It may seem like there’s a lot of documentaries on this list, and there are. Documentaries rarely get as much attention as feature films do and because of that, they are often overlooked by the general public, especially when they deal with subjects that aren’t very popular or well known.
Take Sarah Polley’s latest film for example, Stories We Tell, a documentary about her own family and more specifically, her parents. Through interviews, home movies and more, Polley explores her family history and discovers some fascinating revelations about herself and her family members.
It’s not so much the story here though that makes this such a great documentary, it’s more the way in which it’s told and how it unravels. Our very own Ben Kenber said the following in his review, and I think he sums it up quite well:
What’s endlessly fascinating about this documentary is how everyone sees Diane in a slightly different light. The story of her life is the same, but the details differ from person to person to where you wonder who’s really telling the truth. But here it doesn’t matter who’s more truthful because no one remembers any story in the same exact way. What matters is that the stories told here are emotionally true, and Sarah keeps us enthralled throughout as she digs deeper into her mother’s history.
Stories We Tell is a unique take on the documentary genre, no doubt, and one that will surely leave most viewers floored.
[h2]4) Stoker[/h2]
Chan-wook Park may be best known for his Korean thriller Oldboy, but this year he made his English language debut with Stoker, an effective mystery/drama film that despite getting great reviews, didn’t make much of a splash and quickly slipped away.
Being a big fan of Oldboy, I was pretty excited going into this one and after the film finished, I was pretty impressed. Though the script could have used a bit of tightening up, the performances were excellent and Park’s knack for imagery and crafting dark, mysterious atmosphere was on full display in this sinister little film.
Suspicion and intrigue fill the air in Stoker, where nothing is as it seems and everyone is trying to figure out everyone else’s motives. It’s a gorgeous film to look at and one that is just dripping with tension.
Of course, there will be several comparisons made to Oldboy, which is, admittedly, a much better film. Make no mistake though, Stoker is a chilling English language debut from the talented director and one that is worth checking out.
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