'Searching for Bobby Fischer' is an emotionally rich drama about child chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, beginning when the then-seven-year-old first becomes fascinated with the game in Washington Square Park.

"The Insider" (1999) is a tense and immersive drama starring Russell Crowe as Jeffrey Wigand, a former tobacco executive turned corporate whistleblower, and Al Pacino as '60 Minutes' producer Lowell Bergman.

'SLC Punk!' is a spirited, high-energy coming-of-age film centered on two punk rockers navigating life in conservative Salt Lake City, Utah in 1985.

'Gone Girl' is a vivid psychological thriller about a mysterious disappearance and the ensuing media frenzy the engulfs a small town in Middle America.

'Once Upon a Time in Anatolia' is a meditative Turkish drama that follows a group of men—including a police commissar, a prosecutor, a doctor, and a murder suspect—on a long night’s journey through the Anatolian steppe as they search for a buried body. As the night unfolds, the physical search becomes a deeper exploration of truth, memory, and morality. With its atmospheric pacing and philosophical undertones, the film reveals the quiet complexity of human nature.

'A Real Pain' is a poignant comedy-drama about two disparate cousins on a Jewish heritage tour through Poland

'The Doors' is a sprawling biographical drama exploring the life of Jim Morrison, frontman of the legendary rock band The Doors.

Dark Days (2000) is an immersive documentary that provides a stark and intimate look into a community of homeless people living...

'The Lobster' is a surreal dark comedy set in a future where single people are forced to find love or be transformed into an animal.

'The Brutalist' is a monumental period drama about a Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the United States in search of a new beginning

Carandiru (2003) is a raw and uncompromising Brazilian drama depicting life inside São Paulo's notorious Carandiru Penitentiary, based...

'The Killer' is a sleek and visceral action thriller about a professional assassin whose life begins to unravel in unexpected ways

'Punch-Drunk Love' is a vibrant romantic comedy-drama starring Adam Sandler as Barry Egan, a lonely man intent on finding true love.

"Assault on Precinct 13" is a gritty thriller about four strangers under siege by a street gang seeking vengeance against the LAPD.

'Anora' is an audacious comedy about a sex worker whose life takes a dramatic turn after meeting the free-spirited son of a Russian oligarch

'Crimson Tide' is an intense thriller about two disparate military commanders' desperate struggle for command of a U.S. Navy submarine

'Pink Floyd: The Wall': An audacious and wildly surrealistic rendering of Pink Floyd's landmark 1979 album

"Once" is a charming Irish musical drama about two street buskers who chance to meet on the streets of Dublin.

My 10 favorite films of 2024 plus honorable mentions and a variety of additional recommendations

'Captain Phillips' is a riveting action thriller, based on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates.