“The Boy and the Heron”
Hayao Miyazaki’s newest film asks how we can reconcile with the world’s hurt and be sure that it’s worth living in. The never-ending man is at his most abstract, manifesting this uncertainty through a boy’s journey in a mystical world following the loss of his mother. Whether it’s encounters with omnipotent powers, scuffles with humanoid birds or watching the night sky with an acquaintance, this hero’s journey is tapped into to unearth the wonder and beauty in the smallest or largest of happenings. “The Boy and the Heron” finds Miyazaki musing over some of the greatest questions he’s ever posed and seeking answers with familiar, unwavering grace and compassion.
“Past Lives”
In her directorial debut, Celine Song confronts the perpetuity of longing in a story about a lost and found connection. At the center is a woman anchored between the different cultures, continents and histories of two men. The film’s trio of characters are all outwardly modest with much left unsaid and, still, it’s the powerful feeling of ache that prevails through glances and gestures that defines “Past Lives.”
“May December”
“May December” concerns a wife who groomed her now-husband when she was 36 and he was 13, and their relationship is now periled by an actress studying the wife for a role. Where confidences are slowly coaxed out in the script, the unassuming suburban setting acts as a blunt reminder of the vice residing in plain sight. And with the entwining of the actress’ extreme fidelity to her performance, the film holds a mirror to two acts of exploitation.
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
Evil runs rampant in Oklahoma’s sprawling prairies and towns – from its residents, authorities and doctors. Martin Scorsese’s crime saga chronicles how white off-comers’ greed and complacency materialized into heinous acts against the Osage Native Americans. The film’s expansive runtime allows it to liberally detail the progression of corruption, from the top seeping downward until it’s become endemic.
“Monster”
Although “Monster” may not be narratively bulletproof due to its share of conveniences, it prevails with humanism coursing through its tenderhearted triptych. Across three parts, each concerning one perspective of a boy’s strange behavior, our preconceptions and search for the truth are challenged. Beneath this puzzle box construction, “Monster” uses its soft power as a call for understanding within adults and between the children in their lives. It also boasts the year’s best ensemble.
“Oppenheimer”
“How can this man who saw so much be so blind?” is one of many contradictions posed in “Oppenheimer” about its subject, whose creation of devastating power resulted in his torment and ushered in the nuclear age. Christopher Nolan charts, intercuts and intensifies Oppenheimer’s role in the Manhattan Project and his turbulent fallout with a relentless gait and dedication to spectacle. The result is exhaustive and effectively distressing.
“All of Us Strangers”
After Adam meets with specters of his past, he must set on a path to exorcise his grief and live in the present where Harry, a potential lover, waits for him. One of the most affecting films on this list, “All of Us Strangers” grapples with one of life’s only guarantees: death. Adam’s struggle to come to terms with the emotional vacancy that was once occupied by loved ones is equal parts fantastical, sentimental and disquieting.
“Pacifiction”
Weaponizing its molasses-slow pacing and incredible performer, Beoît Magimel, “Pacifiction” puts a lens on the workings of modern-day imperialism in Tahiti, one of many French Polynesian islands affected by France’s nuclear testing dating back to the 1960s. The film’s counterintuitive approach of fixating on exotic leisure and activities elicits frustration due to the inaction and apathy in light of the looming threat of what might or might not be inevitable.
“Fallen Leaves”
Dryly penned and dictated, Ali Kaurismäki’s bittersweet romance is set against its lovers’ uneventful lives where the days are spent doing blue-collared stints and the nights at bars, sometimes drinking until blacking out. The characters are not particularly optimistic about the state of the world, but find small moments of comfort and meaning through the company of one another.
Honorable Mentions: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Joyland” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”
