The twisting narrative is rendered skilfully so that it is easy to follow even as allegiences and alliances shift, and there is plenty of space to revel in the complexity of the characters.
A story of forbidden love set against the religious wars between Catholics and Protestants in the 16th century. Plus, read our exclusive interview with Bertrand Tavernier.
Directors S Baasanjargal and Shuudertsetseg Baatarsuren reclaim Khutulun in all her glory, finally doing justice to the woman who was perhaps the world’s most notable warrior princess.
The legendary wrestling princess of Mongolia leads a small band of warriors to retrieve a sacred scroll.
With its well-paced build-up, its ominous soundtrack, and Carpenter's trademark handling of tension, Prince Of Darkness certainly earns its place on the margins of the horror canon.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by Satan.
Despite the whole thing being incredibly messy, it's eye-gogglingly enjoyable at the same time.
A notorious criminal is sent to rescue an abducted woman who has disappeared into a dark supernatural universe. They must break the evil curse that binds them and escape the mysterious revenants that rule the Ghostland, an East-meets-West vortex of beauty and violence.
Whereas most prison films focus on strife, it’s the gradually developing friendship which forms the bedrock of the film.
Modelo Prison. Barcelona, 1977. A young accountant awaiting trial for embezzlement, joins forces with his cellmate and a collective fighting for the rights of ordinary prisoners.
A potent rejoinder to the hypermasculine, explicitly transphobic values of the Bolsonaro regime.
Daniel has been suspended from active police work and is under internal investigation for violence. When Sara, his internet love affair, stops answering his texts he decides to drive north in search of her.
The film, directed by feature debutant Shaun Dozier, retains the density of dialogue you might expect from a stage play but, by leaning into the theatrical nature of the proceedings, Dozier is in some ways able to make this into a virtue.
Native Son author Richard Wright and his playwright collaborator Paul Green lock horns over the ending to the stage adaptation of the book ahead of its premiere.
There’s plenty here that’s by the book, from the playful stereotyping of some of the villagers to the founding of the family feud in a dispute over a red-headed woman, but it’s well played.
Two estranged cousins try to make amends for many generations of family dispute.
Procession gives outsiders an intimate view of the damage done by abuse. It gives survivors a chance to see that there is hope: that the pain and the panic and other debilitating symptoms can recede, and there can be a life afterwards.
A drama-therapy project working with six men in Kansas City, Missouri, who were abused by Catholic priests as children.
With the exception of the Springtime For Hitler numbers, the melodies are weak and interchangeable, although the lyrics are clever, which is not to say memorable.
Mel Brooks comes full circle as his film-turned-Broadway-musical is turned back into a film.
There's a lot of talk here about actual engineering, presented in such a way that viewers are able to solve problems alongside the characters even if they are armed only with imagination and not much expertise.
An engineering team from the Maeda Corporation is ordered to draft blueprints for the fictional storage facility for giant robot Mazinger Z.
All involved have properly leveraged what makes movies magic.
A science teacher wakes up alone on a spaceship light years from Earth. As his memory returns, he uncovers a mission to stop a mysterious substance killing the sun, and save Earth. An unexpected friendship may be the key.
An all-action spectacular with some smart ideas which sustains itself surprisingly well over a full two hours.
The story of dangerous criminals on a cargo ship who are transported from the Philippines to South Korea, as they unleash a sinister force after an escape attempt leads to a riot.
There is a redemption arc here, but it’s not the whole of the story, and Arcel uses it to highlight the deep inequities so normalised at the time as to be almost invisible, even the most desperate characters tending to take them for granted.
In 1755, the impoverished Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer the harsh, uninhabitable Danish heath with a seemingly impossible goal; to build a colony in the name of the King.
If Kruithof’s main ambition with Promises is to make audiences debate and ponder over the relationships between politicians and the public then it is definitely succeeds in its efforts to bring these puzzling and interesting topics to light.
A mayor in the final term of her political career faces a choice between integrity and ambition.
Fennell explores the lasting effects of traumatic events with care, never making light of the situation even amid moments of comedy.
Everyone said Cassie was a promising young woman... until something abruptly derailed her future. Nothing in Cassie’s life is as it appears: she’s smart, cunning, and living a double life by night. Now, Cassie has a chance to right the wrongs of the past in this thrilling take on revenge.
Lintner is good at gaining access to his fellow residents, though often assumes the viewer has the same understanding of these people as he does, offering what is a surface-level obso-doc on their interactions.
A look at the residents of a Berlin apartment building designated for redevelopment.
An unlikely, but highly effective, marriage of arthouse and mainstream sensibilities.
An illiterate teenager struggles when he is sent to jail, but after embarking on a series of "missions" for a gang leader, he begins to hatch plans of his own.
This builds into a compelling combination of personal film essay and tense drama as Magid's audacious plan comes to fruition.
When artist-turned-filmmaker Jill Magid learns that the archives of Mexico's most famous architect are being held in a private collection, she devises a radical plan to return his legacy to the public.
Cave's screenplay is full of rich incidents, impossible moral choices and, most of all, complex characters, brought to grimy life by the excellent ensemble cast.
In the 1880s, an Australian outlaw is offered a pardon if he tracks down and kills his psychotic elder brother.
At a time when heads of state in prominent Western nations are openly challenging the rule of law, Barry Avrich's documentary could not be more timely.
A portrait of Ben Ferencz, the last surviving Nuremberg Trial prosecutor, who continues to wage his lifelong crusade in the fight for law and peace.
There’s a deep vein of black comedy running through what might otherwise be a relentlessly grim film, and yet one never feels that Burke lacks sympathy with the people of this benighted Welsh town.
A traumatised ex-squaddie and serial killer returns to South Wales to escape his demons. There he becomes workout and gym-obsessed and eats a local drug dealer for their protein. Compelled to kill again, he sends shockwaves through the local criminal underworld.
The narrative manages to balance the personal with the wider world of space exploration while dealing with the issues of domesticity and family demands and the conflicts of pursuing a demanding work arc.
A female astronaut finds the demands of work take their toll on her single-mum relationship with her young daughter.
