere take on the boot camp story telling the true life experience of a gay man hoping to turn his life around by joining the US Marines
Mohammad Reza Aslani’s “Chess of the Wind”
Released just prior to Iran’s revolution and lost until now, this is a subversive, modern parable of corruption, greed and patriarchy told with Kubrick level detail and mise-en-scene
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
Lukas Dhont’s “Close”
Toxic masculinity poisons the well of childhood in this rich and moving melacholic masterpiece that is ultimately cathartic
Jafar Panahi’s “Taxi Tehran”
Joyful and ingenious, this view of a cross section of people in Tehran by way of a shared taxi turns a series of seemingly disparate stories into a coherent and potent whole
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
Alexandre Koberidze’s “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?”
Poetic, naturalistic romance with magical realist elements is a love letter to the Georgian town of Kutaisi as much as it’s a philosophical fairytale
Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking”
Thoughtful dialogue-led drama based on Miriam Toews’ epynonymous novel based on events that occurred in Bolivia is an intriguing parable on forgiveness, perspective and misogyny
Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean”
Solid directorial debut with compelling performances from Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes and Lucy Halliday tells a story of love, discrimination, and integrity with conviction
Samantha Morton’s “The Unloved”
Semi-autobiographical directorial debut from Samantha Morton is an accomplished and powerful film with a terrific lead performance by Molly Windsor which is on a par with the lauded, recently released “The Quiet Girl”
Lynne Ramsay’s “Morvern Callar”
Absorbing and atmospheric character study led by a stunning performance from Samantha Morton is masterful visual storytelling which cuts deep
Sara Sugarman’s “Save the Cinema”
Samantha Morton sparkles beyond the limits of this sugary, sentimental melodrama telling the true story of a hairdresser’s campaign to save her local cinema from property developers
Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer”
A contemplation of generational divides, motherhood and isolation is at the heart of this potent, slow-burning courtroom drama
Mary Nighy’s “Alice, Darling”
Anna Kendrick’s best performance since Up in the Air is an undertold story of coercive control and emotional abuse told well but without flourish
Darren Aronofsky’s “The Whale”
An emotional adaption of a problematic play with terrific performances and moments of greatness marred by tired tropes
Hirokazu Koreeda’s “Broker”
Beautiful and complex yet tender story of family and human connections that touches on hefty concepts while being extremely engaging dented slightly by its denouement