The Chandor chokehold
When cornered, J.C. Chandor's alpha men don't grow wild with rage. They turn inward.
Noir as night
Dan Gilroy's "Nighcrawler" offers up an credibly amoral character, but it's ugliness that wins out.
Growing up boys
Having three brothers gives a movie like Richard Licklater's "Boyhood" an added dimension.
Snake and tail, repeat
"Predestination," the Spierig Brothers' adaptation of a Heinlein story, is a work of talismanic power.
Mr. Nolan, we have a problem
Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" brims with self-awe but never decides what it's about.
Shun Li and the Poet
Andrea Segre's debut feature is a meditation on the complications of immigration.
Lies and grit
"Shattered Glass" gets to the underbelly of journalism, while "The Hill" is the underbelly of life itself.
Robin Williams
The alien within us has limits, at least when hundreds of personalities vie for attention.
Satanic majesty
The 1970 music documentary "Gimme Shelter" almost inadvertently captured rock's sudden souring.
Nowhere to hide
Bergman's 1968 "Shame" made it clear there was no civilian shelter from war's storm.
With and without breaks
Victor Nuñez and Harmony Korine took very different directions in dealing with Florida girls.