“Anatomy of a Fall”
A man was found dead in the snow outside his Alpine hut. Did he jump out of the attic window or was he pushed by his wife? Winner of the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, Justine Triet is both a gripping detective novel and a relentless examination of marital neutrality and professional rivalry.
“The Boy and the Heron”
Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki said that this will be his last film – and it is also a swan song. “The Boy and the Heron” is a mysterious cosmic fairy tale about letting go of the past, rivaling several of Miyazaki’s previous visionary masterpieces.
“Creator”
This impressive gritty war epic is one of the few recent sci-fi blockbusters that isn’t based on a superhero comic book or film series, starring John David Washington as a soldier in a battle between humans and robots. AI is currently the most popular villain in Hollywood, as shown by M3Gan and the latest Mission: Impossible series.
“Retain”
In 1970, a grumpy history teacher (Paul Giamati) is forced to spend the Christmas holidays at a boarding school with an unruly student (Dominic Sesa) and a bereaved chef (Davin Joy Randolph). Reunited by the director and lead actor of the 2004 hit film “A Life in a Glass of Wine,” this human, hilarious comedy has become a holiday classic.
“Holy Spider”
A tenacious journalist (Zal Amir Ibrahimi) investigates the murder of a prostitute by a serial killer in the Iranian city of Mashhad, only to discover that many of the city’s residents support the killer. Ali Abbasi’s noir thriller may be a harsh criticism of Iran, but it is also associated with populist politics in the West.
“How to have sex”
A heartbreaking coming-of-age drama about three British schoolgirls enjoying a hedonistic vacation in Crete. Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce) seems to be having a good time, but writer-director Molly Manning Walker exposes the vulnerability beneath teenage bluffs.
“Killer of the Flower Moon”
Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio co-star in Martin Scorsese’ devastating true crime saga. Mr. De Niro was a land-grabbing cattle tycoon who killed dozens of Osage people in Oklahoma in the 20s of the 20th century. Mr. DiCaprio is a despicable man who poisons his noble Osage wife (Lily Gladstone).
“Master”
Bradley Cooper has been heavily criticized for wearing a fake nose in Leonard Bernstein’s biopic, but he also co-wrote and directed “The Master,” which is informative, sensitive, and compassionate, and Mr. Cooper brings irresistible energy and pathos to the protagonist. Kerry Mulligan shines even brighter as Bernstein’s loyal but conflicted wife.
“Oppenheimer”
This is a complex, disturbing, and skilled biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy). Christopher Nolan jumps between several different time periods, examines the politics behind the Manhattan Project and asks what kind of people would create weapons that can destroy the world.
“Past and Present Life”
A 12-year-old girl moved from South Korea to Canada with her family, leaving behind her childhood sweetheart. Twenty-four years later, they met again in New York. Celine Song’s bittersweet story ponders fate, ambition, and all that comes and goes from moving to a new country.
“Poor thing”
In this highly creative work by Augustus Lansmos, based on Alasdair Gray’s satirical novel, a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) who has lost his memories of his past life brings a woman (Emma Stone) back to life. During a noisy end-of-the-century whirlwind trip to Europe, she learns about social conventions and breaks them.
“Reality”
The series tells the true story of a young whistleblower, “Reality Winner” (Sydney Sweeney), who is interrogated by FBI agents at his home in 2017. Each dialogue is taken from a recording recorded at the time, so Tina Sartre’s drama has the naturalistic overtones of a documentary as well as the tension of a thriller.
“The Taste of Things”
Food movies that end all food movies? Much of The Taste of Things is about slowly and carefully preparing mouthwatering French meals in an idyllic 19th-century kitchen. As a side dish, there is a tender mid-life romance between the talented chef (Benoit Magimel) and his faithful chef (Juliette Binoche).
“Zones of Interest”
The film is a remarkable victory for Jonathan Glazer, dramatically following the daily life of Auschwitz commander Rudolf Hoss (Christian Friedel) in his family. He and his family are busy with their servants, ignoring the industrial mass murders that are taking place outside the garden walls.