The Murder of Fred Hampton

Howard Alk, 1971, 88 minutes

Maintains its relevance and impact 50 years later.

Who Killed Teddy Bear?

Joseph Cates, 1965, 94 minutes

Some striking camera effects and New York City street scenes in an otherwise average thriller.

Nymphomanic: Volume II

Lars von Trier, 2013, 124 minutes

Dense, literate, and affecting.

Nymphomanic: Volume I

Lars von Trier, 2013, 117 minutes

Some "movie love" nonsense, but otherwise compelling and quite funny in parts.

Death on the Nile

Kenneth Branagh, 2022, 127 minutes

A stylish update.

Chinese Roulette

Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1976, 86 minutes

Ponderously excessive.

Zelig

Woody Allen, 1983, 79 minutes

Sharp, funny, and inventive.

Chinatown

Roman Polanski, 1974, 131 minutes

Fantastic period detail, script, music.

Stillwater

Tom McCarthy, 2021, 140 minutes

Could have used a nip and tuck here and there, but Matt Damon is excellent.

Top Gun

Tony Scott, 1986, 110 minutes

Meh.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, 2021, 121 minutes

Three conventionally shot and coolly acted short stories, each with an ending that snaps.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Alfred Hitchcock, 1934, 75 minutes

Tight and propulsive.

Demolition

Jean-Marc Vallée, 2015, 101 minutes

Offbeat and touching.

North by Northwest

Alfred Hitchcock, 1959, 136 minutes

Audience first, director's ego last.

Operation Mincemeat

John Madden, 2022, 128 minutes

Solid, sentimental look at hidden piece of World War II.

Naked

Mike Leigh, 1993, 131 minutes

David Thewlis's achievement is to make a largely repellent character lovable.

Lifeboat

Alfred Hitchcock, 1944, 97 minutes

Fewer Hitchcock touches than usual but several winning performances including the great Bankhead.

Breaking the Waves

Lars von Trier, 1996, 158 minutes

Too long, among other annoyances.

All That Jazz

Bob Fosse, 1979, 123 minutes

Masterpiece of editing with a superb performance by Roy Scheider.

The One I Love

Charlie McDowell, 2014, 91 minutes

Twilight Zone stuff about a couple who meet improved avatars of their mate.

Mephisto

István Szabó, 1981, 144 minutes

Magnificent performance from Klaus Maria Brandauer, compelling script.

The Last Wave

Peter Weir, 1977, 106 minutes

Intriguing fantasy with a creepy soundscape and effects. 

The Graduate

Mike Nichols, 1967, 106 minutes

Brilliant technique in service of character and theme.

Exporting Raymond

Philip Rosenthal, 2010, 86 minutes

A short lesson in how Russia is different from America and how show business is the same everywhere.