Talk to Me

Director: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10638522

Review: Pulls you in so effortlessly and fast that when the turns happen you're utterly unprepared for how wild they go.

Watch it if: You're ok with some fairly brutal gore.

And if you liked: Flatliners, Evil Dead (2013), It Follows

Solaris

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069293

Review: Slowly burns its way into your head with a hypnotic atmosphere and beautiful photography.

Watch it if: You're ok with something that takes its time.

And if you liked: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Man Who Fell to Earth

Check this out: Solaris

Monkeybone

Director: Henry Selick

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166276

Review: Fascinating in its insanity in a way that never really bores but also never gets its hooks into anything interesting.

Watch it if: You're curious about what kind of bizarre ingredients can go into a thing.

And if you liked: Drop Dead Fred, The Mask, Wendell and Wild

Check this out: Dark Town

I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0497137

Review: Some flashes of greatness in there and very clear in what it wants to do but largely a frustrating affair that's difficult to find purchase in.

Watch it if: You're ok with something irreverent and quirky.

And if you liked: The Ninth Configuration, The Million Dollar Hotel

Cobweb

Director: Samuel Bodin

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9100018

Review: Fairly standard once it's all said and done but makes excellent and effective work with its material along the way.

Watch it if: You're ok with something making good use of old parts if not reinventing them.

And if you liked: The Boogeyman, The Babadook, Malignant

Barbie

Director: Greta Gerwig

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517268

Review: Fun and colourful with a decent emotional core and a bevy of great jokes.

Watch it if: You want something that's not worried about getting tied up in logistics.

And if you liked: The Lego Movie, Ted, Wandavision

Deadstream

Director: Joseph Winter and Vanessa Winter

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12788488

Review: Manages to balance its elements well while keeping a good pace of escalation throughout.

Watch it if: You're ok with an extremely (but deliberately) annoying lead character.

And if you liked: Evil Dead 2, Paranormal Activity

Oppenheimer

Director: Christopher Nolan

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15398776

Review: Thrilling and propulsive in a way that never gives an easy answer or even a place to rest.

Watch it if: You want something that appreciates the complexity of the human face.

And if you liked: Good Night and Good Luck, There Will Be Blood

Check this out: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

Lady Vengeance

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451094

Review: A little difficult to follow in places but holds attention and intrigue well throughout.

Watch it if: You can handle something fairly cerebral with its violence.

And if you liked: Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, Oldboy, Nikita

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Director: Christopher McQuarrie

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9603212

Review: A satisfyingly ridiculous premise that allows for a string of thrilling and explosive adventure sequences.

Watch it if: You appreciate a well structured action setpiece.

And if you liked: Mission: Impossible - Fallout, Mission: Impossible, The General

Spoorloos

Director: George Sluizer

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096163

Review: More tightly written than it first seems with a chilling premise and a genuinely disturbing ending.

Watch it if: You're ok with something casually dark.

And if you liked: Speak No Evil, Don't Look Now, Insomnia

Check this out: The Golden Egg

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance

Director: Park Chan-wook

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775

Review: Pulls the eye in while unfolding in a way that allows for maximum pathos and tragic humour.

Watch it if: You can handle something fairly grim on all fronts.

And if you liked: Fargo, Bad Lieutenant, Oldboy