'The Commitments' (1991) is an exuberant Irish musical comedy-drama centered upon Jimmy Rabbitte, an ambitious music enthusiast determined to assemble a soul band in Dublin. Despite having zero managerial experience, Jimmy recruits an unruly collection of local musicians including volatile vocalist Deco Cuffe, veteran trumpeter Joey “The Lips” Fagan, and a trio of female backing singers dubbed "The Commitmentettes"—with the goal of bringing American soul music to North Dublin

'There Will Be Blood' (2007) is a monumental American drama film starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview, a fiercely ambitious oil prospector who builds a empire across the California frontier at the turn of the 20th century. After making his first major oil strike, Plainview adopts the orphaned son of a dead worker and begins presenting himself as a family man of industry, even as his true devotion lies in the pursuit of wealth, land and control.

A continuing series of film recommendations, this week offering up ten truly exceptional international films not to be missed by any measure.

"'Death Proof' (2007) is a gleefully deranged thriller starring Kurt Russell as Stuntman Mike, a nefarious and charismatic Hollywood stunt driver who stalks young women from behind the wheel of his reinforced muscle car. Moving between Austin, Texas and rural Tennessee, the film follows Mike as he uses his so-called “death proof” car to seek out and terrorize unsuspecting women.

"Anatomy of a Fall" (2023) is a darkly compelling French courtroom drama starring Sandra Hüller as Sandra Voyter, a German writer living with her husband Samuel (Samuel Theis) and their visually impaired son Daniel (Milo Machado-Graner) in the French Alps. When Samuel is found dead outside the family home after an apparent fall, Sandra becomes the focus of an investigation into whether his death was an accident, an act of suicide or outright murder.

'Groundhog Day' (1993) is an endlessly inventive comedy starring Bill Murray as Phil Connors, a smug and acerbic Pittsburgh weatherman sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. Accompanied by producer Rita Hanson (Andie MacDowell) and cameraman Larry (Chris Elliott), Phil views the assignment with open contempt, eager to finish the broadcast and return home as quickly as possible.

'Inside Man' (2006) is a sleek and absorbing crime thriller starring Denzel Washington as Keith Frazier, an embattled NYPD detective tasked with resolving a brazen hostage crisis at a Lower Manhattan bank. The heist is orchestrated by Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), a coolly enigmatic criminal mastermind whose team seizes control of the building with precision—locking down the premises, disguising the hostages in matching uniforms and establishing a plan that appears to confound

'Troll Hunter' (2010) is a highly entertaining Norwegian mockumentary starring Otto Jespersen as Hans, a weathered government hunter tasked with tracking trolls across the remote wilderness of Norway. The film follows three student filmmakers investigating a series of suspicious bear killings, only to discover that Hans is not a poacher but rather the lone field operative for a secretive state program charged with monitoring Norway’s hidden troll population.

'1917' (2019) is a stunningly immersive World War I drama starring George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman as Lance Corporals Will Schofield and Tom Blake, young British soldiers situated along the Western Front in northern France. Following the German army’s retreat to the Hindenburg Line, Schofield and Blake are ordered to cross into enemy territory and deliver an urgent message to the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment

"Souleymane’s Story" (L'Histoire de Souleymane) (2025) is a deeply absorbing French drama starring Abou Sangaré as Souleymane, a Guinean immigrant fighting to survive in Paris while his future hinges on an imminent asylum interview. Working as a food delivery rider on a borrowed account, Souleymane spends his days navigating traffic, chasing orders, dodging platform crackdowns and surrendering a cut of his earnings to the men who control his access to work.

'Heathers' (1988) is a darkly entertaining black comedy set within the toxic social hierarchy of an affluent Ohio high school. The film stars Winona Ryder as Veronica Sawyer, an intelligent but conflicted teenager who enjoys newfound popularity after falling in with the school’s ruling trio of wealthy and manipulative girls, all named Heather.

Falling Down (1993) is a gripping urban thriller starring Michael Douglas as William Foster, an unemployed former defense engineer who reaches his psychological breaking point while trapped in a stifling Los Angeles traffic jam. Abandoning his vehicle, Foster embarks on a violent trek across the city in a desperate attempt to reach the home of his estranged wife (Barbara Hershey) for his daughter’s birthday, unwittingly terrorizing the populace along the way. The storyline de

'Super 8' (2011) is a thrilling science fiction adventure from J.J. Abrams about a group of young filmmakers who witness a catastrophic train crash that unleashes a mysterious extraterrestrial presence into their small Ohio town during the summer of 1979.

'Marty Supreme' (2025) is an exuberant American sports comedy-drama starring Timothée Chalamet as Marty Mauser, an eccentric table tennis hustler blustering his way through the competitive circuits of 1950s-era America. Loosely based on the real-life exploits of Marty Reisman, the film details his rise from the streets of Manhattan’s Lower East Side to the heights of international competition.

'Singles' (1992) is a keenly observed romantic comedy-drama set in Seattle’s early-90s grunge scene, following a group of young adults navigating uneven relationships, missed connections and the uneasy search for intimacy as their lives intersect within a modest apartment complex.

'The Revenant' (2015) is a stunningly immersive survival drama starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a fur trapper navigating the unforgiving wilderness of the 1820s American frontier. While guiding a group of traders through perilous terrain, Glass is mauled by a bear and left gravely injured, setting into motion a brutal struggle for survival beset by both physical suffering and profound personal loss.

'A Very Long Engagement' (2004) is a visually sweeping romantic war drama starring Audrey Tautou as Mathilde who navigates a labyrinth of military secrets to uncover the truth behind her fiancé's disappearance during the Great War.

'The Cabin in the Woods' (2011) is an inventive American horror film starring Kristen Connolly as Dana, a college student whose weekend trip to a remote cabin with friends begins to unravel as their behavior and surroundings grow increasingly unnatural. As unseen forces manipulate events, Dana becomes aware that their ordeal is not random but carefully orchestrated.

'Thief' (1981) is a sleek and engrossing American crime drama starring James Caan as Frank, a veteran safecracker and ex-con forging a lucrative living in Chicago. Having spent years in prison, Frank is determined to build a stable life of his own, yearning for a wife, child and legitimate future beyond the criminal world.

'Hamnet' (2025) is a deeply affecting historical drama starring Paul Mescal as William Shakespeare and Jessie Buckley as Agnes Hathaway, set in late 16th-century Stratford-upon-Avon. As Agnes builds a life for their family at home and Will moves between Stratford and London, the sudden illness of their twins, Hamnet and Judith, turns the story into an intimate portrait of grief, loss and the emotional roots of Hamlet.

Flow (2024) is a deeply immersive animated drama that centers upon a solitary cat whose existence is abruptly upended by a catastrophic flood. Set within a lush yet seemingly post-human world, the film unfolds without dialogue as the cat is driven from the familiarity of home and forced into a perilous journey across rapidly rising waters. After finding refuge aboard a drifting boat, the cat is joined by an unlikely assortment of fellow creatures, including a capybara, lemur