1. Poor things
Once you see it, you’ll never forget it again: This Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone in an almost superhuman performance, is a film character for eternity – and as a viewer you can witness her becoming human in fast motion, with images as if Yorgos Lanthimos were her from Terry Gilliam’s most vivid dreams. A Frankensteiniade in which the men are ridiculous puppets and the lustful enjoyment of sex is a constant source of rebellion.
2. The Zone Of Interest
As if Jonathan Glazer had once hollowed out Martin Amis’s novel, turned it inside out and used it as a petri dish to find an experimental setup to let the viewer look at Auschwitz and the Holocaust as if they were hearing about it for the first time: together with the Höß family, who suppress everything on the other side of the wall – while as a viewer you hear and experience everything.
3. Dying
For three hours, Matthias Glasner blows your mind with despair over his conflicting feelings for his own family. Unvarnished, unfiltered and refreshingly undisciplined to counteract dying with the full force of life. And despite all the anger and uncompromising, it’s incredibly funny.
4. Emilia Perez
Dance the drug lord and let him be a woman. Jacques Audiard has succeeded in squaring the circle, a musical about the Mexican drug cartels that shows a compelling way out of the spiral of violence. And Zoe Saldaña celebrates as a goddess.
5. The Outrun
Words fail to describe how all-round overwhelmingly good an actress Saoirse Ronan is. In her best film to date, Nora Fingscheidt lets her conquer alcohol addiction and direct the sea as if she were a sorcerer’s apprentice.
6. All We Imagine As Light
The way Payal Kapadia shows life in Mumbai here, the bustle of people on rainy nights and yet never loses sight of the fate of each individual, dear friends, is film art of the first order.
7. The Wild Robot
Chris Sanders is the man behind the amazing How to Train Your Dragon. “The Wild Robot” is even better. Sometimes you need to see the motherly gaze of a robot to truly feel human.
8. Robot Dreams
A good year for robots in animated films. Pablo Berger’s ode to friendship (between dog and robot) is a love letter to New York in the 1980s. With Reagan Youth on the soundtrack. And “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire as a leitmotif.
9. Challengers – Rivals
Tennis is sex. You have to think about it first. And then stage it properly. No problem for Luca Guadagnino, who films Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor on the court like pornography. And in the middle, Zendaya smiles like a sphinx.
10. Dune: Part Two
In the monotony of big productions this year, “Dune Part Two” stands above all others.
A sequel that really deserves the name (and is actually the second half of the novel), with the most beautiful people in the world in front of the camera.