Stalker (dir. Andrey Tarkovsky), 1979
Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, a place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers, and where the normal laws of physics are victim to frequent anomalies. A stalker guides two men into the Zone, specifically to an area in which deep-seated desires are granted.
Review ru
Begotten (dir. E. Elias Merhige), 1989
Begotten is the creation myth brought to life, the story of no less than the violent death of God and the (re)birth of nature on a barren earth.
review eng
Possession (dir. Andrzej Żuławski), 1981
A young woman left her family for an unspecified reason. The husband determines to find out the truth and starts following his wife. At first, he suspects that a man is involved. But gradually, he finds out more and more strange behaviors and bizarre incidents that indicate something more than a possessed love affair.
review eng
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini), 1975
Four corrupted fascist libertines round up 9 teenage boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of sadistic physical, mental and sexual torture.
review it
Mother and Son (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov), 1997
A man goes for a walk through the countryside with his dying mother.
review ru
Father and Son (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov), 2003
In this dreamlike film, a nameless father and his son, Aleksei, live together in an apartment in St. Petersburg. Aleksei’s mother has died and consequently the two have a very close relationship. When Aleksei acquires a girlfriend, she refuses to take a back seat to his bond with his dad, and breaks up with him. Aleksei is also experiencing nightmares, dreading separation from his father to be a part of the military as his father was.
review ru
The Stone (dir. Aleksandr Sokurov), 1992
A young night watchman at the Anton Chekhov museum in Yalta encounters a mysterious, weary intruder who appears to be the playwright himself, returned from the dead. Over the course of a single night, the two share a series of quiet, existential interactions within the preserved rooms of the estate.
review ru
Medea (dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini), 1969
Based on the plot of Euripides’ Medea. Medea centers on the barbarian protagonist as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened, and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason who has betrayed her for another woman.
review it
Angel's Egg (dir. Mamoru Oshii), 1985
In the ruins of a strange city, a young girl takes care of a large egg she holds carefully in her arms. She bonds with a boy who is searching for a bird he saw in a dream.
review jp
Persona (dir. Ingmar Bergman), 1966
A young nurse, Alma, is put in charge of Elisabeth Vogler: an actress who is seemingly healthy in all respects, but will not talk. As they spend time together, Alma speaks to Elisabeth constantly, never receiving any answer.
review sv
Koyaanisqatsi (dir. Godfrey Reggio), 1982
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
review eng
Tetsuo: The Iron Man (dir. Shinya Tsukamoto), 1989
A “metal fetishist”, driven mad by the maggots wriggling in the wound he’s made to embed metal into his flesh, runs out into the night and is accidentally run down by a Japanese businessman and his girlfriend. The pair dispose of the corpse in hopes of quietly moving on with their lives. However, the businessman soon finds that he is now plagued by a vicious curse that transforms his flesh into iron.
review jp
Come and See (dir. Elem Klimov), 1985
The invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family’s wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Florya finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope.
review ru
Last and First Men (dir. Jóhann Jóhannsson), 2020
As the end approaches inexorably, the last humans, living millions of years into the future, send a message to the humanity of the present that is both a plea for help and a warning, but also an epic tale of evolution, decline and hope.
review eng
Solaris (dir. Andrey Tarkovsky), 1972
A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting a planet called Solaris to investigate the death of a doctor and the mental problems of cosmonauts on the station. He soon discovers that the water on the planet is a type of brain which brings out repressed memories and obsessions.
review ru
On the Silver Globe (dir. Andrzej Żuławski), 1988
A small group of cosmic explorers, including a woman, leaves Earth to start a new civilization. They do not realize that within themselves they carry the end of their own dream. They die one by one, while their children revert to a primitive native culture, creating new myths and a new god.
review pl
Enter the Void (dir. Gaspar Noé), 2009
This psychedelic tour of life after death is seen entirely from the point of view of Oscar, a young American drug dealer and addict living in Tokyo with his prostitute sister, Linda. When Oscar is killed by police during a bust gone bad, his spirit journeys from the past – where he sees his parents before their deaths – to the present – where he witnesses his own autopsy – and then to the future, where he looks out for his sister from beyond the grave.
review eng
The Color of Pomegranates (dir. Sergei Parajanov), 1969
The life of the revered 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova. Portraying events in the life of the artist from childhood up to his death, the movie addresses in particular his relationships with women, including his muse. The production tells Sayat-Nova’s dramatic story by using both his poems and largely still camerawork, creating a work hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov.
review hy
The Wishing Tree (dir. Tengiz Abuladze), 1976
Marita arrives at a small village in Georgia to live with her aunt. She meets a poor young lad, Gedia, and falls in love with him. But her relatives are determined to marry the girl off to a local rich man…
review ge
Jacob's Ladder (dir. Adrian Lyne), 1990
After returning home from the Vietnam War, veteran Jacob Singer struggles to maintain his sanity. Plagued by hallucinations and flashbacks, Singer rapidly falls apart as the world and people around him morph and twist into disturbing images. His girlfriend, Jezzie, and ex-wife, Sarah, try to help, but to little avail. Even Singer’s chiropractor friend, Louis, fails to reach him as he descends into madness.
review eng
Martyrs (dir. Pascal Laugier), 2008
A young woman’s quest for revenge against the people who kidnapped and tortured her as a child leads her and her best friend, also a victim of child abuse, on a terrifying journey into a living hell of depravity.
review fr
The Seventh Seal (dir. Ingmar Bergman), 1957
When disillusioned Swedish knight Antonius Block returns home from the Crusades to find his country in the grips of the Black Death, he challenges Death to a chess match for his life. Tormented by the belief that God does not exist, Block sets off on a journey, meeting up with traveling players Jof and his wife, Mia, and becoming determined to evade Death long enough to commit one redemptive act while he still lives.
review sv
Ugetsu (dir. Kenji Mizoguchi), 1953
In 16th century Japan, peasants Genjuro and Tobei sell their earthenware pots to a group of soldiers in a nearby village, in defiance of a local sage’s warning against seeking to profit from warfare. Genjuro’s pursuit of both riches and the mysterious Lady Wakasa, as well as Tobei’s desire to become a samurai, run the risk of destroying both themselves and their wives, Miyagi and Ohama.
review jp
Theorem (dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini), 1968
A wealthy Italian household is turned upside down when a handsome stranger arrives, seduces every family member and then disappears. Each has an epiphany of sorts, but none can figure out who the seductive visitor was or why he came.
review it
Climax (dir. Gaspar Noé), 2018
When a dance troupe is lured to an empty school, a bowl of drug-laced sangria causes their jubilant rehearsal to descend into a dark and explosive nightmare as they try to survive the night—and find who’s responsible—before it’s too late.
review fr
Exotica (dir. Atom Egoyan), 1994
In the upscale Toronto strip club Exotica, dancer Christina is visited nightly by the obsessive Francis, a depressed tax auditor. Her ex-boyfriend, the club’s MC, Eric, still jealously pines for her even as he introduces her onstage, but Eric is having his own relationship problems with the club’s female owner. Thomas, a mysterious pet-shop owner, is about to become unexpectedly involved in their lives.
review eng
Häxan (dir. Benjamin Christensen), 1922
Grave robbing, torture, possessed nuns, and a satanic Sabbath: Benjamin Christensen’s legendary film uses a series of dramatic vignettes to explore the scientific hypothesis that the witches of the Middle Ages suffered the same hysteria as turn-of-the-century psychiatric patients. But the film itself is far from serious– instead it’s a witches’ brew of the scary, gross, and darkly humorous.
review sv
Viy (dir. Georgi Kropachyov, Konstantin Ershov), 1967
A seminary student on monastery holiday kills an old witch in a remote village. The hag then transforms into a beautiful young woman whose dying wish is for him to watch over her wake for three nights. With terrors occurring and his faith waning, he reads prayers on the overnight watch and tries to survive the supernatural encounters.
review ru
Viy (dir. Leonid Zarubin, Alla Hrachova), 1996
Three friends lived in a Ukrainian village. They were not rich, so they were happy to take up the proposed small job. They had to go to another village at a dark night. On the way, they saw a small farmhouse and a cottage, where they decided to spend the night. Thus very strange mystical events began.
review ua
A Holy Place (dir. Đorđe Kadijević), 1990
Strange love story between Toma, a reluctant theology student and Katarina, the beautiful daughter of a powerful feudal lord. After Katarina’s mysterious death, Toma is, according to her wishes, forced to read the prayers over her body for three nights in a row.
review rs
Leptirica (dir. Đorđe Kadijević), 1973
A young man wants to marry the beautiful daughter of a landowner who refuses to allow the marriage. To prove his worth, the young man becomes a miller in a vampire-infested local mill.
review rs
You Won't Be Alone (dir. Goran Stolevski), 2022
In an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, a young feral witch accidentally kills a peasant. She assumes the peasant’s shape to see what life is like in her skin, igniting a deep seated curiosity to experience life inside the bodies of others.
review mk
Alucarda (dir. Juan López Moctezuma), 1977
A young girl’s arrival at a convent after the death of her parents marks the beginning of a series of events that unleash an evil presence on the girl and her mysterious new friend, an enigmatic figure known as Alucarda. Demonic possession, Satan worship, and vampirism follows.
review eng
The Vampire Lovers (dir. Roy Ward Baker), 1970
In the heart of Styria the Karnstein Family, even after their mortal deaths, rise from their tombs spreading evil in the countryside in their lust for fresh blood. Baron Hartog whose family are all victims of Karnstein vampirism, opens their graves and drives a stake through their diabolical hearts. One grave he cannot locate is that of the legendary beautiful Mircalla Karnstein. Years of peace follow that grisly night until Mircalla reappears to avenge her family’s decimation and satisfy her desire for blood.
review eng
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (dir. Ana Lily Amirpour), 2014
In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire.
review far
Jennifer's Body (dir. Karyn Kusama), 2009
Jennifer, a gorgeous, seductive cheerleader takes evil to a whole new level after she’s possessed by a sinister demon. Now it’s up to her best friend to stop Jennifer’s reign of terror before it’s too late.
review eng
The Green Knight (dir. David Lowery), 2021
An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain, King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men.
review eng
Merlin (dir. Steve Barron), 1998
A retelling of the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of the wizard Merlin. Sam Neill stars in the title role in a story that covers not only the rise and fall of Camelot but also the phase in the legendary history of Britain that precedes it.
review eng
Excalibur (dir. John Boorman), 1981
A surreal adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” chronicling Arthur Pendragon’s conception, his rise to the throne, the search by his Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail, and ultimately, his death.
review eng
Merlin (dir. Johnny Capps, Julian Jones, Jake Michie), 2008
In a medieval kingdom where magic is punishable by death, young sorcerer Merlin, manservant to Prince Arthur and ward of the court physician, meets a dragon and finds he is apart of a great prophecy to bring about the golden age of Albion.
review eng
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (dir. Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam), 1975
King Arthur, accompanied by his squire, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way, Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as “it is a silly place”.
review eng
Monty Python's Life of Brian (dir. Terry Jones), 1979
Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he’s not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian has to contend with the pompous Pontius Pilate and acronym-obsessed members of a separatist movement. Rife with Monty Python’s signature absurdity, the tale finds Brian’s life paralleling Biblical lore, albeit with many more laughs.
review eng
A Story of the Forest: Mavka (dir. Yurii Illienko), 1980
Mavka, a water nymph, loves Lukash, a country youth. Their brief happiness ends when Lukash is forced to marry the shrewish Kilina. The Spirit of the Forest turns Lukash into a wolf as punishment for his infidelity. The strength of Mavka’s love breaks the spell, but Kilina curses the nymph, transforming her into a weeping willow. This beautiful and tragic story is based on a play written in 1912 by Lesya Ukrainka, a Ukrainian poet, writer and political, civil and female activist, and includes mythological characters taken from Ukrainian folklore.
review ua
The Forest Song (dir. Alla Hrachova), 1976
A touching story of a forest beauty Mavka who fell in love with a simple guy Lukash. She is the embodiment of nature and genuine human kindness that do not fall to small problems that could ruin their relationship with Lukash. The consumer attitude towards the environment is touched here.
review ua
Andrey Rublev (dir. Andrey Tarkovsky), 1966
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.
review ru
Mandragora (dir. Wiktor Grodecki), 1997
Marek is a 15-year-old from a provincial village who runs away to Prague when he begins to fail at school. He is mugged shortly after arriving in the city and is rescued by Honza with the promise of work. Marek is taken to an apartment, drugged, and becomes a male prostitute. He is a bit smarter than his colleagues and teams up with a friend, David, in order to go after bigger scores – to cash in and get out. They manage to stash away a bit of money, but when it comes time to return home, Marek loses his nerve and is soon back in the city.
review pl
Exhuma (dir. Jang Jae-hyun), 2024
After tracing the origin of a disturbing supernatural affliction to a wealthy family’s ancestral gravesite, a team of paranormal experts relocates the remains—and soon discovers what happens to those who dare to mess with the wrong grave.
review krn
Parasite (dir. Bong Joon Ho), 2019
All unemployed, Ki-taek’s family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
review krn
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (dir. Isao Takahata), 2013
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.
review jp
A Nagy Füzet (dir. János Szász), 2013
In a village on the Hungarian border, two young brothers grow up during war time with their cruel grandmother and must learn every trick of evil to survive in the absurd world of adults.
review hu
Lost Highway (dir. David Lynch), 1997
A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.
review eng
Blue Velvet (dir. David Lynch), 1986
The discovery of a severed human ear found in a field leads a young man on an investigation related to a beautiful, mysterious nightclub singer and a group of psychopathic criminals who have kidnapped her child.
review eng
Crash (dir. David Cronenberg), 1996
A car crash victim suddenly finds himself turned on by car accidents and becomes involved with an underground sub-culture of like-minded souls.
review eng
Dead Ringers (dir. David Cronenberg), 1988
Elliot, a successful gynecologist, works at the same practice as his identical twin, Beverly. Elliot is attracted to many of his patients and has affairs with them. When he inevitably loses interest, he will give the woman over to Beverly, the meeker of the two, without the woman knowing the difference. Beverly falls hard for one of the patients, Claire, but when she inadvertently deceives him, he slips into a state of madness.
review eng
Videodrome (dir. David Cronenberg), 1983
As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon “Videodrome,” a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
review eng
Soylent Green (dir. Richard Fleischer), 1973
In the year 2022, overcrowding, pollution, and resource depletion have reduced society’s leaders to finding food for the teeming masses. The answer is Soylent Green.
review eng
Black Rain (dir. Shōhei Imamura), 1989
Shigematsu Shizuma, who lives with his family in a village near Fukuyama, was in Hiroshima with his wife and niece just after the devastating atomic bombing, a tragedy that cruelly took the lives of thousands of people and forever marked the harsh existence of the survivors.
review jp
The Rose King (dir. Werner Schroeter), 1986
A mentally unstable woman and her son move to a sprawling mansion in Portugal to grow roses.
review de
Midori (dir. Hiroshi Harada), 1992
After losing her parents, young flower selling Midori is put up by a fairground group. She is abused and forced to slavery, until the arrival of an enigmatic magician of short stature, who gives her hope for a better future.
review jp
HyperNormalization (dir. Adam Curtis), 2016
We live in a world where the powerful deceive us. We know they lie. They know we know they lie. They do not care. We say we care, but we do nothing, and nothing ever changes. It is normal. Welcome to the post-truth world. How we got to where we are now…
review eng