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
Roger Michell’s “Enduring Love”
Discomforting psychological drama of existential horror is a bitter but effective work more akin to Yorgos Lanthimos than Michell’s own “Notting Hill”
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
Charlie Kaufman’s “Synecdoche, New York”
Fellini’s 8½ as a temporal, impressionistic representation of life, death and regret which weaves moments of tenderness and melancholy into a tenuous whole
Carine Adler’s “Under The Skin”
Potent story of grief and sisterhood with a powerful performance from Samantha Morton in her feature film debut is at once difficult, cathartic and thoughtful
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
Ben Steiner’s “Matriarch”
Hamfisted storytelling with terrible dialogue led by an awful performance redeemed only by another great turn by Kate Dickie as the titular matriarch in an insincere horror soap opera
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
Parker Finn’s “Smile”
Okay pulp horror fable that never reaches the heights of the films from which it borrows being let down by a series of baffling and unconvincing characters
Alice Diop’s “Saint Omer”
A contemplation of generational divides, motherhood and isolation is at the heart of this potent, slow-burning courtroom drama
Emilija Škarnulytė’s “Aphotic Zone”
Hauntingly beautiful natural undersea wonders marred by the inclusion of manmade elements in this short which misses its potential
Kinji Fukasaku’s “Battle Royale”
The violent and melodramatic sugar rush Lord of the Flies shows its age but still works as an entertaining absurdist parable of adolescence
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