Kimber Myers

Strouse demonstrates a contagious affection for his characters, and he invests in them in a way that makes us do the same.

Deftly balancing humor and grief, The Bachelors is fueled by wonderfully human performances and fully realized characters.

The resulting film is a gripping story about a search for justice amid systemic corruption.

American Woman at once reveals its soft underbelly while landing a surprisingly effective punch to the gut — largely thanks to Miller’s deft performance.

This Russian drama is at once poetic and painfully realistic as it explores a century of conflict and its broader impact.

This is a gorgeously made film, put together with as much care as its subjects devote to saving the remaining varieties of seeds.

The children’s stories alone would have been compelling, but illustrating them in this medium adds even more depth, nuance and emotion.

Côté’s film patiently paints a picture of men who are more than their bodies, revealing the emotions beneath the skin and muscles and challenging perceptions about them.

The result is as poetic as it is insightful as the Yanomamis’ current experience coexists onscreen with their mythology.

This is a moving documentary that treats its subjects with the dignity and respect they don’t always get but certainly deserve.

For her directorial debut, Vilaysack has made an authentic documentary that deals honestly with issues of identity, immigration and family. There’s little self-editing here, giving the audience insight into her pain, an experience that is both moving and uncomfortable in its raw state.

No Greater Love may leave viewers emotionally wrecked, but they’ll emerge with additional respect and gratitude for the soldiers’ sacrifice.

The film is a moving experience for both its subjects and the audience.

There’s no artifice in this documentary, with the director simply presenting the women’s lives as they tell them, one after another. Slow-moving and sad, Twenty Two isn’t easy to watch, but it isn’t meant to be.

This documentary won’t provide an exhaustive view of his filmography or life offscreen, but it paints an impressionistic picture that feels almost experimental at times. Simultaneously arty and artful, it refuses to take the standard approach and it will reward cinephiles who want something different than most film biographies can offer.

Lo’s humane film helps us glimpse the lives of those who are often overlooked, whether they walk the streets of Istanbul on four legs or two.

With an affection for nerd culture that is inversely proportional to its budget, this lo-fi sci-fi comedy is destined for laugh-filled late-night viewing.

Women Who Kill is delightfully specific in its approach to its characters and their community. It takes a familiar theme of romantic comedies — the fear of commitment — and gives it new life by adding a morbid element to the mix.

National Bird is powerful cinematic journalism.

The Fear of Being Watched is focused and thorough, but it takes the time to place its events in a larger context.

At just 81 minutes, The Cage Fighter has been whittled down to its fighting weight, trimmed of every ounce of fat. Unay tells Carman's story without interviews or narration, but the film lands every punch without their help.

Equal parts sweet and tart, director Andrew Fleming’s “Ideal Home” is the cinematic equivalent of Sour Patch Kids.

If you have an affection for puns or off-kilter humor, it’s hard not to be charmed by Asperger’s Are Us.

What makes The Redeemed and the Dominant so engaging isn't the hulking specter of steroids; it's the competitors' feats of strength and speed and their powerful personalities to match.

This is a beautifully shot film whose visuals work well with its philosophical approach to life and relationships.

Eklöf doesn’t seem to care if you like her film or her characters — including the protagonist — and it’s this boldness that keeps you watching.

With her debut, Wells demonstrates that she's more than a comedic talent with a wonderfully weird sensibility. As a writer-director, she puts her own stamp on a standard premise, resulting in an unconventional but genuinely enjoyable film.

This is a messy, riotous film worthy of Lunch herself, and just like Lunch, it isn’t asking to be liked.