15. “Sing Sing”
Movies inspired by real-life events are a dime a dozen, but few have the impact of the collaborative effort of Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing.” Based on and featuring former members of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison in Upstate New York, the A24 acquisition is a much-needed spotlight on prisoners embracing performance as they carry on the decades-long battle for justice. Colman Domingo is superb as Divine G, a truly innocent man who thrives on stage, but it’s his co-star, Calvin “Divine Eye” Maclin, effectively playing himself, who is the real surprise. The production also features a rare financial model where everyone involved effectively was compensated at the same tier. That sense of grounded community reverberates throughout the film and often in the most profound ways. – GE
14. “Janet Planet”
Not many filmmakers are christened an “auteur” on their first cinematic endeavor, but no one told Annie Baker not to aim for the stars. A celebrated playwright, Baker’s feature debut is an autobiographical drama set in the summer of 1991 in the woods of Western Massachusets where a young girl, Lacy (Zoe Ziegler), finds herself in the middle of her mother’s complicated adult friendships and relationships. Janet (a sensational Julianne Nicholson), the mother in question, isn’t the perfect parent Lacy thought she was. Despite her human faults, Lacey recognizes her joy and she feels her love. And those memories, wonderfully captured by Baker and her cinematographer Maria von Hausswolf, will stick with her for decades. – GE
13. “A Real Pain”
Jesse Eisenberg will tell you he’s now very aware that his first directorial effort, “When You Finish Saving the World,” wasn’t for everyone. With his second feature, “A Real Pain,” he chronicles the loving but complicated relationship between two cousins on a journey to honor their grandmother in Poland. David (Eisenberg) is the more pragmatic of the pair, while Benji (Kieran Culkin), is a powderkeg of addictive enthusiasm and trauma. You never know which Benji will appear and for Jesse, decades of patience is close to running out. The movie is genuinely funny but transforms into something profound thanks to Eisenberg and Culkin’s phenomenal chemistry. It also doesn’t hurt that Culkin’s layered and heartbreaking performance will haunt you for days after you walk out of the theater. – GE
12. “Babygirl”
Nicole Kidman knows no fear. Or, perhaps, she recognizes fear and jumps into projects that push her to her cinematic extremes. That is once again the case with Halina Reijn’s “Babygirl,” a sexy dramatic thriller that finds Kidman portraying a CEO who finds herself in a sexual relationship with an overly eager intern played by Harris Dickinson that flips their power dynamics on its head. In a review for The Playlist, Rafa Sales Ross noted, “‘Babygirl’ a refreshing look at BDSM and questions of consent and desire. Reijn is unafraid to have her characters play out all the wobbles that come with negotiating one another’s boundaries, reinforcing how pleasure comes from good communication. That the Dutch director manages to do so while crafting some of the hottest sex scenes in a major film in years and without dropping the ball in pacing this satire on the era of the politically correct feels almost impossible.” – GE
11. “Anora”
Celebrated since winning the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, Sean Baker’s dramedy is a showcase for the incredible talents of star Mikey Madison. A contemporary, East Coast spin on “Pretty Woman,” Madison plays the title character, a young woman flourishing as an exotic dancer until she meets Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn), the wealthy, charismatic son of a Russian Oligarch. When his parents find out about their impromptu Las Vegas quickie marriage, Anora finds herself in the middle of an often hilarious family squabble. No stranger to unconventional comedies, Baker has fashioned a crowd-pleaser that will have you rooting for its heroine until an unexpected end (read our review).
