Nadia Dalimonte

The strange world of Georgia Bernstein’s Night Nurse might not be on everyone’s wavelength, and the heightened aesthetic might be alienating. Still, the feeling of alienation is precisely what Bernstein excels at. Her feature debut shines for its uniquely mapped out story, and her distinctively hypnotic style leaves a reverberating impact long after the credits roll.

Above all, it’s a sensitive piece of storytelling that reaches a place of hopefulness, not in light of the tough subject matter of war, but in spite of it.

Powered by excellent performances from Sophie Okonedo and India Amarteifio, who convey the multitudes of a fascinating titular character, “Clarissa” shines as a unique perspective on Woolf and exemplifies the Esiri brothers’ compelling vision as filmmakers.

Directed by Zachary Wigon and starring a brilliant Maika Monroe, Victorian Psycho shines in a sea of gothic horrors for the way it depicts real fears about societal acceptance.

Bitter Christmas falls into the category of Almodóvar films that feature the vibrant touchstones of his style, but lack the bite that makes you want to revisit the story and characters.

As a work of historical fiction, the film strikes a resonant chord. Bleak in its relevance today, it’s an intense watch made compelling by an extraordinary lead performance at the center.

Seydoux’s gut-wrenching performance at the center of Gentle Monster, combined with a sensitive approach to horrifying subject matter, makes a tough watch equally compelling.

There are luminous glimmers of promise scattered throughout “Sheep in the Box,” and each speaks to a filmmaker of immense creativity and thoughtful sensibilities—unfortunately, those glimmers amount to a disappointingly disorienting feature.

With Drucker single-handedly carrying the film’s emotional core on her shoulders, any minor quibbles instantly melt into afterthoughts, while her exquisite work remains at the forefront.

Each and every artistic element works in lockstep to create another exquisite Pawlikowski film.