You won’t believe that a documentary centering entirely on a masked man with a notepad in a motel room can be so compelling—and harrowing—as Rosi gives us a shocking exposé on the inner workings of drug cartels in Mexico.
Despite not having a strong central focus and being rather all over the place—quite literally so as it covers volcanoes around the world—Herzog’s documentary remains eye-opening and culturally illuminating as it explores the myths and cults surrounding these fiery beasts of nature.
An underrated and fatalistic crime drama led by the Scarface De Palma-Pacino combo, with Sean Penn giving a superlative supporting performance.
Zhao’s naturalistic debut feature, shot largely at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, is part ethnographic, part poetic take on the communities living on the land.
As per tradition, here are my predictions for the Oscars 2021!
WW: Will Win
DH: Dark Horse
Prediction Results: 17/23 (20/23 with dark horses)
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Wong Kar-Wai became one of contemporary Chinese cinema’s most distinctive auteurs with this dreamy-romantic if fatalistic evocation of 1960s alienation and forlornness.
The Safdies’ feature debut might not be a substantial piece of work but it is an uncut gem—rough and raw, yet possessing the heart of a passionate storyteller with a 16mm camera.
A terrific low-budget atmospheric horror film from the ‘60s that is genuinely frightening, backed by a disquieting organ score.
The story of a radicalised young boy who desires to kill his schoolteacher is rendered with subtle but powerful strokes, making this one of the Dardennes’ most relevant films.
Wes Anderson’s quirky set-in-Japan dogs’ tale is breathtaking in its stop-motion animation detail, while accruing a rhythmic sense of movement and storytelling momentum from start to end.
Eternality Tan 