Our take
The Square is a peculiar movie about a respected contemporary art museum curator as he goes through a few very specific events. He loses his wallet, his children fight, the art he oversees is does not make sense to an interviewer… Each one of these events would usually require a precise response but all they do is bring out his insecurities and his illusions about life. These reactions lead him to very unusual situations. A thought-provoking and incredibly intelligent film that’s just a treat to watch. If you liked Force Majeure by the same director, The Square is even better!
What it won
Other
2 noms
The story
A prestigious Stockholm museum's chief art curator finds himself in times of both professional and personal crisis as he attempts to set up a controversial new exhibit.
Elsewhere
"Gloriously cynical and delightfully slapstick - take from it what you will."
— Hannah Strong
"Ostlund uses his setting to explore hidden inequalities in supposedly liberal societies, particularly those concerning masculinity, race and class, playing with our expectations about what is supposed to happen versus the uncomfortable results."
— Violet Lucca
The details
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
This film. There is so much about this film that I would like to say. Every scene tells a subtle story about humans and the fight between our civilized and primal selves. It showcases the absurdity of our self absorption. It laughs at the pretension of the modern art world. It paints the farce of our daily lives. You will be uncomfortable during this film, and you will probably have an opinion about it when it is finished..