Superboys of Malegaon
Dir. Reema Kagti
Based on the life of a real small town filmmaker, this coming-of-age film is a familiar underdog story. After their…
A Samurai In Time
Dir. Junichi Yasuda
Usually, time travellers journey back to the past. This indie comedy takes the other path instead, with one samurai travelling…
On-Gaku: Our Sound
Dir. Kenji Iwaisawa
At first, On-gaku: Our Sound seemed to be a classic coming-of-age story centered around a battle of the bands. The…
The Great Buddha+
Dir. Huang Hsin-Yao
Given today’s access to cameras, it’s so easy to peek into the lives of other people. Sometimes those peeks seem…
Heavy Trip
Dir. Jukka Vidgren & Juuso Laatio
Heavy Trip is a comedy about a heavy metal band, but unlike many mainstream portrayals, it doesn’t dismiss the genre…
Peking Opera Blues
Dir. Tsui Hark
How do we explain Peking Opera Blues? It’s a film set earlier in history, but it’s not as sepia-toned, slow,…
Up, Down, Fragile
Dir. Jacques Rivette
Up, Down, Fragile is a musical, but you wouldn’t know it until past the first hour. That’s because it doesn’t…
Miss Granny
Dir. Dong-hyuk Hwang & Hwang Dong-hyuk
The fantasy of being able to have the body you once had is impossible in real life, but we can…
100 Yen Love
Dir. Masaharu Take
Unlike the scrappy fighters we’ve seen in other sports films, Ichiko Saito of 100 Yen Love is an unmotivated recluse…
Tales from the Golden Age
Dir. Constantin Popescu Jr. & Cristian Mungiu
Stories are only called tales when they can’t be called true. Of course, it’s easy to give that designation when…
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Dir. Jacques Demy
Where The Umbrellas of Cherbourg lamented the tragedy of one missed connection, Jacques Demy follows it up with a much…
Whisky
Dir. Juan Pablo Rebella & Pablo Stoll
A life lived for loved ones is a good thing, but there’s always a risk that that sacrifice goes unnoticed,…
No Man's Land
Dir. Danis Tanović
The situation in No Man’s Land isn’t something we usually see in war movies, considering how often the genre has…
The Teacher
Dir. Jan Hřebejk
Given the time period, it’s easy to see The Teacher as a satirical critique of the communist regime. Through the…
Taxi
Dir. Jafar Panahi
What does a filmmaker do when you’re banned from making movies? For their safety, they might move abroad or switch…
Bugonia
Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos
If it weren’t for the people involved, the English-language remake of the Korean sci-fi comedy Save the Green Planet might…
Dil Chahta Hai
Dir. Farhan Akhtar
At first glance, Dil Chahta Hai is an ordinary ensemble romcom. There’s some guys, there’s some girls, and they fall…
In Order of Disappearance
Dir. Hans Petter Moland
This movie is pretty much in every regard a Norwegian Kill Bill. It’s a dark gory comedy where, naturally, the…
We Are the Best!
Dir. Lukas Moodysson
We Are the Best! is one movie that may be overlooked largely by viewers, though it perfectly captures counterculture, and relates to…
Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky
Dir. Lam Nai-Choi
Admittedly, the English dub of Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky can sound quite goofy. The American-accented voices don’t quite match…
A Coffee in Berlin
Dir. Jan-Ole Gerster
A black and white movie, A Coffee in Berlin is an early Woody Allen reminiscent film with a great emphasis…
The Square
Dir. Ruben Östlund
The Square is a peculiar movie about a respected contemporary art museum curator as he goes through a few very…
Youth
Dir. Paolo Sorrentino
Youth is a film about Fred Ballinger (Michael Caine) a famous composer vacationing at a resort in the Swiss Alps…
Going by the Book
Dir. Hee-chan Ra & Ra Hee-chan
Going by the Book is quite absurd. Of course, most people would understand not to take an assignment like this…
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
Dir. Karan Johar
When the love triangle is set between the most popular guy in school, his tomboyish best friend, and the beautiful…
The Brand New Testament
Dir. Jaco Van Dormael
Before anything else, your mileage of The Brand New Testament will likely depend on your beliefs. We would say, however,…
Police Story
Dir. Chi-Hwa Chen & Jackie Chan
After an initially disappointing breakthrough attempt to Hollywood, Jackie Chan pivoted back to Hong Kong, unexpectedly creating an iconic film…
Good Morning
Dir. Yasujirō Ozu
There’s something so delightful about watching Good Morning, the second of Yasujirō Ozu’s films in color. It’s easy to see…
