FILM SUGGESTIONS ranked by IMDB audience score (out of 10), from highest to lowest. Details also given of Rotten Tomatoes (RT) critics’ score (out of 100%), + RT summary of plot & critics’ consensus (RTCC).
The Rescue
2021 12a 107m USA
Doc/drama
IMDb 8.4; RT 96%
THE RESCUE chronicles the enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand. From Free Solo directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
RTCC: n/a
Flee
2021 15 89m Denmark
Animated doc
IMDb 8.1; RT 98%
Nominated for Best Doc, Best Animation and Best International Film Oscars.
FLEE tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years. Recounted mostly through animation, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
“Depicting the refugee experience through vivid animation, Flee pushes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking to present a moving memoir of self-discovery.”
The Quiet Man
1952 U 129m USA
Romance/Drama
IMDb 7.8; RT 91%
Winner Best Director & Best Cinematography Oscars
After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, boxer Sean Thornton (John Wayne) leaves America and returns to his native Ireland, hoping to buy his family’s homestead and live in peace. In doing so, he runs afoul of Will Danaher who objects when his fiery sister (Maureen O’Hara) begins a romance with Sean.
“Director John Ford and star John Wayne depart the Western for the Irish countryside, and the result is a beautifully photographed, often comedic romance.”
Licorice Pizza
2021 15 133m USA
Coming of age drama
IMDb 7.7; RT 91%
Nominated for Best Picture, Best Director & Best Screenplay Oscars
Alana Kane and Gary Valentine grow up, run around and fall in love in California’s San Fernando Valley in the 1970s.
“Paul Thomas Anderson shifting into a surprisingly comfortable gear — and getting potentially star-making performances out of his fresh-faced leads.”
Boiling Point Members’ Choice
2021 15 92m U.K.
Thriller/drama
IMDb 7.6; RT 98%
Nominated for Best British Film, Best Actor, Best British Debut & Best Casting BAFTAs
On the busiest night of the year at one of the hottest restaurants in London, charismatic, commanding head chef Andy Jones (Stephen Graham) balances along a knife’s edge as multiple personal and professional crises threaten to destroy everything he’s worked for.
“Gripping from start to finish, Boiling Point uses its bold formal approach to support a thrilling tightrope of a tale.”
Riders of Justice Members’ Choice
2020 15 116m Denmark
Action comedy
IMDb 7.6; RT 96%
Recently-deployed Markus (Mads Mikkelsen), is forced to return home to care for his teenage daughter after his wife is killed. Markus begins to suspect his wife was murdered and embarks on a revenge-fueled mission.
RTCC: A darkly humorous revenge thriller with satisfying depth and a dash of savoury quirk, Riders of Justice makes another compelling case for Mads Mikkelsen as an all-purpose leading man.
C’mon C’mon
2021 15 109m USA
Family drama
IMDb 7.6; RT 94%
Nominated for Best Supporting Actor BAFTA Johnny and his young nephew forge a tenuous but transformational relationship when they are unexpectedly thrown together.
“The sweet chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix and Woody Norman is complemented by writer-director Mike Mills’ empathetic work, helping C’mon C’mon transcend its familiar trappings.”
After Love Members’ Choice
2020 12a 89m U.K.
Drama
IMDb 7.3; RT 96%
Nominated for Best British Film, Best Director, Best Actress & Best British Debut BAFTAs
A woman (Joanna Scanlan) discovers a shocking secret after the unexpected death of her husband.
RTCC: n/a
Before the devil knows you’re dead
2007 15 117m USA
Thriller
IMDb 7.3; RT 88%
Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a debt-ridden broker, needs some quick cash. He ropes his younger brother, Hank (Ethan Hawke), into a scheme to commit the perfect crime.
“A tense and effective thriller, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead marks a triumphant return to form for director Sidney Lumet.”
Last night in soho
2021 18 116m U.K.
psychological thriller
IMDb 7.1; RT 76%
Nominated for Best British Film & Best Sound BAFTAs
An aspiring fashion designer (Thomasin Mackenzie) is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour is not all it appears to be.
“Although it struggles to maintain its thrilling early momentum, Last Night in Soho shows flashes of Edgar Wright at his most stylish and ambitious.”
Zola
2021 18 86m USA
thriller/comedy
IMDb 6.5; RT 88%
Zola’s stranger than fiction saga, which she first told in a now iconic series of viral, uproarious tweets, comes to cinematic life.
“Zola captures the stranger-than-fiction appeal of the viral Twitter thread that inspired it — and announces director/co-writer Janicza Bravo as a filmmaker to watch.”
Lamb
2021 15 106m Iceland
Horror/fantasy
IMDb 6.3; RT 85%
A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature.
“Darkly imaginative and brought to life by a pair of striking central performances, Lamb shears expectations with its singularly wooly chills.”
Sometimes always never Members’ Choice
2018 12a 91m UK
Comedy drama
IMDb 6.3; RT 82%
A man (Bill Nighy) searches relentlessly for the missing son he has not seen in years, turning his entire family’s life upside-down.
“Like the grieving Scrabble enthusiast at the heart of its unique story, Sometimes Always Never scores high enough to be well worth a play.”