Filmrecensies van Garry Arnot

There’s an honesty to Passages that feels refreshingly authentic, Sachs recognising and more importantly normalising the messy lifestyles we often lead. Through this lens, his toxic love triangle is dangerously spiky, artfully abstract, but shaped into something special by the central trio of performances. Recensie

Masterfully pitched with the right balance of sweetness and cynicism, You Hurt My Feelings is another indie triumph from writer-director Nicole Holofcener. Recensie

Inventive, funny, and with an important message at its heart, Peter Sohn’s sophomore feature Elemental is exactly what you would expect from a Disney Pixar romcom. Recensie

In a time where the crowd-pleasing British dramedy feels like a thing of the past, Giedroyc’s Greatest Days fills the void nicely. Could it be magic? Probably not quite, but an enjoyable leading turn from Aisling Bea certainly shines. Recensie

With equal parts darkness and daftness, Smoking Causes Coughing is a madcap anthology that successfully showcases Quentin Dupieux’s vivid imagination. Recensie

War Pony is a compelling, faithful fable, and introduces a terrific Jojo Bapteise Whiting to our screens. Recensie

Efficient and economic with its budget, Love Without Walls achieves an enduring positivity that shines through its British miserabilism. Recensie

With his technical prowess paired with Affleck’s entertaining turn as a grizzled cop fighting his demons, the film makes for passable popcorn escapism…but the rehashed screenplay probably should’ve stayed in drafts. Recensie

Master Gardener marks a fine, cultivated finish to his triptych of tales, with a quietly brilliant central turn from Edgerton at its root. Recensie

Squandering the opportunity to let Nic Cage go ‘full cage’ in vampire mode, McKay plays him out of position with a supporting role in Renfield, and this ultimately sucks the lifeblood out of a film that never manages to settles on a tone. Recensie

Using cinema as his loudspeaker with a daring, visceral and vital picture, Daniel Goldhaber makes a bold but equally thought-provoking statement and How to Blow Up a Pipeline amplifies Malm’s manifesto with explosive impact. Recensie

Directors Horvath and Jelenic do a decent job of building the world for the big screen but if they want to have the same joy as its source material, they’ll need to level up for the sequel. Recensie

Daring, sexy, shocking, and wickedly funny, Sanctuary is a red-hot two hander that never quite lets us know who’s on top. Recensie

Fuelled by unjust politics and an aching ambition for freedom, Rodriguez presents Prison 77 as a picture that is both perceptive in its historical storytelling, and powerfully intimate in its study of how Manuel is strengthened and reshaped by his sentence. Recensie

Taking on such multifaceted storytelling can often be a risk in filmmaking, but this is an accomplished piece of work. Introducing a fantastic child actor in Sally Dramé to the big screen and blending its genres together in a cauldron of style and substance, The Five Devils marks a terrific sophomore effort from Léa Mysius. Recensie

Most will be well aware of the revolutionary BlackBerry smartphone and now, thanks to writer and director Matt Johnson’s brilliantly offbeat gags-to-riches flick, the madcap minds behind the mobile, and the friendship they had, can be remembered too. Recensie

An admirably ambitious debut from director Schaad, there are moments of greatness within this odd puzzle of identity. However, with such a playful premise to work with, Skin Deep only really scratches the surface of its own potential. Recensie

Capturing the nuances of the protagonist’s situation with intelligence and compassion, the director Zlotowski fully realises the complexities of her script; she tells the story not in the black and white but through the many greys of this subject matter. Recensie

A slow-burning, atmospheric mood piece, God’s Creatures is an unsettling film with a lingering impact, elevated by the terrific performances at its fractured heart. Recensie

A bleak exercise in shame and miserabilism, Aronofsky’s The Whale is a thought-provoking, challenging experience that furthers his bold cinematic exploration of belief. Recensie

This may be a work of fiction but thanks to authentic turns from Kagame and Malanda, Saint Omer effectively speaks its truth. Recensie

Presenting a cancel culture story from a compelling perspective, Todd Field’s Tár is a jet black masterclass in character development and sees Cate Blanchett at the very peak of her powers. Recensie

Empire of Light’s majestic aesthetics are sorely spoiled by the clumsy broad strokes of its screenplay. Sam Mendes should stick to directing only in future and leave the scripts well alone, as even a solid leading turn from national treasure Olivia Colman isn’t enough to salvage the film. Recensie

With Armageddon Time, James Gray presents an unsweetened illustration of the pursuit of the American dream. Whilst Paul and Johnny fantasise about NASA and rocket ships, this stunning period piece keeps its feet firmly on the ground and is all the better for it. Recensie