The 270 Best Movies Directed By Women of the 21st Century

Critics Consensus: Expertly drawn characters and a strong senes of humanity make Sword of Trust an enjoyable -- if at times meandering -- journey.

Synopsis: A cantankerous pawnshop owner and his man-child employee team up with an out-of-town couple who are trying to hawk a Civil War-era sword inherited from... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marc Maron, Jon Bass, Michaela Watkins, Jillian Bell

Directed By: Lynn Shelton

Critics Consensus: Expertly drawn characters and a strong senes of humanity make Sword of Trust an enjoyable -- if at times meandering -- journey.

Synopsis: A cantankerous pawnshop owner and his man-child employee team up with an out-of-town couple who are trying to hawk a Civil War-era sword inherited from... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marc Maron, Jon Bass, Michaela Watkins, Jillian Bell

Directed By: Lynn Shelton

Critics Consensus: Honey Boy serves as an act of cinematic therapy for its screenwriter and subject -- one whose unique perspective should strike a chord in audiences from all backgrounds.

Synopsis: When 12-year-old Otis begins to find success as a television star, his abusive, alcoholic father returns and takes over as his guardian, and their contentious... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, Byron Bowers

Directed By: Alma Har'el

Critics Consensus: As sharp, funny, and scathingly irreverent as its subject, Raise Hell: The Life & Times of Molly Ivins pays entertaining tribute to a brilliant writer.

Synopsis: The life and work of Molly Ivins, a political journalist from Texas, best-selling author, and Bill of Rights warrior.

Starring: Rachel Maddow, Dan Rather, Anne Lamott, Cecile Richards

Directed By: Janice Engel

Critics Consensus: The Mustang finds fresh perspectives in a familiar redemption tale brought brilliantly to life by powerful performances from Bruce Dern and Matthias Schoenaerts.

Synopsis: A violent convict is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program centered around the training of wild mustangs.

Starring: Matthias Schoenaerts, Gideon Adlon, Bruce Dern, Connie Britton

Directed By: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

Critics Consensus: Much like the beloved TV personality that inspired it, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood offers a powerfully affecting message about acceptance and understanding.

Synopsis: Lloyd Vogel is an investigative journalist who receives an assignment to profile Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers. He approaches the interview with skepticism, as he... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson, Chris Cooper

Directed By: Marielle Heller

Critics Consensus: With a stellar cast and a smart, sensitive retelling of its classic source material, Greta Gerwig's Little Women proves some stories truly are timeless.

Synopsis: In the years after the Civil War, Jo March lives in New York and makes her living as a writer, while her sister Amy studies... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen

Directed By: Greta Gerwig

Critics Consensus: Hail Satan? challenges preconceived notions of its subject with a smart, witty, and overall entertaining dispatch from the front lines of the fight for social justice.

Synopsis: Lucien Greaves co-founds the Satanic Temple, a religious movement that calls for a revolution to save the nation's soul.

Starring: Lucien Greaves, Jex Blackmore, Chalice Blythe, Nicholas Crowe

Directed By: Penny Lane

Critics Consensus: American Factory takes a thoughtful -- and troubling -- look at the dynamic between workers and employers in the 21st-century globalized economy.

Synopsis: In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant. Early days of hope and optimism... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Sherrod Brown

Directed By: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

Critics Consensus: Fast-paced, funny, and fresh, Booksmart does the seemingly impossible by adding a smart new spin to the coming-of-age comedy.

Synopsis: Academic overachievers Amy and Molly thought keeping their noses to the grindstone gave them a leg up on their high school peers. But on the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis

Directed By: Olivia Wilde

Critics Consensus: Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound pays an all-too-rare tribute to an aspect of filmmaking that's utterly fascinating but often overlooked.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Midge Costin examines how visionary directors work with sound designers to create the most exciting moviegoing experiences.

Starring: Erik Aadahl, Ioan Allen, Richard L. Anderson, Richard Beggs

Directed By: Midge Costin

Critics Consensus: The Kingmaker aims a disquieting spotlight at the private life of a divisive public figure -- as well as the ways in which unchecked power seduces and corrupts.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield examines the controversial history of Filipino politician Imelda Marcos and her family.

Starring: Imelda Marcos, Tony Parkinson, Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., Imee Marcos

Directed By: Lauren Greenfield

Critics Consensus: The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.

Synopsis: Billi's family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch -- the only person that... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Gil Perez-Abraham

Directed By: Lulu Wang

Critics Consensus: As illuminating as it is accessible, One Child Nation probes a painful chapter in Chinese history with piercing clarity.

Synopsis: After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China's one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang

Critics Consensus: As intimate as it is heartbreakingly resonant, For Sama powerfully distills the difficult choices faced by citizens of war-torn regions.

Synopsis: A young woman is followed through five years during the revolution in Aleppo, Syria - through love, marriage and motherhood.

Starring: Waad Al-Kateab, Sama Al-Kateab, Hamza Al-Kateab

Directed By: Edward Watts, Waad Al-Khateab

Critics Consensus: An unpredictable supernatural drama rooted in real-world social commentary, Atlantique suggests a thrillingly bright future for debuting filmmaker Mati Diop.

Synopsis: Arranged to marry a rich man, young Ada is crushed when her true love goes missing at sea during a migration attempt -- until a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mama Sané, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima Traoré, Amina Kane

Directed By: Mati Diop

Critics Consensus: An encomium that should prove illuminating for casual viewers and satisfying for fans, Varda by Agnès finds a brilliant filmmaker looking back on her own terms.

Starring: Agnès Varda

Directed By: Agnès Varda, Didier Rouget

Critics Consensus: Brought to life by a breakout performance by Camila Morrone, Mickey and the Bear finds affecting drama at the crossroads of a young woman's coming-of-age journey.

Synopsis: A Montana teenager navigates a loving but volatile relationship with her single, veteran father. In a desperate search for independence and her own identity, she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Camila Morrone, James Badge Dale, Calvin Demba, Ben Rosenfield

Directed By: Annabelle Attanasio

Critics Consensus: Honeyland uses life in a remote village to offer an eye-opening perspective on experiences that should resonate even for audiences halfway around the world.

Synopsis: A woman utilizes ancient beekeeping traditions to cultivate honey in the mountains of North Macedonia. When a neighboring family tries to do the same, it... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Ljubo Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska

Critics Consensus: A singularly rich period piece, Portrait of a Lady on Fire finds stirring, thought-provoking drama within a powerfully acted romance.

Synopsis: In 1770 the young daughter of a French countess develops a mutual attraction to the female artist commissioned to paint her wedding portrait.

Starring: Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel, Luàna Bajrami, Valeria Golino

Directed By: Céline Sciamma

Critics Consensus: Led by a powerhouse performance from Julia Garner, The Assistant offers a withering critique of workplace harassment and systemic oppression.

Synopsis: Jane, a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, just landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Makenzie Leigh, Juliana Canfield

Directed By: Kitty Green

Critics Consensus: A movingly personal work from writer-director Maria Sødahl, Hope sees stars Bræin Hovig and Stellan Skarsgård powerfully portraying a turning point in one couple's long love story.

Synopsis: ANJA lives with TOMAS in a large family of biological children and stepchildren. For a number of years the two adults have grown independent of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Andrea Bræin Hovig, Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne, Johannes Joner

Directed By: Maria Sødahl

Critics Consensus: A brilliantly unsettling blend of body horror and psychological thriller, Saint Maud marks an impressive debut for writer-director Rose Glass.

Synopsis: The debut film from writer-director Rose Glass, Saint Maud is a chilling and boldly original vision of faith, madness, and salvation in a fallen world.... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Frazer, Lily Knight

Directed By: Rose Glass

Critics Consensus: First Cow finds director Kelly Reichardt revisiting territory and themes that will be familiar to fans of her previous work -- with typically rewarding results.

Synopsis: Two travelers, on the run from a band of vengeful hunters in the 1820s Northwest, dream of striking it rich -- but their tenuous plan... View Full Synopsis

Starring: John Magaro, Orion Lee, Alia Shawkat, Toby Jones

Directed By: Kelly Reichardt

Critics Consensus: Clever, funny, and original, Blow the Man Down is a cinematic journey that's not to be missed.

Synopsis: Welcome to Easter Cove, a salty fishing village on the far reaches of Maine's rocky coast. Grieving the loss of their mother and facing an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Morgan Saylor, Sophie Lowe, Margo Martindale, Will Brittain

Directed By: Bridget Savage Cole, Danielle Krudy

Critics Consensus: The Long Walk may require patience from some viewers, but they'll be rewarded with a thoughtful and alluringly atmospheric ghost story.

Synopsis: An old man walks the dusty roads between his isolated farm and the nearby rural village in the company of a silent spirit whose death... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Yannawoutthi Chanthalungsy, Vilouna Phetmany, Por Silatsa, Noutnapha Soydara

Directed By: Mattie Do

Critics Consensus: Science Fair offers further proof that real-life academic competition can make for effortlessly entertaining - and ultimately uplifting - cinema.

Synopsis: Filmmakers follow nine high school students from around the globe as they compete at an international science fair. Facing off against 1,700 of the smartest... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jack Andraka, Anjali Chadha, Ryan Folz, Harsha Paladugu

Directed By: Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster

Critics Consensus: Free Solo depicts athletic feats that many viewers will find beyond reason - and grounds the attempts in passions that are all but universal.

Synopsis: Alex Honnold completes the first free solo climb of famed El Capitan's 3,000-foot vertical rock face at Yosemite National Park.

Starring: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Sanni McCandless, Jimmy Chin

Directed By: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin

Critics Consensus: On Her Shoulders traces one woman's incredible journey to offer an inside look at modern political advocacy - and a challenge to viewers yearning to effect their own change.

Synopsis: Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sexual slavery survivor, is determined to tell her story. As her journey leads down paths of advocacy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nadia Murad, Amal Clooney

Directed By: Alexandria Bombach

Critics Consensus: Rafiki tells a familiar story with bracing originality, marking director/co-writer Wanuri Kahiu as a talent to watch.

Synopsis: Kena and Ziki live very different lives in Nairobi. Kena works in her father's shop and awaits the start of nursing school, while Ziki passes... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samantha Mugatsia, Sheila Munyiva, Jimmi Gathu, Nini Wacera

Directed By: Wanuri Kahiu

Critics Consensus: To All the Boys I've Loved Before plays by the teen rom-com rules, but relatable characters and a thoroughly charming cast more than make up for a lack of surprises.

Synopsis: A teenage girl's love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her life.

Starring: Lana Condor, John Corbett, Noah Centineo, Emilija Baranac

Directed By: Susan Johnson

Critics Consensus: Dark Money does an impressive job of tackling a complicated subject in easily understandable -- and, for many viewers, utterly enraging -- terms.

Synopsis: In the wake of the Citizens United ruling, dark money floods elections nationwide, but Montanans are standing up to stop history from repeating itself in... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Kimberly Reed

Critics Consensus: Kusama: Infinity shines a richly deserved spotlight on its subject's brilliant work while opening a fascinating - albeit necessarily incomplete - window into her personal life.

Synopsis: Artist Yayoi Kusama's journey from a conservative upbringing in Japan to her brush with fame in America during the 1960s.

Starring: Yayoi Kusama

Directed By: Heather Lenz

Critics Consensus: Led by standout work from Tessa Thompson, Little Woods tells a grimly absorbing tale that marks a commendable debut for writer-director Nia DaCosta.

Synopsis: In North Dakota, two estranged sisters are driven to extremes when their mother dies, leaving them with one week to pay back her mortgage.

Starring: Tessa Thompson, Lily James, Luke Kirby, James Badge Dale

Directed By: Nia DaCosta

Critics Consensus: Private Life uses one couple's bumpy journey to take an affecting look at an easily identifiable - and too rarely dramatized - rite of adult passage.

Synopsis: A couple coping with infertility struggle to keep their marriage going as they navigate through the world of adoption and assisted reproduction.

Starring: Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon

Directed By: Tamara Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché aims an overdue spotlight on a cinematic innovator's career, with the added benefit of absorbing historical context.

Synopsis: The life and work of the first female film director.

Starring: Jodie Foster

Directed By: Pamela B. Green

Critics Consensus: Birds of Passage traces the familiar arc of the drug crime thriller from a different direction that's as visually absorbing as it is hard-hitting.

Synopsis: The origins of the Colombian drug trade, as seen through the eyes of an indigenous Wayuu family that becomes involved in the booming business of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carmina Martínez, Natalia Reyes, José Acosta, Jhon Narváez

Directed By: Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra

Critics Consensus: RBG might be preaching to the choir of viewers who admire Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, but it does so effectively.

Synopsis: An intimate portrait of an unlikely rock star: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. With unprecedented access, the filmmakers explore how her early legal battles changed the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Nina Totenberg, Brenda Feigen

Directed By: Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Critics Consensus: Pick of the Litter has all the fluffy adorableness audiences expect from a puppy documentary, along with a story that's as edifying as it is heartwarming.

Synopsis: Following five spirited puppies from the moment they're born through their quest to become guide dogs for the blind.

Directed By: Dana Nachman, Don Hardy

Critics Consensus: The Chambermaid uses one woman's experiences to take audiences inside a life -- and a culture -- that's as bracingly unique as it is hauntingly relatable.

Synopsis: A young chambermaid working in one of the most luxurious hotels in Mexico City enrolls in the hotel's adult education program to help improve her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gabriela Cartol, Teresa Sánchez, Agustina Quinci, Alan Uribe

Directed By: Lila Avilés

Critics Consensus: Deftly directed and laced with dark wit, Can You Ever Forgive Me? proves a compelling showcase for deeply affecting work from Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy.

Synopsis: Lee Israel is a frustrated, hard-drinking author who can barely afford to pay her rent or bills in 1990s New York. Desperate for money, Israel... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant, Dolly Wells, Ben Falcone

Directed By: Marielle Heller

Critics Consensus: Too Late to Die Young uses one family's experiences as the foundation for a dreamily absorbing drama with a poignant, lingering warmth.

Synopsis: During the summer of 1990 in Chile, three kids face their first loves and fears.

Starring: Demian Hernández, Antar Machado, Magdalena Tótoro, Matías Oviedo

Directed By: Dominga Sotomayor

Critics Consensus: Leave No Trace takes an effectively low-key approach to a potentially sensationalistic story -- and further benefits from brilliant work by Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie.

Synopsis: A father and daughter live a perfect but mysterious existence in Forest Park, a beautiful nature reserve near Portland, Ore., rarely making contact with the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Foster, Thomasin McKenzie, Jeff Kober, Dale Dickey

Directed By: Debra Granik

Critics Consensus: Steadily drawing viewers into its harrowing tale with equal parts grim intensity and startling compassion, Night Comes On heralds the arrivals of debuting director Jordan Spiro and her magnetic young stars.

Synopsis: Released from juvenile detention, a teen and her 10-year-old sister embark on a quest to avenge the death of their mother.

Starring: Dominique Fishback, Tatum Marilyn Hall, James McDaniel, John Earl Jelks

Directed By: Jordana Spiro

Critics Consensus: Thrilling, earnest, and buoyed by Gal Gadot's charismatic performance, Wonder Woman succeeds in spectacular fashion.

Synopsis: Before she is Wonder Woman, she is Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained to be an unconquerable warrior. Raised on a sheltered island paradise, Diana... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Connie Nielsen, Robin Wright

Directed By: Patty Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Most Beautiful Island plunges audiences into a little-seen sector of society, with writer-director Ana Asensio's fearless performance leading the way.

Synopsis: An illegal immigrant struggling to begin a new life in New York City is offered a great opportunity, but as day turns to night, she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ana Asensio, Natasha Romanova, David Little, Nicholas Tucci

Directed By: Ana Asensio

Critics Consensus: School Life offers a warm-hearted glimpse of an educational institution that may leave audiences as inspired as the students.

Directed By: David Rane

Critics Consensus: The Breadwinner's stunning visuals are matched by a story that dares to confront sobering real-life issues with uncommon -- and richly rewarding -- honesty.

Synopsis: Parvana is an 11-year-old girl who lives under Taliban rule in Afghanistan in 2001. After the wrongful arrest of her father, Parvana cuts off her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Saara Chaudry, Soma Chhaya, Ali Badshah, Laara Sadiq

Directed By: Nora Twomey

Critics Consensus: Inspiring and tragic, Bombshell is a bittersweet celebration and reclamation of Hedy Lemarr's journey from Hollywood legend to technology genius.

Synopsis: Austrian actress Hedy Lamarr fled an oppressive marriage to create a name for herself as one of Hollywood's top leading ladies in the 1940s. Behind... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mel Brooks, Diane Kruger, Peter Bogdanovich, Richard Rhodes

Directed By: Alexandra Dean

Critics Consensus: Step tells an irresistibly crowd-pleasing story in a thoroughly absorbing way -- and while smartly incorporating a variety of timely themes.

Synopsis: The senior year of a girls' high school step team in inner-city Baltimore is documented, as they try to become the first in their families... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Blessin Giraldo

Directed By: Amanda Lipitz

Critics Consensus: Mudbound offers a well-acted, finely detailed snapshot of American history whose scenes of rural class struggle resonate far beyond their period setting.

Synopsis: Set in the rural American South during World War II, Dee Rees' Mudbound is an epic story of two families pitted against one another by... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell, Mary J. Blige

Directed By: Dee Rees

Critics Consensus: Whose Streets? takes a close-up look at the civil unrest that erupted after a shocking act of violence in Ferguson, Missouri - and the decades of simmering tension leading up to it.

Synopsis: An account of the Ferguson uprising as told by the people who lived it. The filmmakers look at how the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Sabaah Folayan

Critics Consensus: Good Manners adroitly juggles disparate tonal shifts while taking a uniquely smart and sensitive look at female relationships.

Synopsis: A mysterious and wealthy woman hires a lonely nurse named Clara to be the nanny of her soon-to-be born child. When a full moon brings... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Isabél Zuaa, Marjorie Estiano, Cida Moreira, Miguel Lobo

Directed By: Juliana Rojas, Marco Dutra

Critics Consensus: Trophy offers a thought-provoking look at big-game hunting that should challenge, trouble, and enrage viewers regardless of their personal perspective.

Synopsis: This in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tim Black, Philip Glass, John Hume, Bill Travers Jr.

Directed By: Shaul Schwarz, Christina Clusiau

Critics Consensus: Lady Bird delivers fresh insights about the turmoil of adolescence -- and reveals writer-director Greta Gerwig as a fully formed filmmaking talent.

Synopsis: A teenager (Saoirse Ronan) navigates a loving but turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother (Laurie Metcalf) over the course of an eventful and poignant senior... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet, Lucas Hedges

Directed By: Greta Gerwig

Critics Consensus: Equal parts breezily charming and poignantly powerful, Faces Places is a unique cross-generational portrait of life in rural France from the great Agnès Varda.

Synopsis: Director Agnès Varda and photographer and muralist JR journey through rural France and form an unlikely friendship.

Starring: Agnès Varda, JR

Directed By: Agnès Varda, JR

Critics Consensus: Brilliantly brought to life by tenderly empathetic performances from Jay Duplass and Edie Falco, Outside In tells a sobering -- yet thoroughly absorbing -- story.

Synopsis: An ex-convict tries to readjust to life in his small town and forms an intense relationship with his former high school teacher.

Starring: Jay Duplass, Edie Falco, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben Schwartz

Directed By: Lynn Shelton

Critics Consensus: Western earns the viewer's attention with an unpredictable, patiently told tale that evokes the spirit of the titular genre while adding its own unique touches.

Synopsis: When some German construction workers begin a challenging new job in the Bulgarian countryside, their sense of adventure is awakened, but so, too, are their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov, Veneta Fragnova

Directed By: Valeska Grisebach

Critics Consensus: The Rider's hard-hitting drama is only made more effective through writer-director Chloé Zhao's use of untrained actors to tell the movie's fact-based tale.

Synopsis: After a riding accident leaves him unable to compete on the rodeo circuit, a young cowboy searches for a new purpose.

Starring: Brady Jandreau, Tim Jandreau, Lilly Jandreau, Lane Scott

Directed By: Chloé Zhao

Critics Consensus: Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993) finds writer-director Carla Simón drawing on personal memories to create a thoughtful drama elevated by outstanding work from its young leads.

Synopsis: Six-year-old Frida looks on in silence as the last objects from her recently deceased mother's apartment in Barcelona are placed in boxes. Although her aunt,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Laia Artigas, Paula Robles, Bruna Cusí, David Verdaguer

Directed By: Carla Simón

Critics Consensus: Subversive, gorgeously shot, and suitably visceral, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts injects timely feminist themes into a neo-western grindhouse framework.

Synopsis: When a young widow is raped and her cattle are stolen, she fights back and kills several of her attackers. She embarks on a journey... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Marsha Timothy, Egy Fedly, Dea Panendra, Yoga Pratama

Directed By: Mouly Surya

Critics Consensus: Tigers Are Not Afraid draws on childhood trauma for a story that deftly blends magical fantasy and hard-hitting realism - and leaves a lingering impact.

Synopsis: When a girl's mother disappears leaving her on her own, she joins a gang of street children, leading to a tragic chain of events.

Starring: Paola Lara, Ianis Guerrero, Rodrigo Cortés, Hanssel Casillas

Directed By: Issa López

Critics Consensus: Oh Lucy! roots its narrative quirks in universal themes and deep empathy for its characters, all brought to life by strong performances from a talented cast led by the thoroughly charming Shinobu Terajima.

Synopsis: A lonely woman in Tokyo discovers her alter ego when she takes an English class.

Starring: Shinobu Terajima, Josh Hartnett, Kaho Minami, Kôji Yakusho

Directed By: Atsuko Hirayanagi

Critics Consensus: Zama offers a series of scathingly insightful observations about colonialism and class dynamics -- and satisfyingly ends a long wait between projects from writer-director Lucrecia Martel.

Synopsis: Zama, an officer of the Spanish Crown born in South America, waits for a letter from the King granting him a transfer from the town... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Daniel Giménez Cacho, Lola Dueñas, Matheus Nachtergaele, Juan Minujín

Directed By: Lucrecia Martel

Critics Consensus: I Am Not a Witch approaches real-life injustices with a beguiling blend of sorrow, anger, and humor, marking debuting writer-director Rungano Nyoni as an exciting new talent.

Synopsis: Shula is the first child taken to a traveling witch camp, where she is told that should she cut the ribbon and attempt to escape,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Maggie Mulubwa, Nancy Murilo, Henry B.J. Phiri, Nellie Munamonga

Directed By: Rungano Nyoni

Critics Consensus: Sand Storm marks an impressive first feature for debuting writer-director Elite Zexer that offers a perceptive -- and crucial -- look at patriarchal traditions.

Synopsis: In Southern Israel, a teen's (Lamis Ammar) forbidden love affair challenges the traditions of her Bedouin mother and father.

Starring: Lamis Ammar, Ruba Blal, Haitham Alomari, Khadija Al Akel

Directed By: Elite Zexer

Critics Consensus: Toni Erdmann pairs carefully constructed, three-dimensional characters in a tenderly funny character study that's both genuinely moving and impressively ambitious.

Synopsis: A film by Maren Ade.

Starring: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Michael Wittenborn, Thomas Loibl

Directed By: Maren Ade

Critics Consensus: Queen of Katwe is a feel-good movie of uncommon smarts and passion, and outstanding performances by Lupita Nyong'o and David Oyelowo help to elevate the film past its cliches.

Synopsis: Living in the slum of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda, is a constant struggle for 10-year-old Phiona and her family. Her world changes one day when... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Kabanza

Directed By: Mira Nair

Critics Consensus: Nuts! lives up to its title in the best way, offering a delightfully unorthodox look at a bizarre -- and largely unexplored -- chapter in American history.

Synopsis: The mostly true story of Dr. John Romulus Brinkley, an eccentric genius who built an empire with his goat-testicle impotence cure and a million-watt radio... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gene Tognacci, Andy Boswell, John Causby, Kelly Mizell

Directed By: Penny Lane

Critics Consensus: All This Panic offers an unvarnished look at the lives of young American women whose less compelling moments are more than balanced out by documentarian Jenny Gage's empathetic approach.

Synopsis: A group of teenage girls, coming of age in Brooklyn, navigates the ephemeral and fleeting transition between childhood and adulthood. Shot over a three-year period,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Delia Cunningham, Kevin Ryan, Dusty Rose Ryan, Lena M.

Directed By: Jenny Gage

Critics Consensus: The Edge of Seventeen's sharp script -- and Hailee Steinfeld's outstanding lead performance -- make this more than just another coming-of-age dramedy.

Synopsis: Everyone knows that growing up is hard, and life is no easier for high school junior Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld), who is already at peak awkwardness... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson, Blake Jenner, Kyra Sedgwick

Directed By: Kelly Fremon Craig

Critics Consensus: The Love Witch offers an absorbing visual homage to a bygone era, arranged subtly in service of a thought-provoking meditation on the battle of the sexes.

Synopsis: Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a beautiful young witch, is determined to find a man to love her. In her gothic Victorian apartment she makes spells and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise

Directed By: Anna Biller

Critics Consensus: The Innocents isn't always easy to watch, but its nuanced exploration of complex themes -- and its refreshing perspective -- are well worth the effort.

Synopsis: In December 1945, a Red Cross doctor (Lou de Laâge) tries to help a group of pregnant Benedictine nuns at a convent in Warsaw, Poland.

Starring: Lou de Laâge, Agata Buzek, Agata Kulesza, Vincent Macaigne

Directed By: Anne Fontaine

Critics Consensus: 13th strikes at the heart of America's tangled racial history, offering observations as incendiary as they are calmly controlled.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Ava DuVernay explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisons are disproportionately filled with... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michelle Alexander, Bryan Stevenson, Van Jones, Newt Gingrich

Directed By: Ava DuVernay

Critics Consensus: In Between takes a light yet nuanced approach to dramatizing complex, timely themes, further enriched by outstanding cinematography and powerful performances.

Synopsis: Three Arab-Israeli women share an apartment in Tel Aviv and try to balance their traditions with the modern world.

Starring: Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh, Shaden Kanboura, Mahmud Shalaby

Directed By: Maysaloun Hamoud

Critics Consensus: Kedi is a cat fancier's dream, but this thoughtful, beautifully filmed look at Istanbul's street feline population offers absorbing viewing for filmgoers of any purr-suasion.

Synopsis: Hundreds of thousands of cats have roamed the metropolis of Istanbul freely for thousands of years, wandering in and out of people's lives, impacting them... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Ceyda Torun

Critics Consensus: Weiner uses sharp insight and untrammeled access to offer a portrait of a political and personal collapse that's as queasy as it is undeniably compelling.

Synopsis: Former Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) runs for mayor of New York in 2013, but a new sex scandal ruins his attempt at a political comeback.

Starring: Anthony Weiner, Huma Abedin, Dean Obeidallah, Philippe Reines

Directed By: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg

Critics Consensus: Fresh and inventive yet immediately accessible, Cameraperson distills its subject's life and career into an experience that should prove immediately absorbing even for those unfamiliar with her work.

Synopsis: Cinematographer Kirsten Johnson exposes her many years behind the camera through a memoir made up of decades of footage shot all over the world.

Starring: Kirsten Johnson, Roger Phenix

Directed By: Kirsten Johnson

Critics Consensus: A union to cherish between a writer-director and star working at peak power, Things to Come offers quietly profound observations on life, love, and the irrevocable passage of time.

Synopsis: A passionate middle-aged philosophy professor (Isabelle Huppert) rethinks her already much-examined life after an unforeseen divorce.

Starring: Isabelle Huppert, André Marcon, Roman Kolinka, Edith Scob

Directed By: Mia Hansen-Løve

Critics Consensus: The Hunting Ground isn't director Kirby Dick's strongest work as a filmmaker, but the movie's powerful message more than trumps any technical weaknesses.

Synopsis: Many college students who have been raped on campus face retaliation and harassment as they fight for justice.

Starring: Caroline Heldman, Kirsten Gillibrand, Amy Ziering, Kirby Dick

Directed By: Kirby Dick

Critics Consensus: Respectful without veering into hagiography and inquisitive without being intrusive, Janis: Little Girl Blue offers an insightful glimpse into the life of a rock 'n' roll legend.

Synopsis: Archival footage and interviews highlight the life and career of singer-songwriter Janis Joplin, from her musical rise in the 1960s to her battle with alcohol... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Cat Power

Directed By: Amy Berg

Critics Consensus: Boldly unconventional and refreshingly honest, Diary of a Teenage Girl is a frank coming-of-age story that addresses its themes -- and its protagonist -- without judgment.

Synopsis: In the 1970s San Francisco, a precocious 15-year-old embarks on an enthusiastic sexual odyssey, beginning with her mother's current lover.

Starring: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Kristen Wiig, Christopher Meloni

Directed By: Marielle Heller

Critics Consensus: Of a piece with much of director Laurie Anderson's idiosyncratic output, Heart of a Dog delves into weighty themes with lyrical, haunting grace.

Synopsis: Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.

Starring: Jason Berg, Paul Davidson, Laurie Anderson, Sasha Grossman

Directed By: Laurie Anderson

Critics Consensus: Mustang delivers a bracing -- and thoroughly timely -- message whose power is further bolstered by the efforts of a stellar ensemble cast.

Synopsis: In a Turkish village, five orphaned sisters (Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Elit Iscan) live under strict rule while members of their family prepare their... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Günes Sensoy, Doga Zeynep Doguslu, Elit Iscan, Tugba Sunguroglu

Directed By: Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Critics Consensus: The Second Mother's compelling characters serve an artfully drawn, thought-provoking story that's beautifully brought to life by a talented cast.

Synopsis: Unspoken class barriers that exist within a home come crashing down when the live-in housekeeper's daughter suddenly appears.

Starring: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Lourenço Mutarelli

Directed By: Anna Muylaert

Critics Consensus: Dark Horse offers a thoroughly crowd-pleasing look at an incredible -- and inspirational -- real-life story that will thrill equine enthusiasts and novices alike.

Synopsis: A barmaid in a poor Welsh mining village convinces some of her fellow residents to pool their resources to compete in the "sport of kings"... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tony Kerby, Maureen Jones, Eddie Thomas

Directed By: Louise Osmond

Critics Consensus: A heartbreaking story told with tremendous narrative and visual skill, Sherpa exposes the audience to a side of Mount Everest that many have never seen or considered.

Synopsis: After an ice slide kills 16 Sherpas on Everest, they unite in grief and anger to reclaim the mountain.

Directed By: Jennifer Peedom

Critics Consensus: As gripping as it is unique, the thrillingly kinetic The Fits marks debuting writer-director Anna Rose Holmer as a singular talent.

Synopsis: An 11-year-old tomboy (Royalty Hightower) tries to fit in with her peers after joining an all-girl dance team.

Starring: Royalty Hightower, Makyla Burnam, Inayah Rodgers, Alexis Neblett

Directed By: Anna Rose Holmer

Critics Consensus: She's Beautiful When She's Angry takes an entertaining, informative look at the dawn of the American women's movement -- and the oft-overlooked activists who fought for it.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Mary Dore chronicles the events, the movers and the shakers of the feminist movement from 1966 to 1971.

Starring: Anna Nugent, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Karla Jay, Susan Brownmiller

Directed By: Mary Dore

Critics Consensus: Revealing yet respectful, 20,000 Days on Earth is essential viewing for any Nick Cave fan.

Synopsis: A therapist's questions and a visit to a voluminous archive propel a dramatization of a day in the life of musician and cultural icon Nick... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Nick Cave, Darian Leader, Blixa Bargeld, Kylie Minogue

Directed By: Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard

Critics Consensus: A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night blends conventional elements into something brilliantly original -- and serves as a striking calling card for writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour.

Synopsis: Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire (Sheila Vand) who preys on men who disrespect women.

Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marnò

Directed By: Ana Lily Amirpour

Critics Consensus: Part real-life thriller, part sobering examination of 21st century civil liberties, Citizenfour transcends ideology to offer riveting, must-see cinema.

Synopsis: After Laura Poitras received encrypted emails from someone with information on the government's massive covert-surveillance programs, she and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Jacob Appelbaum, William Binney

Directed By: Laura Poitras

Critics Consensus: The Babadook relies on real horror rather than cheap jump scares -- and boasts a heartfelt, genuinely moving story to boot.

Synopsis: Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her 'out of control' 6... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall, Noah Wiseman, Hayley McElhinney

Directed By: Jennifer Kent

Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and smartly scripted, Girlhood offers a fresh perspective on familiar cinematic territory.

Synopsis: Marieme joins an all-girl gang in the projects of Paris and is slowly turned out of her shell by her three sassy neighbors. As she... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Marietou Touré

Directed By: Céline Sciamma

Critics Consensus: The Wonders offers a charming coming-of-age tale that doubles as a quietly effective tribute to a vanishing way of life.

Synopsis: The preteen daughter (Maria Alexandra Lungu) of a Tuscan beekeeper (Sam Louwyck) enters a contest to appear on a television show.

Starring: Maria Alexandra Lungu, Sam Louwyck, Alba Rohrwacher, Sabine Timoteo

Directed By: Alice Rohrwacher

Critics Consensus: Fueled by a gripping performance from David Oyelowo, Selma draws inspiration and dramatic power from the life and death of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- but doesn't ignore how far we remain from the ideals his work embodied.

Synopsis: Although the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legally desegregated the South, discrimination was still rampant in certain areas, making it very difficult for Blacks to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: David Oyelowo, Tom Wilkinson, Carmen Ejogo, Giovanni Ribisi

Directed By: Ava DuVernay

Critics Consensus: On paper, GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem might seem less than thrilling, but on the screen, it delivers two hours of nonstop, tightly wound, brilliantly acted drama.

Synopsis: An Israeli woman (Ronit Elkabetz) fights for three years to obtain a divorce from her devout husband (Simon Abkarian), who refuses to grant his permission... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ronit Elkabetz, Menashe Noy, Simon Abkarian, Gabi Amrani-Gur

Directed By: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz

Critics Consensus: Warm, funny, and quietly profound, Appropriate Behavior serves as a thoroughly compelling calling card for writer, director, and star Desiree Akhavan.

Synopsis: A secretly bisexual Brooklynite from a traditional Persian family struggles with her identity and the disintegration of her relationship with her girlfriend.

Starring: Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Scott Adsit, Halley Feiffer

Directed By: Desiree Akhavan

Critics Consensus: Wryly charming, impeccably acted, and ultimately quite bittersweet, Enough Said is a grown-up movie in the best possible way.

Synopsis: Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a divorced single parent, seems generally happy but dreads her daughter's departure for college. Unexpectedly, Eva begins a romance with Albert (James... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette

Directed By: Nicole Holofcener

Critics Consensus: Brutally honest and utterly compelling, Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me offers a riveting, vanity-free portrait of its legendary subject while offering a few essential truths about the human condition.

Synopsis: Plagued by medical issues and memory lapses, the Broadway icon contemplates retirement and mortality as she approaches her 87th birthday and rehearses for a new... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Chiemi Karasawa

Critics Consensus: Smart, compassionate, and moving, The Crash Reel uses the familiar sport-doc formula to subvert expectations and ask challenging questions about ambition and achievement.

Synopsis: Snowboarder Kevin Pearce suffers a traumatic brain injury while training for the 2010 Winter Olympics. His family stands by his side as he struggles through... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Pearce, Shaun White, Mason Aguirre, Dr. Daniel Amen

Directed By: Lucy Walker

Critics Consensus: Starkly emotional and beautifully directed, The Selfish Giant uses a lovely script and some powerful performances to present some of the best that modern British cinema has to offer.

Synopsis: A hyperactive boy (Conner Chapman) and his best friend, a slow-witted youth with an affinity for horses, start collecting scrap metal for a shady dealer.

Starring: Conner Chapman, Shaun Thomas, Sean Gilder, Steve Evets

Directed By: Clio Barnard

Critics Consensus: Blackfish is an aggressive, impassioned documentary that will change the way you look at performance killer whales.

Synopsis: The story of Tilikum, a captive killer whale that has taken the lives of several people, underscores problems within the sea-park industry, man's relationship to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tilikum, John Hargrove, Samantha Berg, Mark Simmons

Directed By: Gabriela Cowperthwaite

Critics Consensus: The Square offers an electrifying -- and edifying -- ground-level glimpse of life inside a real-life political revolution.

Synopsis: Egyptian revolutionaries battle their leaders and regime to build a new society.

Starring: Ahmed Hassan, Khalid Abdalla, Magdy Ashour, Ramy Essam

Directed By: Jehane Noujaim

Critics Consensus: The Queen of Versailles is a timely, engaging, and richly drawn portrait of the American Dream improbably composed of equal parts compassion and schadenfreude.

Synopsis: The 2008 global economic crisis threatens the fortune of Florida billionaires David and Jackie Siegel just as they are in the middle of building a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lorraine Barrett, Jaqueline Siegel

Directed By: Lauren Greenfield

Critics Consensus: Both a sobering look at a true crime story and a scathing indictment of the American justice system, West of Memphis is a real-life horror story told with fury and compassion.

Synopsis: Filmmaker Amy Berg tells the story of the fight to stop the state of Arkansas from executing an innocent man. Beginning with an examination into... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Baden, Jason Baldwin, John Mark Byers, Lorri Davis

Directed By: Amy Berg

Critics Consensus: Brooklyn Castle is a warm, engaging, and even uplifting documentary about chess-playing whiz kids.

Synopsis: Chess helps transforms a New York school into one of the city's best, but recession-driven budget cuts threaten to undermine the school's championship chess team.

Directed By: Katie Dellamaggiore

Critics Consensus: Léa Seydoux and Kacey Mottet Klein are exceptional as downtrodden siblings in this sad and wintry character study.

Synopsis: A luxury ski resort in Switzerland. 12-year-old Simon lives in the industrial valley below, with his jobless sister. Every day, he takes the ski-lift to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Léa Seydoux, Kacey Mottet Klein, Martin Compston, Gillian Anderson

Directed By: Ursula Meier

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Alison Klayman documents the life and work of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. She showcases his artistic process as he prepares for a museum... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Dan-qing Chen, Weiwei Ai, Dan Ai, Lao Ai

Directed By: Alison Klayman

Critics Consensus: Newcomer Saskia Rosendahl gives an astonishingly assured performance in the title role, and director Cate Shortland establishes a delicate, disturbingly ominous tone in the powerful World War II drama Lore.

Synopsis: As Allied forces sweep across Germany, five children embark on a journey that challenges their notions of family, love and friendship.

Starring: Mika Seidel, Ursina Lardi, Hans-Jochen Wagner, Sven Pippig

Directed By: Cate Shortland

Critics Consensus: In Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley plays with the documentary format to explore the nature of memory and storytelling, crafting a thoughtful, compelling narrative that unfolds like a mystery.

Synopsis: Through a series of revealing interviews, filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates the truth about her family history.

Starring: Sarah Polley, Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin

Directed By: Sarah Polley

Critics Consensus: Transgressive in the best possible way, Wadjda presents a startlingly assured new voice from a corner of the globe where cinema has been all but silenced.

Synopsis: A rebellious Saudi girl (Waad Mohammed) enters a Koran recitation competition at her school and hopes to win enough money to buy her own bicycle.

Starring: Reem Abdullah, Waad Mohammed, Abdullrahman Al Gohani, Ahd

Directed By: Haifaa Al-Mansour

Critics Consensus: Alternately horrific and uplifting, Call Me Kuchu exposes heinous systematic brutality with a clear eye and admirable precision.

Synopsis: In Uganda, openly gay David Kato and his fellow activists work to defeat new legislation in their country that would make homosexuality punishable by death.

Starring: David Bahati

Directed By: Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall

Critics Consensus: Pulsing with authenticity and led by a stirring lead performance from Adepero Oduye, Pariah is a powerful coming out/coming-of-age film that signals the arrival of a fresh new talent in writer/director Dee Rees.

Synopsis: Teenage Alike (Adepero Oduye) lives in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood with her parents (Charles Parnell, Kim Wayans) and younger sister (Sahra Mellesse). A lesbian, Alike... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Adepero Oduye, Pernell Walker, Aasha Davis, Charles Parnell

Directed By: Dee Rees

Critics Consensus: An adept celebration of the technical ability and wonderous dream that led to the creation of a childhood icon, bringing smiles to millions around the world, this is Being Elmo: A Puppeteers Journey

Synopsis: Interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O'Donnell, Whoopi Goldberg and others highlight a portrait of Kevin Clash, the man who brings "Sesame Street" Muppet Elmo to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Clash, Whoopi Goldberg

Directed By: Constance Marks

Critics Consensus: In tune with the emotion and tribulations of childhood, Tomboy is a charming movie that treats its main subject with warmth and heart.

Synopsis: A 10-year-old girl (Zoé Héran) moves into a new neighborhood and decides to dress like a boy.

Starring: Zoé Héran, Malonn Lévana, Sophie Cattani, Mathieu Demy

Directed By: Céline Sciamma

Critics Consensus: An upbeat and visually dramatic documentary of children's ballet, First Position displays the potential of the human spirit when fostered at a young age.

Synopsis: Six young ballet students, all from different backgrounds, prepare for the Youth America Grand Prix, a competition in which dance schools and companies from around... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Aran Bell, Rebecca Houseknecht, Joan Sebastian Zamora, Juliet Doherty

Directed By: Bess Kargman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A 15-year-old Norwegian teen (Helene Bergsholm) is eager to explore her budding sexuality, but her encounter with the school heartthrob makes her a social outcast.

Starring: Helene Bergsholm, Henriette Steenstrup, Malin Bjorhovde, Matias Myren

Directed By: Jannicke Systad Jacobsen

Critics Consensus: Sing Your Song takes an absorbing -- if decidedly non-critical -- look at an incredible show business career and admirable public life.

Synopsis: Harry Belafonte rises to fame, becoming an acclaimed singer and actor, and working tenaciously throughout his career as a social activist.

Starring: Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Marge Champion, Julian Bond

Directed By: Susanne Rostock

Critics Consensus: An affectionate portrait created with visual flair, Diana Vreeland is entertaining, informative, and stylish, due in large part to its charismatic subject.

Synopsis: The story of the legendary editor of "Harper's Bazaar" and "Vogue."

Starring: David Bailey, Lillian Bassman, Manolo Blahnik, Bob Colacello

Directed By: Lisa Immordino Vreeland, Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, Frédéric Tcheng

Critics Consensus: Worthwhile as both a well-acted ensemble piece and as a smart, warm statement on family values, The Kids Are All Right is remarkable.

Synopsis: Lesbian couple Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic (Annette Bening) have been together for almost 20 years and have two teenage offspring named Joni and Laser,... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Julianne Moore, Annette Bening, Mark Ruffalo, Mia Wasikowska

Directed By: Lisa Cholodenko

Critics Consensus: Bleak, haunting, and yet still somehow hopeful, Winter's Bone is writer-director Debra Granik's best work yet -- and it boasts an incredible, starmaking performance from Jennifer Lawrence.

Synopsis: Faced with an unresponsive mother and a criminal father, Ozark teenager Ree Dolly does what she can to manage the household and take care of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, John Hawkes, Kevin Breznahan, Dale Dickey

Directed By: Debra Granik

Critics Consensus: Waste Land begins with an eco-friendly premise, but quickly transforms into an uplifting portrait of the power of art and the dignity of the human spirit.

Synopsis: Located just outside Rio de Janeiro, Jardim Gramacho, Brazil, is the world's largest garbage landfill. Modern artist Vik Muniz works with the so-called *catadores*, the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Vik Muniz

Directed By: Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, João Jardim

Critics Consensus: Smart and inventive, The Arbor offers some intensely memorable twists on tired documentary tropes.

Synopsis: A mix of documentary and fictional elements tells the story of doomed playwright Andrea Dunbar, who wrote about the difficult life she endured growing up... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Manjinder Virk, Christine Bottomley, Neil Dudgeon, Natalie Gavin

Directed By: Clio Barnard