Movie review: 'Touch' tells story of man searching for woman who left him 50 years ago

Nostalgic in the face of a dementia diagnosis, Kristofer shuts down his Reykjavik restaurant and leaves Iceland, likely never to return, to search for the woman he loved who, a half-century earlier, left him without a word. The search, which begins on the eve of the pandemic, takes him back to London, where, as a student at the London School of Economics, he met and fell in love with Miko, a Japanese immigrant. That’s half the structure of “Touch,” director Baltasar Kormákur’s delicately presented adaptation of Olaf Olafsson’s novel that, in very literary fashion, moves between the elderly Kristofer’s search and the early ’70s romance.

The latter takes place in Nippon, a neighborhood Japanese restaurant owned by Takahashi-san (Masahiro Motoki), who hires Kristofer (Pálmi Kormákur), a devoted socialist who applied for the job spurred on by his fellow students to quit school and become part of the proletariat. He takes the job, however, because as he was leaving Nippon on his first visit he meets Miko (Koki) and, at least from his side, it’s love at first sight. So he starts to learn Japanese, and immerses himself in Japanese cooking, taught by Takahashi-san, who indoctrinates him into the cuisine and culture, getting him to write haiku.

Returning to London, the older Kristofer (Egill Olafsson) visits Nippon, now a tattoo parlor, gets a Japanese letter tattooed on his arm and looks for Miko and his old restaurant colleagues with assistance from a desk clerk at the hotel that wants to kick him out to shut down for the pandemic. There’s no point in revealing more about either of the intertwined stories in “Touch,” which is entirely predictable but still, with a stunning, didn’t-see-this-coming conclusion, touchingly moving. “Touch” is filled with strong performances from all its major characters and is presented with a lightness and heart by Kormákur, an action movie maker who shows here that he can master an intimate drama.

The travelog aspect of the film is also enlightening, going from a choir singing in the Icelandic snow, to old and new London and contemporary Tokyo as Kristofer, dealing with the first vestiges of dementia, closes his life in Iceland, returns to his past and has a final adventure in the land he adopted, but had never seen until his search for Miko, that ends, appropriately enough, in a floating restaurant in Japan. The E-edition is available to you every morning, and is updated throughout the day The year may have just gotten started, but 2024 is already looking to be an exciting year in film if the following list is any indication. As a result of the monthslong Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists strikes last year, industry experts, like those at Deadline, are expecting to see a huge drop in the number of major films set to premiere by the end of the year.

Although last year saw 124 wide releases, 2024 expects to see just over 100, which will equate to a roughly $1 billion drop in domestic ticket sales. That said, we'll still be getting a fair number of blockbusters over the course of the year, with titles like "Madame Web," "Dune: Part Two," "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga," "Deadpool & Wolverine," and "Gladiator 2" all poised to hit theaters this year. Those are just a taste of the movies expecting a theatrical release in 2024.

In the first two months of the year, however, we've already seen a number of truly wonderful films hit the big screen—stories that help audiences see the past and their lives just a little differently. Stacker looked at Metacritic data on the best films of 2024 so far and ranked the top five. Ordered by Metascore, the films had to have been released in the U.

S. in 2024 and have at least seven reviews from critics in order to qualify for this list. IMDb user ratings were provided for popular reception context.

Read on to find some new titles to add to your queue and then come back throughout the year as the list, and this year in memorable cinema, grows exponentially. - Director: Felipe Gálvez Haberle - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 97 minutes Felipe Gálvez Haberle's feature directorial debut, "The Settlers," is a revisionist Western that follows three horsemen who find themselves mixed up in the South American land grab and the genocide of the Selk'nam people at the beginning of the 20th century.

Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film didn't get a widespread release until early this year, but critical reviews have been overwhelmingly positive since its debut. Writing for Observer, one critic called it " a brutal, chilling indictment of capitalist colonialism ," while IndieWire wrote that "it's one of the most chilling art-Westerns to come along in some time , as provocative for its ideas, dialogue, and characterizations, as for the beauty of its empty landscapes." - Director: Amjad Al Rasheed - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.

1 - Run time: 113 minutes Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at Cannes, and what a stunning debut it was. The New York Times praised the performance of Mouna Hawa (a Palestinian actor), calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller .

- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Run time: 93 minutes In this documentary, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits his life in Brazil, recalling its glory days through the prism of the various cinemas he frequented as a child. The New York Times praised the film, which combines both new and archived footage, for the way it inspires a " rumination on life, death, family, movies , and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home.

" Meanwhile, IndieWire loved the film best for its celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film " a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder ." - Director: Lila Avilés - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 95 minutes The National Board of Review named "Totem" one of the best international films of the year, which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive.

The Mexican project follows a 7-year-old girl as she celebrates her father's birthday and struggles to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last. Variety called the movie " lifelike and lived-in " and commended filmmaker Lila Avilés' "generous, open-ended" style. - Director: Thien An Pham - Metascore: 93 - IMDb user rating: 6.

7 - Run time: 179 minutes Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" follows a young Vietnamese man as he navigates the unexpected loss of a family member and grapples with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife. Director Thien An Pham's feature debut, the movie won the Camera d'Or (the award given to the best debut feature film) at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has already earned praise from critics internationally.

Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns.

- Director: Molly Manning Walker - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 6.5 - Run time: 91 minutes First premiering at the Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard competition, "How to Have Sex" follows three young women as they embark on their first real adult vacation. RogerEbert.

com called the movie, which is Molly Manning Walker's feature directorial debut, " a blisteringly real survey of female coming of age." The visuals here are arguably among the year's best, which is perhaps not all that surprising considering Walker's background as a cinematographer. - Director: Denis Villeneuve - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 8.

6 - Run time: 166 minutes The follow-up to the 2021 smash-hit adaptation of the Frank Herbert sci-fi novel, "Dune: Part Two" continues the story of Paul Atreides and the Fremen people as they wage war against the cruel House Harkonnen. The commercially successful film has a massive, all-star cast that includes actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and Josh Brolin. Critics, like those at Slate , have sung the movie's praises, celebrating everything from its complex, attention-grabbing plot to its jaw-dropping special effects to its cinematography and score.

- Director: Matteo Garrone - Metascore: 79 - IMDb user rating: 7.6 - Run time: 121 minutes Inspired by the real stories of migrants' journeys to Europe through Africa, "Io Capitano" tells the story of two young men who leave their native Dakar in search of a better life in Italy. Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year's Oscars, the movie's cast comprises mostly unknown actors, which lends an even more raw and real tone to the story.

Audiences should note that the film is a hard watch—heavy topics like abuse and slavery are tackled—but, as Observer notes, it's important in that it keeps the reality of this international crisis at the forefront of conversations. - Director: Mike Cheslik - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Run time: 108 minutes One of the most unique comedies of the last few years, "Hundreds of Beavers" is a black-and-white, slapstick gem about an enterprising woodsman who finds himself facing off against a slew of forest creatures for control of his homestead.

With little to no dialogue, a wild soundtrack, and a cast of human actors in mascot-style animal costumes, it's safe to assume you've never seen anything like this ever before. Critics and audiences alike love the way the film pays homage to the cartoons of yesteryear (think "Looney Tunes") and how genuinely funny the physical humor actually is. - Director: Felipe Gálvez Haberle - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7 - Run time: 97 minutes Felipe Gálvez Haberle's feature directorial debut, "The Settlers," is a revisionist Western that follows three horsemen who find themselves mixed up in the South American land grab and the genocide of the Selk'nam people at the beginning of the 20th century.

Premiering at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the film didn't get a widespread release until early this year, but critical reviews have been overwhelmingly positive since its debut. Writing for Observer, one critic called it " a brutal, chilling indictment of capitalist colonialism ," while IndieWire wrote that "it's one of the most chilling art-Westerns to come along in some time , as provocative for its ideas, dialogue, and characterizations, as for the beauty of its empty landscapes." You may also like: The most successful long movies of all time - Director: Bertrand Bonello - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 6.

8 - Run time: 146 minutes Loosely based on a Henry James short story titled "The Beast in the Jungle," "The Beast" is essentially about how humanity's pursuit of authenticity is often thwarted by roadblocks of its own making. A bizarre sci-fi and horror mashup, the film is set across three distinct time periods (1910, 2014, and 2044) and follows one woman as she attempts to rid herself of all emotion and the ripple effect that has on all of her past lives. Unsettling and thought-provoking, the movie certainly isn't a mindless watch, but it is an important one.

- Director: Goran Stolevski - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7 - Run time: 107 minutes Set in North Macedonia, "Housekeeping for Beginners" follows one woman as she does her best to raise her deceased girlfriend's two daughters despite never wanting to be a mother herself. Full of found family and LGBTQ+ themes, the movie is deeply emotional and raw, feelings that are compounded by the fact that director Goran Stolevski allowed the actors (many of whom made their big-screen debut here) to improvise large sections of the finished product. - Director: Alex Schaad - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 6.

2 - Run time: 103 minutes "Skin Deep" is a philosophical relationship drama that follows a young couple who find themselves in a body-swapping situation during a visit to a mysterious island. The New York Times lauded the way the film handled deep questions that might arise in romantic relationships and broader society should body-swapping become an established, serious possibility. Written by brothers Alex and Dimitrij Schaad, the film first premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and only made its way to the U.

S. this year. It is also Alex's feature-length directorial debut.

- Director: Frank Berry - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 6.6 - Run time: 94 minutes Set in Ireland, "Aisha" examines the complicated friendship that grows between an asylum seeker and a security guard at the accommodation center where she is living. Perhaps best known for her role in the "Black Panther" movies, Letitia Wright has been praised by outlets across the internet for the controlled anger, dignity, and quiet power she infused into the character.

While the film is understated in its tone and emotional pull, it's sure to have viewers reevaluating their thoughts on the immigrant experience around the world. - Director: Luca Guadagnino - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Run time: 131 minutes Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, "Challengers" follows the tense dynamic that unfolds between a tennis coach, her player/husband who is on a losing streak, and his former best friend and rival/her former lover.

Told largely through a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie is messy, dramatic, and very, very sexy (including a highly charged churro scene ). Critics have praised the stars' performances as well as the complex editing, which makes what could be a fairly basic story far more compelling. You may also like: How much does it cost to win Best Picture? Breaking down the biggest and smallest budgets.

- Director: Richard Linklater - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 115 minutes In this Netflix original, Glen Powell (who co-wrote the screenplay) plays an undercover cop posing as a hit man who falls in love with a woman who has hired him to help kill her husband. The black comedy has garnered tons of praise for feeling like an old-school movie —one of those delightfully fun romps that's also well-acted, sufficiently funded, and not unduly concerned with getting a message across.

- Director: Amjad Al Rasheed - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.2 - Run time: 113 minutes Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at Cannes, and what a stunning debut it was.

The New York Times praised the performance of Palestinian actor Mouna Hawa, calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded director Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller . - Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 106 minutes The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice Film Festival, "Evil Does Not Exist" is a Japanese film that follows the residents of a small village as they push back against the development of the forest they live near.

Described as "sparsely written" and "unsettling in tone" by NPR, the film is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about. - Directors: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Run time: 77 minutes In this Iranian film, directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami follow nine individuals as they face off against different iterations of power in the Middle Eastern country.

At times comedic and difficult, the stories examine the way certain codes of behavior (whether dictated by culture or religion) can often be used as a channel for more deeply held prejudices. - Director: Annie Baker - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 6.6 - Run time: 113 minutes Set in the early '90s, this drama follows a hippie mother (Julianne Nicholson) and her preteen daughter (Zoe Ziegler) over the course of one slow summer as they spend nearly all of their time together and confront changes in their relationship.

The movie is the feature directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker, who also wrote the screenplay. You may also like: From 'Metropolis' to 'Parasite': 100 best international movies of all time - Directors: Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 73 minutes In this animated film, a mother sets out to make amends with her daughter by cooking her favorite meal, despite her lack of culinary knowledge and a strike that's essentially shut down their city.

The French project is playful and emotional, exploring themes like grief and memory in ways that will appeal to audiences of all ages. - Director: Jane Schoenbrun - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 7 - Run time: 100 minutes Dubbed "weird and transfixing" by NPR, "I Saw the TV Glow" follows two teenagers who bond over a supernatural TV series only to have their lives go off the rails years after the show's cancellation. Produced by Emma Stone and Dave McCary's company Fruit Tree, the movie stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine and is far more unsettling than the previews may have led viewers to believe.

- Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Run time: 93 minutes In this documentary, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits his life in Brazil, recalling its glory days through the prism of the various cinemas he frequented as a child. The New York Times praised the film, which combines both new and archived footage, for the way it inspires a " rumination on life, death, family, movies , and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home.

" Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film " a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder ." - Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Run time: 197 minutes This Turkish-language drama follows a teacher who finds his future threatened after a female student alleges inappropriate contact.

As is the case with many of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's projects, the movie is slow and sparse, with a strong emphasis placed on still photography . The New Yorker called it " nimble, alert, and alive ," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers. - Director: Alice Rohrwacher - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.

3 - Run time: 130 minutes Set in the '80s, "La Chimera" follows a lovelorn archaeologist who unwittingly finds himself the head of a ragtag gang of grave robbers, stealing artifacts and passing them on to a mysterious buyer. The Guardian called it " uproarious and celebratory " noting that its tone—and the way it teems with life—is one of the best things about it. Meanwhile, Slant loved the way it wrestles with time and its effect on all of our lives.

You may also like: Highest-grossing movies released on Halloween weekend - Director: Lila Avilés - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 95 minutes The National Board of Review named "Tótem" one of the best international films of the year , which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive. The Mexican project follows a 7-year-old girl as she celebrates her father's birthday and struggles to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last.

Variety called the movie " lifelike and lived-in " and commended filmmaker Lila Avilés' "generous, open-ended" style. - Director: Neo Sora - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 8.1 - Run time: 103 minutes Called " a parting gift from a master musician " by The New York Times, "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus" is the pianist's final performance.

There are no interviews or introductions in the film, it's simply 103 minutes of the Japanese artist sitting at his piano playing some of his greatest hits. While it may not sound like the most exciting film the year has had to offer, the space it offers for contemplation is unlike anything else the big screen has ever given us. - Director: Bas Devos - Metascore: 93 - IMDb user rating: 6.

8 - Run time: 84 minutes Dubbed " a celebration of connection " by The New York Times, Bas Devos' "Here" follows the lives of a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese academic who studies moss. Their lives, which have almost no reason to intersect, inevitably do in the most unusual of places. The quiet film is beautifully photographed and captures a sense of connection where "nothing much and everything happens—or could," according to the Times.

- Director: Thien An Pham - Metascore: 94 - IMDb user rating: 6.7 - Run time: 179 minutes Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" follows a young Vietnamese man as he navigates the unexpected loss of a family member and grapples with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife. The movie won director Thien An Pham the Camera d'Or, the award given to the best debut feature, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has earned praise from critics internationally. - Director: Radu Jude - Metascore: 95 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Run time: 163 minutes In this black comedy, a production assistant is tasked with shooting a workplace safety video, only to find their plans upended when an interviewee makes a surprising statement.

Completely unique in its form (it's a mix of new footage; edited excerpts of another 1981 film, "Angela merge mai departe"; and the main character's TikTok videos), Variety called the movie a " dizzying, dazzling feat of social critique , an all-fronts-at-once attack on the zeitgeist, and a mischievous, often hilarious work of art about the artifice of work." Data reporting by Luke Hicks. Story editing by Carren Jao and Jaimie Etkin.

Copy editing by Tim Bruns. You may also like: The most popular movies to stream right now - Director: Mike Cheslik - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Run time: 1 hour 48 minutes One of the most unique comedies of the last few years, "Hundreds of Beavers" is a black-and-white, slapstick gem about an enterprising woodsman who finds himself facing off against a slew of forest creatures for control of his homestead.

With little dialogue, a wild soundtrack, and a cast of human actors in mascot-style animal costumes, it's safe to assume you've never seen anything like this ever before. Critics and audiences alike love the way the film pays homage to the cartoons of yesteryear (think "Looney Tunes") and how genuinely funny the physical humor actually is. - Director: Goran Stolevski - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.

0 - Run time: 1 hour 47 minutes Set in North Macedonia, "Housekeeping for Beginners" centers on a woman doing her best to raise her deceased girlfriend's two daughters despite never wanting to be a mother herself. Full of found family and LGBTQ+ themes, the movie is deeply emotional and raw, feelings that are compounded by the fact that director Goran Stolevski allowed the actors (many of whom made their big-screen debut here) to improvise large sections of the finished product . - Director: Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren - Metascore: 80 - IMDb user rating: 7.

0 - Run time: 2 hours 8 minutes A coming-of-age story set against the slow, Spanish summer, "20,000 Species of Bees" follows a child who begins to realize that her gender identity may not be in line with the gender she was assigned at birth. Understated and emotional, the film delves into the journey many transgender young people, and their families, go through as they start to understand their identity. - Director: Alex Schaad - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 6.

2 - Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes "Skin Deep" is a philosophical relationship drama about a young couple who find themselves in a body-swapping situation during a visit to a mysterious island. The New York Times lauded the way the film handled deep questions that might arise in romantic relationships and broader society should body-swapping become an established, serious possibility. Written by brothers Alex and Dimitrij Schaad, the film first premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival and only made its way to the U.

S. this year. It is also Alex's feature-length directorial debut.

- Director: Frank Berry - Metascore: 81 - IMDb user rating: 6.6 - Run time: 1 hour 34 minutes Set in Ireland, "Aisha" examines the complicated friendship that grows between an asylum seeker and a security guard at the accommodation center where she is living. Perhaps best known for her role in the "Black Panther" movies, Letitia Wright has been praised by outlets across the internet for the controlled anger, dignity, and quiet power she infused into the character.

While the film is understated in its tone and emotional pull, it's sure to have viewers reevaluating their thoughts on the immigrant experience around the world. You may also like: 50 of the best Christmas movies of all time - Director: David Hinton - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes In this essay film, Martin Scorsese guides audiences through the oeuvre of two of the most influential filmmakers of his own career: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Part chronological documentary, part film analysis, part personal narrative, the movie is a great way to get to know Powell and Pressburger as well as Scorsese himself, and was described by The New York Times as "a personal, vibrant gift." - Director: Luca Guadagnino - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Run time: 2 hours 11 minutes Starring Zendaya, Josh O'Connor, and Mike Faist, "Challengers" follows the tense dynamic that unfolds between a tennis coach, her player/husband who is on a losing streak, and his former best friend and rival/her former lover.

Told largely through a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards, the movie is messy, dramatic, and very, very sexy (including a highly charged churro scene ). Critics have praised the stars' performances as well as the complex editing, which makes what could be a fairly basic story far more compelling. - Director: Greg Kwedar - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 8.

1 - Run time: 1 hour 45 minutes A prison drama unlike any you've seen before, "Sing Sing" is about a man who has been imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit but finds purpose in a theater group composed of fellow incarcerated men. Colman Domingo plays the lead role and much of the cast is comprised of formerly incarcerated actors who participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, a decision that gives the project an intensity it may not have had otherwise. - Director: Amjad Al Rasheed - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.

2 - Run time: 1 hour 53 minutes Wrestling with the devastating effects of Jordan's patriarchal inheritance laws, "Inshallah a Boy" is a thriller about a woman who pretends to be pregnant with a son in order to save herself and her young daughter. The film was the first Jordanian project to ever compete at the Cannes Film Festival, and what a stunning debut it was. The New York Times praised the performance of Palestinian actor Mouna Hawa, calling it "commanding," and Variety applauded director Al Rasheed's prowess in casting a social-realist drama as a riveting escape thriller .

You may also like: Best Picture losers that won the most Oscars at their ceremony - Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.0 - Run time: 1 hour 46 minutes The winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 80th Venice Film Festival, "Evil Does Not Exist" is a Japanese film about the residents of a small village who are pushing back against the development of the forest they live near. Described as "sparsely written" and "unsettling in tone" by NPR, "Evil Does Not Exist" is far from predictable with an ending that leaves audiences with plenty to think about.

- Directors: Ali Asgari, Alireza Khatami - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 7.4 - Run time: 1 hour 17 minutes In this Iranian film, directors Ali Asgari and Alireza Khatami follow nine individuals as they face off against different iterations of power in the Middle Eastern country. At times comedic and difficult, the stories examine the way certain codes of behavior (whether dictated by culture or religion) can often be used as a channel for more deeply held prejudices.

- Director: Jane Schoenbrun - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 5.9 - Run time: 1 hour 40 minutes Dubbed "weird and transfixing" by NPR, "I Saw the TV Glow" centers on two teenagers who bond over a supernatural TV series only to have their lives go off the rails years after the show's cancellation. Produced by Emma Stone and Dave McCary's company Fruit Tree, the movie stars Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine and is far more unsettling than the previews may have led viewers to believe.

You may also like: Best summer rom-coms of all time - Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Metascore: 87 - IMDb user rating: 7.8 - Run time: 3 hours 17 minutes This Turkish-language drama centers on a teacher who finds his future threatened after a female student alleges inappropriate contact. As is the case with many of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's projects, the movie is slow and sparse, with a strong emphasis placed on still photography .

The New Yorker called it " nimble, alert, and alive ," stressing that it "brims with a bitingly melancholy Chekhovian spirit," something that's sure to appeal to certain moviegoers. - Director: Kleber Mendonça Filho - Metascore: 88 - IMDb user rating: 7.7 - Run time: 1 hour 33 minutes In this documentary, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho revisits his life in Brazil, recalling its glory days through the prism of the various cinemas he frequented as a child.

The New York Times praised the film, which combines both new and archived footage, for the way it inspires a " rumination on life, death, family, movies , and those complicated, invariably haunted places we call home." Meanwhile, IndieWire hailed the documentary's celebratory spirit, noting that Filho is able to give the film " a joyful rhythm, full of hope and wonder ." - Director: Agnieszka Holland - Metascore: 90 - IMDb user rating: 6.

4 - Run time: 2 hours 32 minutes Described by RogerEbert.com as "the best and most important film to be released in the U.S.

so far this year," "Green Border" examines the ongoing European refugee crisis. Set on the border of Belarus and Poland, the movie is gorgeously shot in black and white and manages to perfectly walk the line between real and melodramatic. It's a must-watch for any politically minded viewer.

- Director: Alice Rohrwacher - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.3 - Run time: 2 hours 10 minutes Set in the '80s, "La Chimera" centers on a lovelorn archaeologist who unwittingly finds himself the head of a ragtag gang of grave robbers, stealing artifacts and passing them on to a mysterious buyer. The Guardian called it " uproarious and celebratory " noting that its tone—and the way it teems with life—is one of the best things about it.

Meanwhile, Slant loved the way it wrestles with time and its effect on all of our lives. You may also like: 50 best Western films of all time, according to critics - Director: Lila Avilés - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 7.1 - Run time: 1 hour 35 minutes The National Board of Review named "Tótem" one of the best international films of the year , which is as winning of an endorsement as one could hope to receive.

The Mexican project is about a 7-year-old girl celebrating her father's birthday and struggling to come to terms with the fact that it will likely be his last. Variety called the movie " lifelike and lived-in " and commended filmmaker Lila Avilés' "generous, open-ended" style. - Director: Neo Sora - Metascore: 91 - IMDb user rating: 8.

1 - Run time: 1 hour 43 minutes Called " a parting gift from a master musician " by The New York Times, "Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus" is the pianist's final performance. There are no interviews or introductions in the film, it's simply 103 minutes of the Japanese artist sitting at his piano playing some of his greatest hits. While it may not sound like the most exciting film the year has had to offer, the space it offers for contemplation is unlike anything else the big screen has given us.

- Director: Bas Devos - Metascore: 92 - IMDb user rating: 6.9 - Run time: 1 hour 24 minutes Dubbed " a celebration of connection " by The New York Times, Bas Devos' "Here" follows the lives of a Romanian construction worker and a Belgian-Chinese academic who studies moss. Their lives, which have almost no reason to intersect, inevitably do in the most unusual of places.

The quiet film is beautifully photographed and captures a sense of connection where "nothing much and everything happens—or could," according to the Times. - Director: Richard Linklater - Metascore: 82 - IMDb user rating: 6.9 - Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes In this Netflix original, Glen Powell (who co-wrote the screenplay) plays an undercover cop posing as a hit man who falls in love with a woman who has hired him to help kill her husband.

The black comedy has garnered tons of praise for feeling like an old-school movie —one of those delightfully fun romps that's also well-acted, sufficiently funded, and not unduly concerned with getting a message across. - Directors: Kelly O'Sullivan, Alex Thompson - Metascore: 83 - IMDb user rating: 8.0 - Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes A story about the healing power of art, "Ghostlight" follows a grieving construction worker who processes the death of his teenage son through a community theater production of "Romeo and Juliet.

" Messy, pure, and earnest, the film features an actual family of actors (partners Keith Kupferer and Tara Mallen and their daughter Katherine Mallen Kupferer), making everything feel incredibly real. - Director: Annie Baker - Metascore: 85 - IMDb user rating: 6.7 - Run time: 1 hour 53 minutes Set in the early '90s, this drama follows a hippie mother (Julianne Nicholson) and her preteen daughter (Zoe Ziegler) over the course of one slow summer as they spend nearly all of their time together and confront changes in their relationship.

The movie is the feature directorial debut of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Annie Baker, who also wrote the screenplay. - Director: Thien An Pham - Metascore: 94 - IMDb user rating: 6.7 - Run time: 2 hours 59 minutes Straddling the line between surrealism and realism, "Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell" centers on a young Vietnamese man navigating the unexpected loss of a family member and grappling with larger questions of faith, god, and the afterlife.

The movie won director Thien An Pham the Camera d'Or, the award given to the best debut feature, at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Outlets like IndieWire have gushed over the project's unique cinematic style (there are long, uninterrupted shots that run for up to 20 minutes at a time), which has earned praise from critics internationally. - Director: Radu Jude - Metascore: 95 - IMDb user rating: 7.

4 - Run time: 2 hours 43 minutes In this black comedy, a production assistant is tasked with shooting a workplace safety video, only to find their plans upended when an interviewee makes a surprising statement. Completely unique in its form (it's a mix of new footage; edited excerpts of another 1981 film, "Angela merge mai departe"; and the main character's TikTok videos), Variety called the movie a " dizzying, dazzling feat of social critique , an all-fronts-at-once attack on the zeitgeist, and a mischievous, often hilarious work of art about the artifice of work." Data reporting by Luke Hicks.

Story editing by Carren Jao and Jaimie Etkin. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. You may also like: 100 best '90s movies - Directors: Sébastien Laudenbach, Chiara Malta - Metascore: 84 - IMDb user rating: 7.

1 - Run time: 1 hour 13 minutes In this animated film, a mother sets out to make amends with her daughter by cooking her favorite meal, despite her lack of culinary knowledge and a strike that's essentially shut down their city. The French project is playful and emotional, exploring themes like grief and memory in ways that will appeal to audiences of all ages. Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott @journalstar.

com . On Twitter @KentWolgamott Touch Grade: B+ Director: Baltasar Kormákur. Cast: Egill Olafsson, Koki, Palmi Kormákur, Masahiro Motoki, Yoko Narahashi, Ruth Sheen, Meg Kubota.

Rated: R (for some sexuality). Running Time: 2 hours, 1 minute. Now Showing: Ross.

The Reel Story: This film is a touching literary adaptation of the story of a man who leaves home to try to find, after 50 years, the Japanese woman who left him without a word. Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! Entertainment reporter/columnist {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items..