Relic, In cinemas & streaming 30th October
Comparisons with The Babadook and The Ring are likely for this Australian horror with a distinctively female perspective and an inventive use of dementia as a device. Three generations of women coexist in an isolated family home—but the house seems to have taken on the malign needs of previous inhabitants. Terrific performances from Emily Mortimer, Robyn Nevin and Bella Heathcote give the picture a chilling credibility; the claustrophobic production design sucks the very air out of the cinema.
The Painter and the Thief, In cinemas & streaming 30th October
This Sundance prize-winning documentary achieves the knotty twists and perspective shifts that make for supremely satisfying non-fiction cinema. Two paintings by Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova are stolen from an exhibition in Oslo; the thieves are caught but rather than react with anger, she invites one to pose for her. This extraordinary film explores the complex friendship that grows between Kysilkova and career criminal Karl-Bertil Nordland. It reveals two characters who, in their own ways, are equally vulnerable and damaged.
Another Round, In cinemas 20th November
Director Thomas Vinterberg reunites with star Mads Mikkelsen in this pitch-black comedy. It focuses on four men, all middle-aged teachers, who decide to test the hypothesis that life improves when they maintain an elevated blood alcohol level at all times. For a while, it works. The riotous humour and crackling physical comedy almost makes a case for a booze-fuelled reality. Then things take a darker turn. With its characteristically Danish wry realism and the superb central cast, this looks set to be an arthouse crossover hit.
