South by Southwest — A–Z of films

If you listen closely to what this film has to say, you won’t listen to the world the same way afterwards.

While all of the statistics - and Eiselt and Lee ensure they keep on coming - are brutal, the positive energy of activism is at the heart of this documentary.

Emotions here are betrayed by the twitch of a knife, a violent dream, an envelope crumpled in a hand or a long toke on a cigarette.

Nikki has a light touch with a script that is able to see the funny side of things but which doesn't make light of the medical and societal situations that Jaakko and Sirpa are facing.

Familiar tropes create a certain level of comfort in a horror audience and Muldowney uses that to create a false sense of control.

The reason all this earnestness works is because Raiff really cares about all his characters, taking time to consider each in their own right.

There's so much here that, as with cleaning, it goes through the fabric, past the underling, to the structure, the joists, the soil.

Comedy and horror are well balanced in a film which demonstrates a sharp understanding of social media but is also ready to deliver on the more explicitly gruesome side of the bargain

It’s great to see comedy set against dark subject matter, but here the balancing act often falters.

Everything Everywhere All At Once is bravura, high concept, unhinged and beautifully crafted.

The force of nature comes to stunning, searing life thanks to the Kraffts' footage, whether it is rivers of magma or gouts of smoke, with the film gradually building the case that they knew exactly the impact of what they were committing to camera would be.

The struggle which follows is, in places, difficult to watch, especially for viewers who have been affected by such issues in their own lives, so Heimann sensibly leavens it with humour.

Jarvis' performance connects, or perhaps more accurately, carefully unhinges the dots of Hamish's unravelling.

One of the best things about cinema is that it encourages us to feel empathy for others, but in a case like this, one hopes that it will not contribute to gaslighting for people currently in vulnerable situations.

In contrast to the visions his work gave us, now used in the background of many a documentary, the latter part of this one is very traditionally constructed, mingling direct-to-camera interview with still photographs from his chaotic years.

By the time that West is ready to show his hand directly, most viewers will be so wrapped up in Linoleum that that details will scarcely matter.

The Lost City proves just how much extra mileage you can get from a well-worn premise if you get the casting right.

Kyi has a sharp eye for the little details of people’s homes and unconscious behaviours which enrich our understanding of who they are.

The puppetry here is brilliantly done.

It’s small, sweet and not exactly filling, but it will definitely leave you with a craving for more.

There’s a lot of culture clash comedy here but the film doesn’t hinge on it. More important is the way that Lindsay and Jack find themselves culturally overwhelmed.

Barlow and Senes let the situation simmer, with plenty going on to keep viewers entertained.

If you only see two films about young indigenous women fighting aliens this year, make sure that this is one of them.

The easy flow of de Araújo’s film and the intensity of its characters makes it easy to miss just what an impressive achievement it is at a technical level.

Director Linda Goldstein Knowlton mixes interviews with observational footage which highlights the importance of the domestic and the day-to-day.

Writer-director Renuka Jeyapalan develops a vision that balances a lack of a distinctive visual voice with committed character work.

Čadež employs the gouts of smoke to disturbing effect, fogging up the action and making passive aggression feel like a punch.

What begins as a spirited romp goes to dark places before it’s done

Through this lens, through this empowered performance, familiar material feels very different.

The pace is slow, in keeping with the rhythms of Julián’s life. Often the camera simply waits, taking in the changing light or the animals going to and fro.

Bakalova, who will be familiar to many English-speaking viewers from her multi-award winning turn in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, shows great depth here in a performance which is equally deserving of notice.

This isn't a remake but feels like one.