The Best Movies Directed By Women of the 21st Century

Critics Consensus: Audaciously gross, wickedly clever, and possibly Demi Moore's finest hour, The Substance is a gasp-inducing feat from writer-director Coralie Fargeat.

Synopsis: Have you ever dreamt of a better version of yourself? You, only better in every way. You should try this new product, it's called The... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid, Hugo Diego Garcia

Directed By: Coralie Fargeat

Critics Consensus: A humorous cocktail with a twist of coming-of-age drama, My Old Ass doesn't throw out the wisdom with the reckless abandon of youth, and the effects are hallucinogenic.

Synopsis: In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). But when... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maisy Stella, Aubrey Plaza, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler

Directed By: Megan Park

Critics Consensus: Lust and violence collide to powerfully pulpy effect in Love Lies Bleeding, a well-acted addition to writer-director Rose Glass' growing body of exceptional work.

Synopsis: From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Katy O'Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco

Directed By: Rose Glass

Critics Consensus: Equal measures inspiring, and enraging, this typical sports drama knows how to take a hit and dole them out with enough emotion and vigor to stoke The Fire Inside.

Synopsis: THE FIRE INSIDE is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Destiny, Brian Tyree Henry, Olunike Adeliyi, De'Adre Aziza

Directed By: Rachel Morrison

Critics Consensus: A squirm-inducing period piece that locates true horror in both mind and spirit, The Devil's Bath might be Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz's most chilling directorial effort yet.

Synopsis: In 1750 Austria, a deeply religious woman named Agnes has just married her beloved, but her mind and heart soon grow heavy as her life... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anja Plaschg, David Scheid, Maria Hofstätter, Natalija Baranova

Directed By: Veronika Franz, Severin Fiala

Critics Consensus: Painterly and patient, Vermiglio carefully observes its provincial milieu to such absorbing effect that audiences will feel like they've become a part of the community.

Synopsis: The lush and breathtaking beauty of the Alps, filmed with painterly grace under natural light from frigid winter to redemptive spring, provides the physical and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tommaso Ragno, Giuseppe De Domenico, Carlotta Gamba, Roberta Rovelli

Directed By: Maura Delpero

Critics Consensus: In the Summers homes in on emotional insights even as its narrative wanders, suggesting a bright future for writer-director Alessandra Lacorazza.

Synopsis: Siblings Violeta and Eva live in California with their mother, but every summer they travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to spend time with their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Residente, Sasha Calle, Lio Mehiel, Dreya Castillo

Directed By: Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio

Critics Consensus: Shahana Goswami bristles with unforgettable intensity in Santosh, a nervy procedural that asks the hard questions about a culture's social hierarchy.

Synopsis: A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a lowcaste... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Nawal Shukla, Pratibha Awasthi

Directed By: Sandhya Suri

Critics Consensus: A deeply personal and courageous act of vulnerability created through an exercise of revelations makes Black Box Diaries a testament of Shiori Itō's commitment to truth and justice for all.

Synopsis: BLACK BOX DIARIES follows director and journalist Shiori Ito's courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shiori Ito

Directed By: Shiori Ito

Critics Consensus: A beautifully acted depiction of being caught between a rock and a hard place, Good One confronts difficult emotions and yields a striking feature debut for writer-director India Donaldson.

Synopsis: In India Donaldson's insightful, piercing debut, 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) embarks on a three-day backpacking trip in the Catskills with her dad, Chris (James Le... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily Collias, James Le Gros, Danny McCarthy, Sumaya Bouhbal

Directed By: India Donaldson

Critics Consensus: A deeply felt coming of age tale that gleans insightful societal commentary from its intimate details, Girls Will Be Girls announces writer-director Shuchi Talati as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance; but her sexual, rebellious awakening is disrupted by her mother... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Preeti Panigrahi, Kani Kusruti, Kesav Binoy Kiron, Kajol Chugh

Directed By: Shuchi Talati

Critics Consensus: A small film that elicits a huge emotional response, Ghostlight is a deeply moving and superbly acted meditation on grief.

Synopsis: When melancholic construction worker Dan (Keith Kupferer) finds himself drifting from his wife and daughter, he discovers community and purpose in a local theater's production... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Keith Kupferer, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen, Dolly De Leon

Directed By: Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson

Critics Consensus: A vibrant exploration of family and social mores, On Becoming a Guineau Fowl marks another superb effort from writer-director Rungano Nyoni.

Synopsis: On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Susan Chardy, Roy Chisha, Blessings Bhamjee, Chungu Bwalya

Directed By: Rungano Nyoni

Critics Consensus: Capturing the here and now of modern India with the spontaneity of a candid photograph, All We Imagine as Light is a lustrous achievement that announces Payal Kapadia as an essential filmmaker.

Synopsis: The light, the lives, and the textures of contemporary, working-class Mumbai are explored and celebrated by writer/director Payal Kapadia, who won the Grand Prize at... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Hridhu Haroon

Directed By: Payal Kapadia

Critics Consensus: Finding treasure in others' trash, Hoard is a beautifully acted and sweetly humanist debut for writer-director Luna Carmoon.

Synopsis: Seven-year-old Maria and her mother live in their own loving world built on sorting through bins and collecting shiny rubbish. One night, their world falls... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joseph Quinn, Samantha Spiro, Hayley Squires, Cathy Tyson

Directed By: Luna Carmoon

Critics Consensus: Marrying cultural specificity with lush visuals, this romance marks an impressive debut for writer-director Ramata Toulaye Sy.

Synopsis: Banel and Adama are fiercely in love. The young couple lives in a remote village in northern Senegal. For them, nothing else exists except each... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Khady Mane, Mamadou Diallo, Binta Racine Sy, Moussa Sow

Directed By: Ramata-Toulaye Sy

Critics Consensus: An urgent drama grounded in its observant depiction of reservation life, Fancy Dance establishes director/co-writer Erica Tremblay as a rising filmmaking talent.

Synopsis: Since her sister's disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone) has cared for her niece Roki (Isabel Deroy-Olson) by scraping by on the Seneca-Cayuga reservation in Oklahoma. Every... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Shea Whigham

Directed By: Erica Tremblay

Critics Consensus: A clever and stylish riff on the body horror that is puberty, Tiger Stripes is an exuberant allegory for personal agency as well as an impressive debut for writer-director Amanda Nell Eu.

Synopsis: The first amongst her friends to hit puberty, Zaffan, 12, discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracized by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zafreen Zairizai, Deena Ezral, Piga, Shaheizy Sam

Directed By: Amanda Nell Eu

Critics Consensus: A heartfelt film that tells a poignant story without straying into sentimentality, Tótem is a life-affirming triumph for writer-director Lila Avilés.

Synopsis: In a bustling Mexican household, seven-year-old Sol is swept up in a whirlwind of preparations for the birthday party for her father, Tona, led by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Naíma Sentíes, Montserrat Marañón, Marisol Gasé, Saori Gurza

Directed By: Lila Avilés

Critics Consensus: A smart, solidly crafted procedural that's anchored in family drama, Anatomy of a Fall finds star Sandra Hüller and director/co-writer Justine Triet operating at peak power.

Synopsis: For the past year, Sandra, her husband Samuel, and their eleven-year-old son Daniel have lived a secluded life in a remote town in the French... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Hüller, Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado Graner, Antoine Reinartz

Directed By: Justine Triet

Critics Consensus: 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.

Synopsis: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Seung-ah Moon

Directed By: Celine Song

Critics Consensus: Effervescent and refreshingly frank about the travails of puberty, this long-awaited adaptation does full justice to Judy Blume's seminal novel.

Synopsis: For over fifty years, Judy Blume's classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has impacted generations with its timeless coming of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Benny Safdie

Directed By: Kelly Fremon Craig

Critics Consensus: Propulsive and over-the-top, Bottoms is an instant high school comedy classic that feels both current and nostalgic.

Synopsis: BOTTOMS, a refreshingly unique raunchy comedy, focuses on two girls, PJ and Josie, who start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber

Directed By: Emma Seligman

Critics Consensus: 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.

Synopsis: Yas (Vivian Oparah) and Dom (David Jonsson), two twenty-somethings both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London... View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Charlie Knight, Simon Manyonda

Directed By: Raine Allen Miller

Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age comedy that sidesteps simple nostalgia, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah finds fresh humor in adolescent anxiety -- and suggests a bright future for star Sunny Sandler.

Synopsis: Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who've always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. However, things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Idina Menzel, Jackie Sandler, Adam Sandler, Sadie Sandler

Directed By: Sammi Cohen

Critics Consensus: Joy Ride isn't afraid to shock with its gross-out gags, but this road trip's real surprise is how successfully it blends its raunchy humor with real heart.

Synopsis: The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey's (Ashley... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stephanie Hsu, David Denman, Ashley Park, Annie Mumolo

Directed By: Adele Lim

Critics Consensus: Reality's narrow scope and gripping fact-based story add up to a riveting showcase for Sydney Sweeney in the title role.

Synopsis: On a Saturday afternoon, in June 2017, Reality Winner, a 25-year-old in cut-off jeans, is confronted at her Georgia home by the FBI. A cryptic... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sydney Sweeney, Josh Hamilton, Marchánt Davis, John Way

Directed By: Tina Satter

Critics Consensus: Sensitively and intelligently crafted by writer-director Laurel Parmet, The Starling Girl is a well-told coming-of-age story centering around a young woman's struggles with her spiritual faith.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eliza Scanlen, Lewis Pullman, Jimmi Simpson, Wrenn Schmidt

Directed By: Laurel Parmet

Critics Consensus: Like a cold treat on a hot day, Scrapper delivers two scoops of a sweet father-daughter dramedy best consumed when in need of a hug.

Synopsis: This vibrant and inventive father-daughter comedy follows Georgie (Lola Campbell), a resourceful 12-year-old girl who secretly lives alone in her flat in a working class... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lola Campbell, Alin Uzun, Harris Dickinson, Ambreen Razia

Directed By: Charlotte Regan

Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and above all entertaining, You Hurt My Feelings finds writer-director Nicole Holofcener as sharply perceptive as ever.

Synopsis: From acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Holofcener comes a sharply observed comedy about a novelist whose long standing marriage is suddenly upended when she overhears her husband... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies, Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed

Directed By: Nicole Holofcener

Critics Consensus: A powerful debut for Molly Manning Walker, How to Have Sex authentically captures female adolescence and friendship with sobering effervescence.

Synopsis: Three British teenage girls go on a rites-of-passage holiday -- drinking, clubbing and hooking up, in what should be the best summer of their lives.

Starring: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley, Lara Peake, Shaun Thomas

Directed By: Molly Manning Walker

Critics Consensus: Firmly rooted in classic horror, Birth/Rebirth uses a familiar framework to tease at fundamental fears from a chillingly relatable angle.

Synopsis: Rose (Marin Ireland) is a pathologist who prefers working with corpses over social interaction. She also has an obsession -- the reanimation of the dead.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Judy Reyes, Marin Ireland, A.J. Lister, Breeda Wool

Directed By: Laura Moss

Critics Consensus: Four Daughters' unique approach to documenting real-life horror is a formal gamble that only underscores the bravery and resilience of its subjects.

Synopsis: This riveting exploration of rebellion, memory, and sisterhood reconstructs the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family history through intimate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hend Sabry, Olfa Hamrouni, Eya Chikahoui, Tayssir Chikhaoui

Directed By: Kaouther Ben Hania

Critics Consensus: Heavy yet hopeful, Earth Mama is a moving look at single motherhood on the margins that features outstanding work from writer-director Savanah Leaf and star Tia Nomore.

Synopsis: With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Doechii, Sharon Duncan-Brewster

Directed By: Savanah Leaf

Critics Consensus: An understated yet impactful story of female empowerment, Shayda establishes first-time feature filmmaker Noora Niasari as a remarkably assured talent.

Synopsis: SHAYDA, a brave Iranian mother, finds refuge in an Australian women's shelter with her six-year-old daughter. Over Persian New Year, they take solace in Nowruz... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zar Amir-Ebrahimi, Mojean Aria, Leah Purcell, Jillian Nguyen

Directed By: Noora Niasari

Critics Consensus: A tribute to parental devotion and a testament to Teyana Taylor's talent, A Thousand and One presents a heart-wrenching portrait of perseverance in the face of systemic inequity.

Synopsis: A THOUSAND AND ONE follows unapologetic and free-spirited Inez (Teyana Taylor), who kidnaps six-year-old Terry from the foster care system. Holding onto their secret and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Teyana Taylor, Aaron Kingsley Adetola, Aven Courtney, Josiah Cross

Directed By: A.V. Rockwell

Critics Consensus: Sensitively written and beautifully acted, Girl Picture captures the whirlwind of teenage emotions without sacrificing narrative maturity and depth.

Synopsis: Best friends Mimmi and Rönkkö work after school at a food court smoothie kiosk, frankly swapping stories of their frustrations and expectations regarding love and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aamu Milonoff, Linnea Leino, Sonya Lindfors, Cécile Orblin

Directed By: Alli Haapasalo

Critics Consensus: Till reframes an historically horrific murder within a mother's grief, brought heartwrenchingly to life by Danielle Deadwyler's tremendous performance.

Synopsis: Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14 year old... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Frankie Faison, Haley Bennett

Directed By: Chinonye Chukwu

Critics Consensus: Sissy weaves timely themes into its rich blend of horror and dark humor, topped off by terrific work from a talented cast led by Aisha Dee.

Synopsis: Cecilia and Emma were tween-age BFFs who were going to grow old together and never let anything come between them, until Alex arrived on the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aisha Dee, Yerin Ha, Lucy Barrett, Hannah Barlow

Directed By: Hannah Barlow, Kane Senes

Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated, and culturally expansive, Turning Red extends Pixar's long list of family-friendly triumphs.

Synopsis: In "Turning Red", Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother's dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. And as if... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rosalie Chiang, Sandra Oh, Ava Morse, Hyein Park

Directed By: Domee Shi

Critics Consensus: All hail Viola Davis! The Woman King rules.

Synopsis: The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim

Directed By: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Critics Consensus: Led by Frankie Corio's tremendous performance, Aftersun deftly ushers audiences to the intersection between our memories of loved ones and who they really are.

Synopsis: At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare time together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Paul Mescal, Frankie Corio, Celia Rowlson-Hall, Kayleigh Coleman

Directed By: Charlotte Wells

Critics Consensus: A message movie in a hard horror shell, Hatching perches between beauty and revulsion -- and establishes director Hanna Bergholm as a bright new talent.

Synopsis: In HATCHING, 12-year-old gymnast, Tinja (Siiri Solalinna), is desperate to please her image-obsessed mother, whose popular blog 'Lovely Everyday Life' presents their family's idyllic existence... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Siiri Solalinna, Sophia Heikkilä, Jani Volanen, Oiva Ollila

Directed By: Hanna Bergholm

Critics Consensus: Brought hauntingly to life by Laura Galán's committed performance, Piggy deftly deploys genre thrills in service of sharp social commentary.

Synopsis: With the summer sun beating down on her rural Spanish town, Sara hides away in her parent's butcher shop. A teenager whose excess weight makes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laura Galán, Richard Holmes, Carmen Machi, Irene Ferreiro

Directed By: Carlota Pereda

Critics Consensus: Proof that there's still life in the found-footage gimmick, Deadstream is a scarily good bit of B-movie fun.

Synopsis: After a public controversy left him disgraced and demonetized, a washed up internet personality tries to win back his followers by livestreaming himself spending one... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joseph Winter, Melanie Stone, Jason K. Wixom, Pat Barnett

Directed By: Joseph Winter, Vanessa Winter

Critics Consensus: Led by Anna Diop's strong central performance, the smartly disquieting Nanny is a promising debut for writer-director Nikyatu Jusu.

Synopsis: In this psychological horror fable of displacement, Aisha (Anna Diop), a woman who recently emigrated from Senegal, is hired to care for the daughter of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Sinqua Walls, Morgan Spector

Directed By: Nikyatu Jusu

Critics Consensus: Narratively subtle and beautifully acted, You Can Live Forever finds soulful drama at the intersection of sexual orientation and religious faith.

Synopsis: In the early '90s, gay teen Jaime is sent to live with her devout Jehovah’s Witness relatives after the death of her father. Jaime makes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anwen O'Driscoll, June Laporte, Jennifer Laporte, Liane Balaban

Directed By: Sarah Watts, Mark Slutsky

Critics Consensus: A delightfully unique tribute to the transporting power of cinema, Leonor Will Never Die marks director/co-writer Martika Ramirez Escobar as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: Leonor Reyes was once a major player in the Filipino film industry after creating a string of successful action films, but now her household struggles... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rocky Salumbides, Sheila Francisco, Bong Cabrera, Anthony Falcon

Directed By: Martika Ramirez Escobar

Critics Consensus: Lily Gladstone's outstanding performances powers The Unknown Country through some narrative drift to its ultimately profound destination.

Synopsis: Reeling from a devastating loss, Tana (Lily Gladstone) is pulled back into the world by an unexpected invitation to her cousin's wedding. She packs up... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily Gladstone, Raymond Lee, Ali Lopez-Sohaili, Richard Ray Whitman

Directed By: Morrisa Maltz

Critics Consensus: Chile '76 is an intriguing historical noir that radiographs Pinochet's patronizing and patriarchal society through the eyes of a steely bourgeoise woman who dares to take a stand.

Synopsis: Chile, 1976. Carmen heads off to her beach house to supervise its renovation. Her husband, children and grandchildren come back and forth during the winter... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aline Küppenheim, Nicolás Sepúlveda, Hugo Medina, Alejandro Goic

Directed By: Manuela Martelli

Critics Consensus: Other People's Children perceptively explores motherhood outside traditional biological confines and delivers sobering truths with an ample side of levity.

Synopsis: Rachel is 40 years old, with no children. She loves her life: her high school students, her friends, her ex, her guitar lessons. When she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Virginie Efira, Roschdy Zem, Victor Lefebvre, Chiara Mastroianni

Directed By: Rebecca Zlotowski

Critics Consensus: With subtlety and authenticity, War Pony tracks the lives of two young Indigenous men and cements the two women behind the lens, Riley Keough and Gina Gammell, as talents to watch.

Synopsis: At 23, Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) just wants to make something of himself. Whether it's siphoning gas, delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jojo Bapteise Whiting, LaDainian Crazy Thunder, Ashley Shelton, Robert Stover

Directed By: Riley Keough, Gina Gammell

Critics Consensus: Moody, sensitive, and subtly layered, Falcon Lake captures the intoxicating horror of young love.

Synopsis: A shy teenager on a summer vacation experiences the joy and pain of young adulthood when he forges an unlikely bond with an older girl.

Starring: Joseph Engel, Sara Montpetit, Monia Chokri, Arthur Igual

Directed By: Charlotte Le Bon

Critics Consensus: Further distinguished by Virginie Efira's superb performance, Revoir Paris explores trauma's aftermath with devastating tenderness.

Synopsis: After an idyllic date night full of red wine and a late-night motorcycle ride home, Mia (Virginie Efira) stops at a Parisian bistro to take... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Virginie Efira, Benoît Magimel, Grégoire Colin, Maya Sansa

Directed By: Alice Winocour

Critics Consensus: A gut-punching contemplation of a woman's immigrant experience, Saint Omer puts a mother on the stand and the audience in the jury box to find humanity in the inhumane.

Synopsis: Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanda, Valérie Dréville, Aurélia Petit

Directed By: Alice Diop

Critics Consensus: While Women Talking sometimes forsakes entertaining drama in favor of simply getting its points across, its message is valuable -- and effectively delivered.

Synopsis: Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith.

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Judith Ivey

Directed By: Sarah Polley

Critics Consensus: Bridging times past with issues that are still current, Blue Jean resonates intellectually and emotionally thanks to thoughtful direction and authentic performances.

Synopsis: England, 1988 -- Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rosy McEwen, Kerrie Hayes, Lydia Page, Stacy Abalogun

Directed By: Georgia Oakley

Critics Consensus: A is for Amanda, an amusingly absurd coming-of-age comedy that offers poignant observations and positions director Carolina Cavalli as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: Born into an upper-class family with a doting mother who foots the bill for her indolent lifestyle, 24-year-old combative Amanda (emerging talent Benedetta Porcaroli) searches... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedetta Porcaroli, Galatéa Bellugi, Michele Bravi, Monica Nappo

Directed By: Carolina Cavalli

Critics Consensus: A bone-chilling body horror, Huesera offers genre fans a twisted take on What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Synopsis: Valeria's joy at becoming a first-time mother is quickly taken away when she's cursed by a sinister entity. As danger closes in, she's forced deeper... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Natalia Solián, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Batalla, Mercedes Hernández

Directed By: Michelle Garza Cervera

Critics Consensus: Klondike offers a bleak portrait of a war-torn Ukrainian village with the mordant wit of someone who understands that for civilians, the mundanities of life must go on.

Synopsis: July 2014. Expectant parents Irka and Tolik live in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine near the Russian border, disputed territory in the early days... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Oksana Cherkashyna, Sergey Shadrin, Oleg Shcherbina, Oleg Shevchuk

Directed By: Maryna Er Gorbach

Critics Consensus: While it may lack a narrative punch, Alcarràs captures this rural world and its heritage with a gripping sense of nostalgia for things forever gone.

Synopsis: In a small village in Catalonia, the peach farmers of the Solé family spend every summer together picking fruit from their orchard. But when plans... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Berta Pipó, Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin, Xènia Roset

Directed By: Carla Simón

Critics Consensus: More visually impressive than narratively engaging, Vesper rewards patient viewers with immersive world-building and intelligent ideas.

Synopsis: After the collapse of Earth's ecosystem, Vesper, a 13-year-old girl struggling to survive with her Father, must use her wits, strength and bio-hacking abilities to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Raffiella Chapman, Eddie Marsan, Rosy McEwen, Richard Brake

Directed By: Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper

Critics Consensus: Finely wrought to a fault, One Fine Morning presents a subtle, well-acted look at life and love.

Synopsis: Sandra, a young mother who raises her daughter alone, pays regular visits to her sick father. While she and her family fight tooth and nail... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Léa Seydoux, Pascal Greggory, Melvil Poupaud, Nicole Garcia

Directed By: Mia Hansen-Løve

Critics Consensus: Pray Away presents a compassionate picture of the damage wrought by so-called conversion therapy -- on its subjects as well as its proponents.

Synopsis: Five evangelicals in the 1970s break away and form Exodus International, a group that claims that gay people can become straight through prayer and conversion... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Kristine Stolakis

Critics Consensus: A ruefully funny calling card for debuting director Emma Seligman, Shiva Baby transcends its sitcom setup with strong performances and satisfying insights.

Synopsis: While at a Jewish funeral service with her parents, a college student has an awkward encounter with her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend.

Starring: Rachel Sennott, Molly Gordon, Polly Draper, Danny Deferrari

Directed By: Emma Seligman

Critics Consensus: Together Together explores love and parenthood from unexpected angles, capturing a broad spectrum of emotions through Patti Harrison and Ed Helms' starring performances.

Synopsis: When young loner Anna is hired as the gestational surrogate for Matt, a single man in his 40s who wants a child, the two strangers... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ed Helms, Patti Harrison, Tig Notaro, Julio Torres

Directed By: Nikole Beckwith

Critics Consensus: V/H/S/94 gets the franchise back on track with a gory buffet of shorts that should delight horror anthology fans.

Synopsis: A Shudder Original Film, V/H/S/94 is the fourth installment in the hit horror anthology franchise and marks the return of the infamous found footage anthology... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Hopkins, Christian Potenza, Kyal Legend, Devin Chin-Cheong

Directed By: Simon Barrett, Steven Kostanski, Chloe Okuno, Ryan Prows

Critics Consensus: Ailey pays invigorating tribute to its subject's brilliant legacy -- and offers a tantalizing introduction to the rest of a fascinating story.

Synopsis: Alvin Ailey was a trailblazing pioneer who found salvation through dance. AILEY traces the full contours of this brilliant and enigmatic man whose search for... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Directed By: Jamila Wignot

Critics Consensus: While Passing's delicate approach has a dampening effect on its story, debuting director Rebecca Hall makes the most of an impressive cast -- and handles thorny themes with impressive dexterity.

Synopsis: In 1920s New York City, a Black woman finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård

Directed By: Rebecca Hall

Critics Consensus: Drawing on another terrific performance from Honor Swinton Byrne, The Souvenir Part II continues its story with profound emotional complexity and elegant storytelling.

Synopsis: In the aftermath of her tumultuous relationship with a charismatic and manipulative older man, Julie begins to untangle her fraught love for him in making... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Honor Swinton Byrne, Jaygann Ayeh, Tilda Swinton, Richard Ayoade

Directed By: Joanna Hogg

Critics Consensus: El Planeta taps into real-life economic anxiety to present a darkly humorous glimpse of life spent teetering on the edge of financial ruin.

Synopsis: Amidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ale Ulman, Amalia Ulman, Nacho Vigalondo, Genoveva Garcia Castanon

Directed By: Amalia Ulman

Critics Consensus: Like the show whose groundbreaking creation it commemorates, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is as enlightening as it is purely entertaining.

Synopsis: Street Gang will take us inside the minds and hearts of the Sesame Street creators to help us understand not only how they produced this... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Joan Ganz Cooney, Fran Brill, Christopher Cerf, Emilio Delgado

Directed By: Marilyn Agrelo

Critics Consensus: An affecting profile of screen legend Rita Moreno, Just a Girl is at once a sharp critique of the industry's crushing inequities and a beautiful homage to an artist who never backed down despite the odds.

Synopsis: Over a 70+ year career, Rita Moreno defied both her humble upbringing and relentless racism to become a celebrated and beloved actor, one of the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rita Moreno, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Norman Lear, George Chakiris

Directed By: Mariem Pérez Riera

Critics Consensus: Plan B doesn't overplay its timely message -- and it doesn't have to, thanks to a sharp, funny script and the sparkling chemistry between its charming stars.

Synopsis: After a regrettable sexual encounter, a straight-laced student and her best friend have 24 hours to hunt down a Plan B pill in South Dakota.

Starring: Kuhoo Verma, Victoria Moroles, Josh Ruben, Mason Cook

Directed By: Natalie Morales

Critics Consensus: Gripping and clear-eyed, In the Same Breath captures history as it's being written -- and governmental failures as they amplify worldwide tragedy.

Synopsis: IN THE SAME BREATH recounts the experiences of people on the ground in the earliest days of the novel coronavirus and the way two countries... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Nanfu Wang

Critics Consensus: A remarkable first feature for writer-director Lauren Hadaway, The Novice paints a thrilling -- and disturbing -- portrait of obsession.

Synopsis: Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) plays Alex Dall, a queer college freshman who joins her university's rowing team and undertakes an obsessive physical and psychological journey to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Kate Drummond

Directed By: Lauren Hadaway

Critics Consensus: With a thought-provoking concept brought to humorous life by a pair of well-matched leads, I'm Your Man is an AI rom-com whose intelligence is anything but artificial.

Synopsis: In order to obtain funds for her research, Alma (Maren Eggert) is persuaded to participate in an extraordinary study. For three weeks she is required... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dan Stevens, Maren Eggert, Sandra Hüller, Hans Löw

Directed By: Maria Schrader

Critics Consensus: Small in narrative scope but deeply impactful, Petite Maman is a delicate, powerfully acted meditation on grief.

Synopsis: Céline Sciamma continues to prove herself as one of the most accomplished and unpredictable contemporary French filmmakers with her follow up to PORTRAIT OF A... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nina Meurisse, Margot Abascal, Stéphane Varupenne, Joséphine Sanz

Directed By: Céline Sciamma

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: 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... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Bancha Duriyapunt, Apakorn Youkongkaew, Anan Surawan, Woranan Ratrawiphukkun

Directed By: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

Critics Consensus: Attica revisits the titular riot with intelligence, compassion, and anger, presenting a version of events that honors history as much as it exemplifies the art of documentary filmmaking.

Synopsis: During the summer of 1971, tensions between inmates and guards at the Attica Correctional Facility are at an all-time high. On the morning of Sept.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Clarence Jones

Directed By: Stanley Nelson, Traci Curry

Critics Consensus: As visually thrilling as it is edifying, Becoming Cousteau pays fitting tribute to a pioneering explorer and environmental advocate.

Synopsis: Adventurer, filmmaker, inventor, author, unlikely celebrity and conservationist: For over four decades, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his explorations under the ocean became synonymous with a love... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vincent Cassel, Jacques-Yves Cousteau

Directed By: Liz Garbus

Critics Consensus: Befitting the culinary aesthetic favored by the brilliant chef it honors, Julia uses fresh, simple ingredients to create a sumptuous documentary feast.

Synopsis: JULIA tells the story of the legendary cookbook author and television superstar who changed the way Americans think about food, television, and even about women.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: José Andrés, Julia Child

Directed By: Julie Cohen, Betsy West

Critics Consensus: Anchored by Yllka Gashi's outstanding performance, Hive leads viewers on one woman's fact-based quest for self-determination in a patriarchal society.

Synopsis: HIVE is a searing drama based on the true story of Fahrije (Yllka Gashi), who, like many of the other women in her patriarchal village,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yllka Gashi, Çun Lajçi, Aurita Agushi, Kumrije Hoxha

Directed By: Blerta Basholli

Critics Consensus: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror takes a fascinating deep dive that'll leave like-minded viewers making numerous new additions to their streaming queues.

Synopsis: WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror, exploring the phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Piers Haggard, Lawrence Gordon Clark, Jeremy Dyson, Alice Lowe

Directed By: Kier-La Janisse

Critics Consensus: CODA's story offers few surprises, but strong representation and a terrific cast -- led by Emilia Jones' brilliant performance -- bring this coming-of-age story vividly to life.

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family -- a CODA, child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Eugenio Derbez

Directed By: Sian Heder

Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a stellar ensemble led by Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog reaffirms writer-director Jane Campion as one of her generation's finest filmmakers.

Synopsis: Severe, pale-eyed, handsome, Phil Burbank is brutally beguiling. All of Phil's romance, power and fragility is trapped in the past and in the land: He... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Kodi Smit-McPhee

Directed By: Jane Campion

Critics Consensus: A tough but rewarding watch, Happening puts a personal face on an impossibly difficult choice and its heart-rending aftermath.

Synopsis: France, 1963. Anne is a bright young student with a promising future ahead of her. But when she falls pregnant, she sees the opportunity to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anamaria Vartolomei, Kacey Mottet Klein, Luàna Bajrami, Louise Orry-Diquéro

Directed By: Audrey Diwan

Critics Consensus: Hellbender stirs a boiling cauldron of adolescent angst, serving up a coming-of-age story with dark horror overtones.

Synopsis: A teen and her mother live simply in a home in the woods, spending their time making metal music. A chance encounter with a fellow... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams, John Adams

Directed By: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

Critics Consensus: Bursting with ideas and ambition, Neptune Frost is difficult to describe -- and just as hard to resist.

Synopsis: In an otherworldly e-waste camp made of recycled computer parts, a subversive hacking collective attempts a takeover of the authoritarian regime exploiting the region's natural... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cheryl Isheja, Bertrand Ninteretse, Eliane Umuhire, Elvis Ngabo

Directed By: Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman

Critics Consensus: An eerily relevant debut from writer-director Iuli Gerbase, The Pink Cloud reaches into the emotional fault lines of pandemic life and comes away with striking observations about human behavior.

Synopsis: A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana and Yago try to invent... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Eduardo Mendonça, Girley Paes, Kaya Rodrigues, Renata de Lélis

Directed By: Iuli Gerbase

Critics Consensus: Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of teen trauma to grapple with the experience of grief.

Synopsis: Bolstered by new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances, high schooler Vada (Jenna Ortega) begins to reinvent herself, while re-evaluating her relationships with her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp

Directed By: Megan Park

Critics Consensus: Narratively challenging and visually haunting, We're All Going to the World's Fair adds a uniquely ambitious and unsettling entry to the crowded coming-of-age genre.

Synopsis: Late on a cold night somewhere in the U.S., teenage Casey (Anna Cobb in her feature debut) sits alone in her attic bedroom, scrolling the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anna Cobb, Michael J. Rogers

Directed By: Jane Schoenbrun

Critics Consensus: A coming-of-age story with a uniquely sunny noir spin, Murina deftly explores dark themes against a deceptively idyllic setting.

Synopsis: Tensions rise between restless teenager Julija and her oppressive father Ante when an old family friend arrives at their Croatian island home. As Ante attempts... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gracija Filipovic, Danica Curcic, Leon Lucev, Cliff Curtis

Directed By: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic

Critics Consensus: The main character may be hard to like, but Anaïs in Love offers a well-acted and breezily humorous take on its admittedly well-worn themes.

Synopsis: ANAIS IN LOVE is a buoyant French comedy from filmmaker Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet. Boasting a playfully magnetic performance by star Anaïs Demoustier, the film follows a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Anaïs Demoustier, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Denis Podalydès, Jean-Charles Clichet

Directed By: Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet

Critics Consensus: Discomfiting and dreamy, Clara Sola brings a sensual surreality to a story of oppressed autonomy, with debuting star Wendy Chinchilla Araya providing a mesmerizing focal point.

Synopsis: In a remote village in Costa Rica, 40-year-old Clara endures a repressively religious and withdrawn life under the command of her mother. Her uncanny affinity... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Wendy Chinchilla Araya, Ana Julia Porras Espinoza, Daniel Castañeda Rincón, Flor María Vargas Chaves

Directed By: Nathalie Álvarez Mesén

Critics Consensus: The Forty-Year-Old Version opens a compelling window into the ebbs and flows of the artist's life -- and announces writer-director-star Radha Blank as a major filmmaking talent with her feature debut.

Synopsis: Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her last shot at success, she's... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Welker White, Reed Birney, Radha Blank, Peter Kim

Directed By: Radha Blank

Critics Consensus: Totally Under Control does a commendable job of distilling current events into a clear-eyed overview that's as engaging as it is enraging.

Synopsis: Public health officials discuss the U.S. government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starring: Alex Gibney, Taison Bell, Michael Bowen, Rick Bright

Directed By: Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan, Suzanne Hillinger

Critics Consensus: Like a pageant winner walking across the stage, Miss Juneteenth follows a familiar path -- but does so with charm and grace.

Synopsis: A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant.

Starring: Nicole Beharie, Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze, Lori Hayes

Directed By: Channing Godfrey Peoples

Critics Consensus: Whether you see Kajillionaire as refreshingly unique or simply bizarre will depend on your cinematic adventurousness -- and fans of writer-director Miranda July wouldn't have it any other way.

Synopsis: Two con artists have spent 26 years training their only daughter to swindle, scam and steal at every turn. During a desperate and hastily conceived... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger

Directed By: Miranda July

Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and directed, Never Rarely Sometimes Always reaffirms writer-director Eliza Hittman as a filmmaker of uncommon sensitivity and grace.

Synopsis: Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn and her cousin, Skylar, travel across state lines to New York City on... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ryan Eggold, Théodore Pellerin, Sharon Van Etten, Sidney Flanigan

Directed By: Eliza Hittman

Critics Consensus: Harrowing yet essential viewing, Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses -- as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years.

Synopsis: Reporters from The Indianapolis Star expose Dr. Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of young gymnasts.

Starring: Maggie Nichols, Jerry Moran, Jennifer Sey

Directed By: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk

Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.

Synopsis: Puerto Rican astrologer and psychic Walter Mercado discusses his life, career and post-fame seclusion.

Starring: Walter Mercado

Directed By: Kareem Tabsch, Cristina Costantini

Critics Consensus: All In: The Fight for Democracy lives up to its title as a galvanizing rallying cry for voters to exercise -- and preserve -- their right to be heard.

Synopsis: Filmmakers Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes examine the history of voter suppression and the activists who fight for the rights of U.S. citizens.

Starring: Stacey Abrams

Directed By: Lisa Cortes, Liz Garbus

Critics Consensus: Dick Johnson Is Dead celebrates a life with bittersweet humor and grace, offering a deeply resonant perspective on mortality in the bargain.

Synopsis: A filmmaker and her elderly father stage his death in various ways to help them face his inevitable demise.

Starring: Dick Johnson, Chad Knorr, Kevin Loreque, Ana Hoffman

Directed By: Kirsten Johnson

Critics Consensus: Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James.

Synopsis: A woman links her mother's increasingly volatile behavior to an evil presence at their family's decaying country home.

Starring: Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin, Bella Heathcote, Chris Bunton

Directed By: Natalie Erika James

Critics Consensus: A hauntingly powerful reflection on larger-than-life figures, One Night in Miami finds Regina King in command of her craft in her feature directorial debut.

Synopsis: On one incredible night in 1964, four icons of sports, music, and activism gathered to celebrate one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. When... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Aldis Hodge, Leslie Odom Jr., Eli Goree

Directed By: Regina King

Critics Consensus: Les Nôtres deftly hits expected beats to tell a story of betrayal whose finely calibrated direction and performances make it all the more harrowing.

Synopsis: To the tight-knit community of Sainte-Adeline, Quebec, Magalie appears as a normal suburban high school sophomore surrounded by friends. But this popular teenage girl is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Émilie Bierre, Marianne Farley, Judith Baribeau, Paul Doucet

Directed By: Jeanne Leblanc

Critics Consensus: A striking debut from director/co-writer Dea Kulumbegashvili, Beginning grapples convincingly with complex ideas while offering a brilliant showcase for star Ia Sukhitashvili.

Synopsis: A missionary's life spirals out of control after extremists burn down a Jehovah's Witnesses church in a remote Georgian village.

Starring: Ia Sukhitashvili, Rati Oneli, Kakha Kintsurashvili

Directed By: Dea Kulumbegashvili

Critics Consensus: Beans opens a compelling window into the indigenous coming-of-age experience -- and serves as an affecting debut for Kiawentiio.

Synopsis: Twelve-year-old Beans is on the edge: torn between innocent childhood and reckless adolescence; forced to grow up fast and become the tough Mohawk warrior she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kiawentiio, Violah Beauvais, Rainbow Dickerson, Joel Montgrand

Directed By: Tracey Deer

Critics Consensus: Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation lives up to its title with an absorbing and revealing look at a pair of American literary giants.

Synopsis: The work, lives, and personal journeys of iconic American artists Truman Capote and Tennesee Williams coalesce with creative combustion in this innovative dual-portrait documentary. Filmmaker... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Zachary Quinto, Jim Parsons

Directed By: Lisa Immordino Vreeland

Critics Consensus: It's hard not to hear echoes of similarly desperate stories, but Holler drowns them out with strong performances and palpable empathy.

Synopsis: In a forgotten pocket of Southern Ohio where American manufacturing and opportunity are dying up, a determined young woman finds a ticket out when she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jessica Barden, Pamela Adlon, Gus Halper, Austin Amelio

Directed By: Nicole Riegel

Critics Consensus: A heartwarming look at the way a meaningful bond can transcend just about any barrier, this documentary will leave you asking your friends to come and see My Octopus Teacher with you.

Synopsis: A diver swims with an octopus that lives in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa.

Starring: Craig Foster

Directed By: Pippa Ehrlich, James Reed

Critics Consensus: True Mothers uses an intractable conflict to explore the bonds of parenthood with director/co-writer Naomi Kawase's usual sensitivity and grace.

Synopsis: An adopted son's mother receives an unexpected visit from the boy's biological mother.

Starring: Arata Iura, Hiromi Nagasaku, Aju Makita, Reo Sato

Directed By: Naomi Kawase

Critics Consensus: Anchored by the believable bond between its leads, Wildfire tells a heartfelt and realistic story of sisters peering into their family's past.

Synopsis: Two reunited Irish sisters uncover secrets from their mother's past.

Starring: Nika McGuigan, Nora Jane Noone, Martin McCann, Kate Dickie

Directed By: Cathy Brady

Critics Consensus: Wildland reaches past the familiar tropes of its gangster drama setup to tell an evocative and refreshingly original coming-of-age story.

Synopsis: Following a car accident, which kills her mother, 17-year-old Ida moves in with her estranged aunt and her aunt's grown sons. The home is filled... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sandra Guldberg Kampp, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Joachim Fjelstrup, Elliott Crosset Hove

Directed By: Jeanette Nordahl

Critics Consensus: A rich blend of thrilling horror and sharp social commentary, Lucky acts as a bloody good calling card for director Natasha Kermani and writer-star Brea Grant.

Synopsis: A self-help book author finds herself stalked by a threatening figure who returns to her house night after night. She is forced to take matters... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brea Grant, Hunter C. Smith, Kristina Klebe, Kausar Mohammed

Directed By: Natasha Kermani

Critics Consensus: Led by Alec Utgoff's impressive starring performance, Never Gonna Snow Again blends elements of sci-fi, satire, and surreal drama with an assured hand.

Synopsis: On a gray, foggy morning outside a large Polish city, Zhenia (Alec Utgoff), a masseur from the East, enters the lives of the wealthy residents... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alec Utgoff, Maja Ostaszewska, Agata Kulesza, Weronika Rosati

Directed By: Małgorzata Szumowska

Critics Consensus: Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President warmly -- and tunefully -- highlights a rarely explored facet of the 39th U.S. President's tenure.

Synopsis: A portrait showing how Jimmy Carter's lifelong passion for music gave him an unexpected edge as a presidential candidate. Through folk, soul, gospel, jazz and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jimmy Carter, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson

Directed By: Mary Wharton

Critics Consensus: An enchanting debut for writer-director-star Suzanne Lindon, Spring Blossom captures first love with fittingly delicate beauty.

Synopsis: Suzanne (Suzanne Lindon) is sixteen. She is bored with people her own age. From the outside, everything appears lovely in her charmed world, but the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Suzanne Lindon, Arnaud Valois, Frédéric Pierrot, Florence Viala

Directed By: Suzanne Lindon

Critics Consensus: A remarkable feature debut for director Heidi Ewing, I Carry You with Me finds universally resonant themes in a specific, richly detailed time and place.

Synopsis: Based on true love, this decades spanning romance begins in Mexico between an aspiring chef (Armando Espitia) and a teacher (Christian Vázquez). Their lives restart... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Armando Espitia, Christian Vazquez, Michelle Rodríguez, Ángeles Cruz

Directed By: Heidi Ewing

Critics Consensus: A slim-cut slice of bizarre horror, Slaxx effectively balances quirk with gore -- and has the good sense to get out before its oddball premise starts showing its seams.

Synopsis: A possessed pair of jeans is brought to life to punish the unscrupulous practices of a trendy clothing company. Shipped to the company's flagship store,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Romane Denis, Brett Donahue, Sehar Bhojani, Stephen Bogaert

Directed By: Elza Kephart

Critics Consensus: A slow-burning descent into desperation, Identifying Features uses one shattered family's ordeal to offer a harrowing look at the immigrant experience.

Synopsis: A middle-aged woman embarks on an increasingly dangerous journey to locate her son, who's gone missing after leaving Mexico to find work in the United... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mercedes Hernández, David Illescas, Juan Jesús Varela, Ana Laura Rodríguez

Directed By: Fernanda Valadez

Critics Consensus: Quo Vadis, Aida? uses one woman's heartbreaking conflict to offer a searing account of war's devastating human toll.

Synopsis: Bosnia, July 11th 1995. Aida is a translator for the United Nations in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jasna Đuričić, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrovic

Directed By: Jasmila Zbanic

Critics Consensus: A slasher with flair and crafty patience for the kill, The Stylist marks writer-director Jill Gevargizian as an uncommonly sharp genre filmmaker.

Synopsis: We all dream of being someone else... but for Claire (Najarra Townsend, Contracted), that dream goes from an obsession to a living nightmare. Hairstylist by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Brea Grant, Najarra Townsend, Millie Milan, Sarah McGuire

Directed By: Jill Gevargizian

Critics Consensus: Led by Noée Abita's outstanding central performance, Slalom offers a moving account of oppression and abuse in the guise of mentorship.

Synopsis: This riveting, Cannes-selected #MeToo drama from debut filmmaker Charlène Favier follows the relationship between a teenage ski prodigy and her predatory instructor, played by frequent... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Noée Abita, Jérémie Renier, Marie Denarnaud, Muriel Combeau

Directed By: Charlène Favier

Critics Consensus: A poetic character study on the forgotten and downtrodden, Nomadland beautifully captures the restlessness left in the wake of the Great Recession.

Synopsis: A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the American West, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad after losing everything in the Great... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Frances McDormand, David Strathairn, Linda May, Swankie

Directed By: Chloé Zhao

Critics Consensus: A boldly provocative, timely thriller, Promising Young Woman is an auspicious feature debut for writer-director Emerald Fennell -- and a career highlight for Carey Mulligan.

Synopsis: Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a secret double life by night.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Laverne Cox, Bo Burnham, Clancy Brown

Directed By: Emerald Fennell

Critics Consensus: Stray takes a patient, meditative look at the lives of Istanbul's stray dog population -- and uncovers truths of the human condition in the process.

Synopsis: STRAY explores what it means to live as a being without status or security, following three strays as they embark on inconspicuous journeys through Turkish... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Elizabeth Lo

Critics Consensus: Balancing whimsy-tinged magic realism against serious themes of community and displacement, Gagarine is as bracingly original as it is ultimately poignant.

Synopsis: Teenager Youri (gifted newcomer Alseni Bathily) has lived his whole life in the tight-knit community of Gagarine, even being named after the famed Russian cosmonaut... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alséni Bathily, Lyna Khoudri, Jamil McCraven, Finnegan Oldfield

Directed By: Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh

Critics Consensus: Tove's conventional approach to depicting the life of a singular talent is offset by Alma Pöysti's outstanding performance in the title role.

Synopsis: Helsinki, 1945. The end of the war brings a new sense of artistic and social freedom for painter Tove Jansson. Modern art, dizzying parties and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alma Pöysti, Krista Kosonen, Shanti Roney, Joanna Haartti

Directed By: Zaida Bergroth