Karolis Rudenka/Tie2.lt
1. Father Mother Sister Brother
Jim Jarmusch’s latest film, which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, is composed of three separate stories set in the present day, each unfolding in a different country. All three explore the relationships between adult children and their somewhat distant parents, as well as the bonds between the children themselves. The characters are brought to life by an impressive cast.
In the first segment, Adam Driver and Mayim Bialik visit their father in the northeastern United States; in the second, Cate Blanchett and Vicky Krieps drink tea with their mother in Dublin, Ireland; and in the third, Indya Moore and Luka Sabbat convey an elegiac story of emigrants’ children in Paris.
The film is a cycle of character studies—quiet, observant, nonjudgmental, and non-evaluative—a comedy interwoven with threads of melancholy. According to Jarmusch himself, it is a kind of anti-action film, whose subtle and restrained style is carefully crafted so that small details accumulate gradually, like flowers meticulously arranged into three fragile compositions.
2. One Battle After Another
Paul Thomas Anderson’s daring film combines the fast-paced, playful rhythm of a comedy, a tender family drama, and a serious narrative about authoritarian regimes and racist conspiracy theories—all presented with remarkable ease and naturalness. The film features an impressive ensemble cast: Leonardo DiCaprio delivers a hilariously chaotic performance as former radical Bob Ferguson, while Benicio del Toro, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor bring vivid supporting roles to life.
Anderson explores the social and political themes of Thomas Pynchon’s novel Vineland, while DiCaprio and Chase Infiniti, who plays his daughter, add emotional warmth to the story. The film also includes fast, engaging action sequences with car chases and shootouts. One Battle After Another is one of this year’s best films, masterfully blending art, politics, and entertainment.
3. No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook’s satirical farce, based on Donald Westlake’s novel, once again showcases the Korean director’s mastery. Lee Byung-hun stars as a long-time paper mill executive enjoying a successful career, an idyllic family life, and a comfortable lifestyle. Everything changes after a sudden, unexpected dismissal and unsuccessful job hunts.
With his family home and children’s future at risk, he resolves to become a not-so-talented “Mr. Ripley,” beginning to eliminate rivals to secure his desired job. No Other Choice is a bold black comedy full of unexpected twists, eccentric characters, and inventive ideas. The director shows deep care for his hapless antihero while raising timely questions about mass layoffs and artificial intelligence.
4. The Secret Agent
This gripping drama reinvigorates political thriller tropes, revealing how a corrupt government in dictatorial-era Brazil (1977) devastates the lives of ordinary people. Wagner Moura delivers a charismatic performance as Marcelu, an apolitical professor who, after clashing with an authority figure, becomes the target of a murder plot.
The film masterfully blends different genres—from carnival scenes and underground resistance to family dynamics, violence, and metacinema elements—cementing Kleber Mendonça Filho’s reputation as one of today’s strongest directors.
5. Sentimental Value
This family drama stands out for its sincere yet unsentimental tone, exploring the complex relationships between a self-focused film director father, who loves his daughters, and his two adult daughters, with whom he belatedly seeks emotional closeness. Stellan Skarsgård delivers one of his strongest performances, while Joachim Trier’s subtle direction and the cast’s nuanced acting create an intimate, engaging story about family, art, and the longing for love.
6. Blue Moon
Director Richard Linklater’s biographical comedy-drama follows songwriter Lorenz Hart, who, one evening in New York, faces challenges in both his career and personal life while reflecting on his past and creative process. Ethan Hawke delivers a subtle and compelling performance as Hart, and the film is marked by nostalgia, an intimate atmosphere, and a sincere exploration of the fragility and talent of the artist, as well as the relationship between art and life.
7. Sirāt
Óliver Laxe’s film follows father Luis and his son Esteban on a physical and spiritual journey across the Moroccan desert in search of their missing daughter/sister. Their journey—from a chaotic rave party to the ever-expanding desert—becomes a means of discovering hope, reconciliation, and human endurance. The film features hypnotic electronic music, striking visuals, and a symbolic reference to the Arabic word sirāt, meaning a narrow bridge between hell and paradise, reflecting the characters’ inner journey. The director told tie2.lt that the film was, in many ways, his own personal struggle with himself.
8. Bugonia
Yorgos Lanthimos’ black comedy/psychological thriller follows two conspiracy-obsessed men who kidnap Michelle, the CEO of a major pharmaceutical company, believing she is an alien planning to destroy Earth. The plot is infused with absurd humor and dark social commentary on paranoia, disinformation, and the crises of modern society, while Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons receive widespread praise for their compelling performances. Bugonia is a surprising, tense, and provocative work where the lines between reality and fantasy blur, inviting viewers to reflect on belief, “truth,” and human nature.
9. Is This Thing On?
Bradley Cooper has directed three films about the performing arts: from rock (A Star is Born) and classical music (Maestro) to the world of small-scale stand-up (Is This Thing On?). The latter is the most free-spirited, intimate, and humorous of the three. Will Arnett stars as a disillusioned finance executive, estranged from his wife (Laura Dern), who one evening accidentally ends up at a New York comedy club. Unexpectedly, he discovers that stand-up helps him openly confront his problems and reminds him that midlife can be about more than just parenthood and a 9-to-5 job. Based on the experiences of British comedian John Bishop, the film warmly and humorously explores the challenges and value of marriage.
Jafar Panahi, forced to work in secrecy due to Iranian government restrictions, critiques the regime in his latest film It Was Just an Accident while maintaining humanity, optimism, and a playful sense of humor. Vahid Mobasseri stars as Vahid, a mechanic who, during a conversation, recognizes the voice of a former prison guard—the man who tortured him when he was imprisoned as a political detainee. Determined to confront his tormentor, he faces a dilemma: blindfolded in prison, he cannot be sure if it is truly the same person. The only solution is to drive around Tehran, questioning other former prisoners. Panahi’s film won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.