Films provide an escape route from reality in a way literature or games cannot. It is a quaint sort of people-watching exercise, when you see scenarios played out on a screen before you. Some might be funny, some might be terrifying or unsettling, and some might make you cry. But they all give you perspectives on lives entirely different to yours. Here are some of the films that stood out this past year (remember – lists are always, always subjective) going by release date.
La Bête (The Beast) (France)
Directed by: Bertrand Bonello
If this loose adaptation of the Henry James’ novella The Beast in the Jungle were to be given a logline, it would read something like The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets Equilibrium. We are made up of our memories, at least that’s what we say. Our experiences in life color our view and outlook on various situations. In a distant future, where AI overlords have taken over, humans can ‘purify’ their DNA for the ultimate job satisfaction by purging the memories of their past lives which weigh them down. But if memories are what make us, where does it leave us when we tear them down?
Problemista (United States)
Directed by: Julio Torres
The Spanish word ‘problemista’ can be defined as a person who creates a problem for others. This film is unlike the typical immigrant story. Alejandro has come to NY from El Salvador in order to realize his dream of becoming a toy maker. Fired from his job and faced with the threat of his impending deportation, he needs to somehow secure a work visa by any means necessary. Desperation drives him to take on the role of an assistant to a very eccentric artist. This absurdist comedy shows you that sometimes one needs to create nightmarish problems to find a solution.
La Chimera (Italy)
Directed by: Alice Rohrwacher
There’s another definition of chimera, one that does not allude to the mythical monster but rather to an impossible dream. The trope that archaeologists are grave robbers is perpetuated in this film, but it is all in good fun. Arthur has a knack for stumbling upon treasures that lie buried under dirt and forgotten for millennia like their original owners. He and his merry band of tombaroli earn a decent living by exploiting the dead. Riches don’t exactly interest our protagonist as he toes the line between our world and the afterlife searching for his lost love like a modern-day Orpheus, except instead of a lyre he has a dowsing twig. Soaked with magic realism, it showcases the idyllic Italian countryside of the Eighties and the forgotten world beneath. Indiana Jones and the literal raiders of the forgotten tombs.
Evil Does Not Exist (Japan)
Directed by: Ryusuke Hamaguchi
There are two things that are part of natural law. The first, nature’s fury is a force to be reckoned with, the consequences may not be apparent at the beginning, but it will undoubtedly make itself known. The second, the animal kingdom does not operate in black and white, they are ruled by instinct; provoke an animal and you’ll find yourself face to face with a creature that will gravely injure you if you cause it harm. While the retaliation will hurt you, they work on the Socratic view that evil (harm) is not brought unto you on purpose. Hamaguchi’s latest film on the surface seems to operate under a simple premise, corporate greed threatening to ruin the lives of local townsfolk. Peer deeper into the woods and you’ll find that occasionally mankind and nature become so intertwined that it is difficult to prise them apart.
Kneecap (Ireland)
Directed by: Rich Peppiatt
This is an embellished biopic of the Irish political hip-hop group Kneecap, who play themselves in the film. When Liam Ó Hannaidh gets arrested after a party, he refuses to talk to the police in anything other than Irish, which results in a chain reaction that culminates in the formation of Kneecap. The bands raps in a mixture of Irish and English, their music functions as the means to popularize their beliefs, language and culture among the youth. Both the film and the band are fueled by the generations who have fought long and hard to preserve their heritage. As the film itself puts it, “Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet for Irish Freedom.” Kneecap plans to be the bullet.
Emilia Pérez (France)
Directed by: Jacques Audiard
This crime musical has been adapted from an opera which in turn had been an adaptation of Boris Razon’s novel Écoute. Rita, a lawyer in Mexico struggles to get the recognition she rightly deserves. One call however, changes things, dramatically. Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, a Mexican cartel boss wants to fake his death, undergo gender-affirming surgery and live an authentic life (and escape his old life of crime) as Emilia Pérez. To do this he needs Rita’s help. However, Emilia’s ties to her old family are strong and things get messy fast. Rita finds her work really cut out for her with the impending trainwreck that Emilia’s engineering.
His Three Daughters (United States)
Directed by: Azazel Jacobs
With their father slipping away day by day, three estranged sisters reunite in his cramped New York apartment to care for him. Not all family reunions go well, and this one is a somber vigil for a man on his deathbed, with an atmosphere akin to hell freezing over. The sisters must navigate the apartment without stepping on each other’s toes, preparing for the aftermath all the while waiting for the inevitable to happen. This is a raw, grounded, unfiltered take on mortality, grief and family ties. Quite possibly the most realistic film on how families deal with death differently and at the end of the day your siblings are what you’ve got for strength and support despite your differences. Keep the tissues ready because this simple poignant film will make you cry by the end.
The Substance (United States)
Directed by: Coralie Fargeat
Elisabeth Sparkle, host of a fitness show gets the worst present on her 50th birthday; she’s fired because she’s ‘too old’. She decides to take a chance with a shady new drug that promises to create a younger, beautiful version of the user. Surprisingly, the drug works and Elisabeth births her enhanced new body, Sue, from her spine. But despite sharing a consciousness, both Elisabeth and Sue soon grow to abhor one another resulting in some disastrous consequences. Remember to always check the warnings on dosage before taking medication. Despite its appearance, this is a horror film. There is plenty of gore but no jump scares. It is successful in making you squirm and eliciting a very visceral feeling of discomfort as you watch it. The Substance showcases the ugly, grotesque side of the mirror of youth and beauty.
A Different Man (United States)
Directed by: Aaron Schimberg
Edward Lemuel has neurofibromatosis. As a result, his face is disfigured, which puts a damper on his dreams to make it as an actor and on his confidence in pursuing a romance with his neighbor Ingrid, a playwright. He undergoes an experimental treatment that cures him of his affliction; faking his death, he embraces a new identity of Guy Moratz. Suddenly, life looks up for Edward. He has everything he wanted — popularity, success and the girl of his dreams. Things go south when Ingrid decides to write and direct a play on Edward’s life. Enter Oswald, a man also suffering from neurofibromatosis who is cast as Edward. Oswald, despite his appearance, has everything Edward originally dreamt of, without changing a thing. As Oswald grows successful, Edward becomes obsessive, mourning what he lost, his dream life turns into a nightmare.
A brief interjection: both The Substance and A Different Man were released on the same week, and both are two sides of the same coin. While they can be enjoyed separately, they should ideally be seen as a double feature. Despite their radically different approach, the films tackle the same issues of body dysmorphia, identity crisis, conventional standards of attractiveness and the killing quest for beauty/ vanity. These films are a crossover between Monkey’s Paw and The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The Room Next Door (Spain)
Directed by: Pedro Almodóvar
This is Almodóvar’s first English-language film based on Sigrid Nunez’s novel What Are You Going Through. Ingrid and Martha are friends who’ve not been in touch for years. When they rekindle their friendship, Martha makes a startling request. She is dying of cancer, but she wants to go out on her own terms; via a euthanasia pill she purchased on the dark web, in a house in the countryside, after an idyllic weekend. Martha just wants Ingrid to be in the next room when this happens. While Martha waits for the inevitable, Ingrid struggles with the burden placed on her shoulders, the ethical and legal responsibilities of her task. This film has humor interspersed with mortality, about appreciating the little things we take for granted. Three characters spend time in the house in the countryside; Martha who waits for the end, Ingrid who waits by her side and Death who settles into the calm, quiet space in between.
Juror #2 (United States)
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Justin Kemp wants to get out of jury duty ASAP, especially since his wife is nearly due. Fortunately for him, it seems to be an open-and-shut case as the supposed perpetrator has been caught. Unfortunately for him, he realizes that he knows who the real guilty party is — Justin himself. And so begins a cat-and-mouse game that Kemp plays with not only the jury, justice, prosecutor, and defendant but also his own conscience. This legal drama that operates in shades of grey makes you ponder which side of the scales of justice is heavier and where to bring down the sword. Ask yourself this, is justice always the truth?
A Real Pain (United States/Poland)
Directed by: Jesse Eisenberg
Do you have that one cousin who elicits a strange strong cocktail of vexation and affection? Then this comedy-drama is for you. Join two American Jewish cousins who are polar opposites on every end of the spectrum as they take a tour through Poland in memory of their late grandmother. Initially conceived as a thought experiment by Eisenberg, this film unpacks how different people struggle with the different degrees of pain set against the backdrop of the horrors of World War II.
Nosferatu (United States)
Directed by: Robert Eggers
F. W. Murnau’s silent horror film has got a remake for the modern audience 102 years later! That’s right, Count Orlok has been unearthed from his coffin just in time to spread Christmas cheer. This is a dark gothic remake of an adaptation of the classic vampire novel Dracula. Real estate agent Thomas Hutter has no idea what sort of pandora’s box (or sarcophagus) he’s opened when he makes a business trip to sell a mysterious Transylvanian count a home. His business trip from hell isn’t quite over when he returns, as hell itself has followed him home and set its dark eyes on Thomas’ wife Ellen. This is a darker, erotic tale of obsession as compared to the 1922 silent film but nevertheless, it’s nice to see Count Orlok take a break from being the night shift manager at the Krusty Krab.
And finally, before wrapping up this list, here are two animation features that stood out.
Look Back (Japan)
Directed by: Kiyotaka Oshiyama
Tatsuki Fujimoto’s hauntingly beautiful one-shot manga comes to life on screen in this film adaptation. Fujino and Kyomoto are complete opposites in every sense of the term, from their personalities to their approach to art. Look Back chronicles their story. This film takes a good long look at the trials and tribulations of fragile friendship, the struggle of what it means to be an artist, regrets in life and ‘what if’ scenarios if you’d made a different choice.
Straume (Flow) (Latvia)
Directed by: Gints Zilbalodis
Made entirely in the open-source software blender, Flow is a very quaint film. A Cat finds its life upended when its home is devasted by a flood. Teaming up with other four-legged and feathered survivors these brave animals must navigate this new ocean landscape in search of a new home. All seen from a cat’s perspective, the film has a dreamlike quality with its shimmering light and dark shadows. There is also no dialogue, the only noise is the one from the environment around them and the sounds they make. Even if you aren’t a ‘cat person’ this simple, moving film will melt your heart.
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