I rarely see a movie so original that I want to tell people to just see it without reading any reviews beforehand, including my own. David Lowery’s “A Ghost Story. Buy In The Heart Of The Sea (2015) The Movie On Dvd.
No sequels allowed: the 1. Whether it be the grimy terror of Wolf Creek, the pitch black humored sadism of The Loved Ones or the haunting poignancy of The Babadook, there’s an idiosyncratic aura that separates them from their American counterparts. This loosely fact- based tale also has a uniquely fresh feel, albeit one that’s mired in dingy nastiness. It’s a brutal, visceral thriller about a couple kidnapping young women and subjecting them to sexual cruelty.
It’ll be an endurance test for many, but genre fans will be impressed with first- time director Ben Young’s confident direction and a standout performance from a feral Emma Booth. US release: 1. 2 May (UK release: 2. July)Berlin Syndrome. A sense of familiarity comes attached to the conceit of this thriller, which takes a B- movie setup and posits it in surprisingly smart, grounded territory. Clare (Theresa Palmer) is an Australian backpacking around Europe who meets handsome teacher Andi (Max Riemelt) and after a night of passion, finds herself a prisoner in his home. We’ve seen variations on this before but acclaimed film- maker Cate Shortland, who gained plaudits for less genre- influenced dramas such as Somersault and Lore, manages to combine artful direction with seat- edge suspense, elevating the material to something quite special.
It’s a compelling study of toxic masculinity and, as the title suggests, bravely explores the fine line between sexual gratification and sadism. US release: 2. 6 May (UK release: 9 June)Beatriz at Dinner.
There’s been a rather lazy and overused knack for proclaiming every other film released post- election to be “the film we need right now”, the one that truly captures the fractured state of the nation at this very torturous moment. It would undersell and simplify this elegant drama to merely herald it as such, but among its many wonderful elements is a damning statement on the mess we’re in, played out as part of an increasingly nightmarish dinner party. Salma Hayek plays Beatriz, an empathetic healer whose liberal views come into conflict with a table full of white privilege, embodied by hellish CEO Doug, an odious turn from John Lithgow. The skill to perfecting the dinner party movie is choreography and aside from a savage and smart script from Mike White, the skilled cast, that also includes Chloe Sevigny and Connie Britton, weave together effortlessly. It’s Hayek’s best performance for years and the ending is a brave, haunting gut- punch.
US release: 9 June (UK release: tbc)It Comes At Night. We’ve witnessed something of a low- budget horror resurgence in recent years and this eerie indie looks set to join It Follows, The Witch and this year’s Get Out as a notable example of an original film making the leap from midnight screenings to the multiplex. It’s the second feature from Trey Edward Shults, whose breakout drama Krisha won the Grand Jury award at SXSW, and stars Joel Edgerton as a father trying to protect his family from a deadly plague that may or may not have affected the rest of the population.
For audiences weary of watching superhero reboots set up superhero spin-offs while teasing superhero sequels, the summer can be a difficult, dry time at the movie.
It received a surprise premiere at the Overlook film festival earlier this month and was greeted with a set of rapturous reviews which, like its superbly assembled trailers, suggest one of the scariest films of the summer. US release: 9 June (UK release: tbc)My Cousin Rachel. A deceptively old- fashioned logline for this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic romance promises us a tantalizing, if seemingly dusty, dynamic. When Philip (Sam Claflin) hears about his cousin Ambrose’s death, he suspects foul play from his new wife Rachel (Rachel Weisz) but when she arrives at Philip’s estate, he finds himself developing unexpected feelings for her. It’s a classic tale yet one sharpened with a surprising, contemporary edge.
There’s a troubling story of obsession and dominance buried within the film’s dark heart and an alarming comment on heteronormativity that remains incredibly relevant. It also marks another strident step back into the spotlight for Weisz, on flawless form. US release: 9 June (UK release: 9 June)The Beguiled. A remake of a period Clint Eastwood thriller might seem like an unlikely next step for Sofia Coppola, but there are themes here that have always remained close to the director’s heart. As the civil war rages, an injured Union soldier arrives at an all- female boarding school causing sexual tension, rivalry and ultimately violence. Coppola has assembled some familiar collaborators, such as Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning as well as two actors currently surfing major comebacks, Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman. It looks set to be a woozy slice of southern gothic, packed with atmosphere and sensuality and will receive a high- profile premiere at this year’s Cannes film festival.
US release: 2. 3 June (UK release: 1. July)The Big Sick.
- It's too close to call No. 1 at the box office this weekend, with Sony's The Emoji Movie and Warner Bros' Dunkirk eyeing the top spot.
- So much incoherent noise that you’ll want to bang your head on the seat in front of you just to get some rest.
The Judd Apatow machine has created an unavoidable sub- genre: the slightly too long yet richly observed comedy about a romantically challenged loser with lessons to learn. It’s spawned a number of major successes on the big and small screen but it ran into a few issues with the disappointingly sanitized Amy Schumer vehicle Trainwreck and, more recently, a mostly forgettable second season of Love. Taking the producer’s seat here, Apatow’s conservative touch might still be ever- present but it’s Silicon Valley star Kumail Nanjiani’s story to tell and the film feels authentically his, recounting the unlikely tale of how he met his wife. It’s sweet, funny and contains an Oscar- worthy performance from Holly Hunter. US release: 2. 3 June (UK release: 2. July)The B- Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography.
The latest documentary from Errol Morris offers a simple set- up: he interviews photographer and old friend Elsa Dorfman in her apartment/studio. What might have been dry, or perhaps self- congratulatory, is instead warm, informative and hugely entertaining.
Dorfman became the most well- regarded user of the Polaroid 2. She’s a charming, self- effacing subject who defied gender expectation and latter tragedy to emerge triumphant and ever optimistic. A treat. US release: 3. June (UK release: tbc)A Ghost Story. Director David Lowery managed to do the unthinkable last year: abandon his small- scale indie roots to make a Disney family film that still retained the same lo- fi feel. Leaping from Ain’t Them Bodies Saints to Pete’s Dragon, he’s now heading back to lower budget territory (before going back to the House of Mouse for Peter Pan) and he’s brought back his debut film’s two leads with him.
Rooney Mara stars as a woman overcome with grief when her partner, played by Casey Affleck, dies in a car crash. Yet somehow his spirit lives on, underneath a sheet with eyeholes, and he remains tied to their house.
It’s a strikingly odd concept but one that Lowery uses to explore themes of grief, time and existence. It’s a strange, divisive film but those who fall underneath its spell will remain transfixed. US release: 7 July (UK release: 1. August)Lady Macbeth. Any preconceptions of what one might expect from a British period drama set in a stately home are almost immediately upturned in this savage adaptation of Nikolai Leskov’s 1. The story is relocated from Russia to rural England and focuses on a young woman, played by 2.
Florence Pugh, married to a cruel factory owner, who embarks on a passionate affair with a rugged local. It’s an oft- told love triangle but this is a fierce, frightening film about dominance and obsession that feels refreshingly untold. Pugh is utterly spellbinding in a fearless performance that smoothly drags us into a spiral of devastation and murder. US release: 1. 4 July (UK release: out now)Menashe. Brooklyn’s ultra- orthodox Jewish community is one that’s been largely unexplored on the big screen, and this highly acclaimed new Yiddish language film is driven by a desire to provide an authentic look inside.