The Holdovers

USA, 2023, Comedy/Drama, 133m, 15, Director: Alexander Payne

RT 97%, IMDb 7.9

Winner Best Supporting Actress Oscar

In this good-natured comedy drama set in the 1970s, an unpopular teacher, a rebellious student, and a recently bereaved school cook form an unexpected bond while stuck together over the Christmas break.

RTCC Beautifully bittersweet, The Holdovers marks a satisfying return to form for director Alexander Payne.

Trailer

Monster

Japan, 2023, Thriller/Drama, 127m, 12A, Director: Hirokazu Koreeda

RT 97%, IMDb 7.9

2 Cannes Awards incl Best Screenplay

A woman seeks answers from her son’s school after noticing worrying changes in his behaviour in this Japanese coming of age drama.

RTCC Gently devastating in its compassion, Monster is a masterpiece of shifting perspectives that surprises to the end.

Trailer

Perfect Days

Japan, 2023, Drama, 124m, PG, Director: Wim Wenders

RT 96%, IMDb 7.9

2 Cannes Awards including Best Actor

A reserved, kind-hearted Tokyo janitor finds beauty in the ordinary in this gentle and quietly poignant drama.

RTCC An absorbing slice-of-life drama led by a remarkable Kôji Yakusho performance, Perfect Days adds a quietly soaring gem to director/co-writer Wim Wenders’ estimable filmography.

Trailer

Past Lives

USA, 2023, Romance/Drama, 106m, 12, Director: Celine Song

RT 95%, IMDb 7.9

After years apart, a South Korean woman now living in New York reconnects online with the man who was once her closest childhood friend in this wistful drama of longing and human connection.

RTCC A remarkable debut for writer-director Celine Song, Past Lives uses the bonds between its sensitively sketched central characters to support trenchant observations on the human condition.

Trailer

Jojo Rabbit

USA, 2019, Comedy/War, 104m, 12A, Director: Taika Waititi

RT 80%, IMDb 7.9

Winner Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar

A Hitler Youth member begins to question his beliefs in this satirical comedy drama. 

RTCC Jojo Rabbit‘s blend of irreverent humor and serious ideas definitely won’t be to everyone’s taste — but either way, this anti-hate satire is audacious to a fault.

Trailer

Next Goal Wins

UK, 2014, Documentary/Sport, 93m, 15, Director: Taika Waititi

RT 100%, IMDb 7.8

Dutch coach Thomas Rongen attempts the nearly impossible task of turning the American Samoa soccer team from perennial losers into winners.

RTCC Finding beauty in sports beyond the mere satisfaction of winning, Next Goal Wins is a moving documentary filled with a lovable array of underdogs.

Trailer

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

Germany, 1974, Documentary/Thriller, 109m, PG, Director: Werner Herzog

RT 92%, IMDb 7.7

3 Cannes Awards including Grand Prize of the Jury

A young man who has been isolated from the world since birth is integrated into 19th century Nuremberg society in this 1974 German drama.

RTCC The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser marks a powerfully humane entry in writer-director Werner Herzog’s acclaimed oeuvre, further bolstered by tremendous work by star Bruno S.

Trailer

Taste of Cherry

Iran, 1997, Documentary/Drama, 95m, PG, Director: Abbas Kiarostami

RT 83%, IMDb 7.7

Winner Cannes Palme d’Or

A middle-aged Tehranian man is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise.

RTCC Taste of Cherry‘s somewhat simple aesthetic belies a richly ambiguous character study with an impressively ambitious thematic scale.

Trailer

The Blue Caftan

Morocco, 2022, Romance/Comedy, 122m, 12A, Director: Maryam Touzani

RT 96%, IMDb 7.6

The arrival of an attractive young apprentice disrupts the lives of a middle-aged couple in this melancholic Arabic drama.

RTCC A love story shaped by some surprising contours, The Blue Caftan surveys the hidden heart with compassion and grace.

Trailer

Summer With Monika

Sweden, 1953, Romance/Drama, 96m, PG, Director: Ingmar Bergman

RT 100%, IMDb 7.5

Disillusioned young city-dweller Harry is frustrated with his societal responsibilities and menial job; but when he meets sultry beauty Monika (Harriet Andersson), life takes on new meaning.

“The film that finally brought Ingmar Bergman international recognition … a bold, shamelessly sunny picture” (Empire)

Trailer

The Zone of Interest

UK, 2023, War/Crime, 105m, 12A, Director: Jonathan Glazer

RT 93%, IMDb 7.5

Winner 2 Oscars including Best International Film

The commandant of Auschwitz builds an idyllic home life for his family while unseen horrors unfold in the adjoining camp.

RTCC Dispassionately examining the ordinary existence of people complicit in horrific crimes, The Zone of Interest forces us to take a cold look at the mundanity behind an unforgivable brutality.

Trailer

Fallen Leaves

Finland, 2023, Romance/Drama, 81m, 12, Director: Aki Kaurismäki

RT 98%, IMDb 7.4

Winner Cannes Jury Prize

In this droll, dry and deadpan Finnish romantic drama, a man and woman form a relationship which is jeopardised by his issues with alcohol.

RTCC A quirky tale of star-crossed lovers, Fallen Leaves is a life-affirming gem from Finnish filmmaker Kaurismäki.

Trailer

Rye Lane

UK, 2022, Romance/Comedy, 82m, 15, Director: Raine Allen Miller

RT 98%, IMDb 7.2

Two young people share their disappointments in love over the course of a day in this warm-spirited British romantic comedy drama.

RTCC Good news, rom-com fans: Anyone looking for a smart, funny, and heartwarming new addition to the canon can find it waiting on Rye Lane.

Trailer

La Syndicaliste

France, 2022, Thriller/Comedy, 122m, 15, Director: Jean-Paul Salomé

RT 79%, IMDb 6.6

A woman’s account of being attacked and sexually violated in her home is met with doubt and suspicion in this intense and unsettling French drama, based on a true story of corporate dirty tricks.

RTCC Isabelle Huppert’s understated performance keeps La Syndicaliste‘s whistleblower story stirring even when its messaging drifts toward the didactic.

Trailer

L’Immensita

Italy, 2022, Drama, 99m, 12, Director: Emanuele Crialese

RT 83%, IMDb 6.4

A trans child navigates a difficult homelife and their parents’ fraught marriage in this emotional coming-of-age drama set in 1970s Rome.

RTCC L’immensità can be excessively immense at times but with an always superlative Penélope Cruz at its core, this vibrant coming-of-age story with undeniable heart is a memorable experience.

Trailer

Code 46

UK, 2003, Sci-fi/Romance, 90m, 15, Director: Michael Winterbottom

RT 52%, IMDb 6.1

In a dystopian future, insurance fraud investigator William Gold (Tim Robbins) investigates a forgery ring for passports recording people’s identities and genetics.

RTCC Code 46 crafts an intriguing hypothetical future and populates it with characters who never engage, producing a slick sci-fi package without any humanity to power it.

Trailer