The first feature film from Jean-Gabriel Périot re-purposes footage from news and cinema to paint a portrait of the rise of a radical youth movement in West Germany in the late 1960s, with a particular focus on the formation of the Red Army Faction (initially the Baader-Meinhof Group).
In The Crosswind
Despite a compelling structural conceit, IN THE CROSSWIND feels more akin to a moving museum exhibition than engaging cinematic experience.
The Liar
Kim Dong-myung’s THE LIAR moves from enigmatic situational comedy to often heartbreaking commentary on the pressures within a materialist society.
The Nightmare
Rodney Ascher’s follow-up to ROOM 237 is an underwhelming look at sleep paralysis, failing to fully reach the potential of its conceit.
Prophet’s Prey
Amy Berg’s latest film, a documentary about a polygamist Mormon sect, takes a thoroughly mediocre approach to such a horrifying narrative.
The Lobster
Yorgos Lanthimos’ first English-language feature is a bleakly comic portrait of the performative nature of romance and self-image.
Force of Destiny
Paul Cox’s highly personal drama is an underwhelming mesh of earnestness, romance and abstract thought.
Out of the Mist: An Alternate History of New Zealand Cinema
Tim Wong’s essay film is an intelligent and compelling look at an alternate canon of New Zealand cinema, one which acts as a corrective to the naturally idyllic view of the country in mainstream cinema.
The Fool
Yury Bykov’s bleak drama follows a man whose sense of compassion runs counter to the intentions of the bureaucratic machine in small town Russia.
The Strange Little Cat
Ramon Zürcher’s debut feature is a cleverly constructed and wonderfully shot examination of the underlying complexity in everyday life.