One of the benefits of actively monitoring local theater calendars is the chance of spotting those relatively obscure international films that sometimes come to town. In a midsize market like the Triangle area, we don’t often see many of the imported films they get in theaters on the coasts. So it’s good to catch them when you can.
We’ve got a few good options in May, starting with We Were Dangerous, an intriguing historical drama that made some waves in New Zealand last year. Set in 1954, the film follows three teenage friends who meet under unfortunate circumstances at the Te Motu School for Incorrigible and Delinquent Girls.
Located on a former leper colony island, the school is run with an iron fist by the Matron, who intends to transform her unruly wards into proper Christian housewives. Two of the girls are from a Māori background; the third is queer. It’s easy to see how the narrative setup serves as a microcosm for society and its systems, in that time and place.
Reviews suggest that the film is often funny and ultimately uplifting. Reform school movies have a traditional shape, and debut director Josephine Stewart-Te Whiu adds era-specific elements concerning sex, colonialism, injustice, and even eugenics. Anyway, it’s good to get international perspectives on how courageous hearts can overcome autocratic oppression. It might come in handy these days—who knows?
For a more traditional kind of arthouse experience, consider the French import When Fall Is Coming, a family drama dressed as a kind of cottagecore cozy mystery. In small-town Burgundy, a pair of retired Parisian women find their picturesque golden years disturbed by a most alarming incident.
French writer-director François Ozon is an old pro, and he’s clearly having fun here with the traditions of the bucolic melodrama. Among the autumnal comforts and knit sweaters, he introduces a few sharp objects—the son just home from prison, the possibly poisonous mushrooms, and the requisite Dark Family Secret. Ozon isn’t just playing Agatha Christie. He has genuine moral and psychological issues in play, everything pivoting off toxic filial dynamics.
Finally, just in from Portugal, the concert film Cornucopia is the latest gift to us mortals from the Icelandic musician and cosmic art-elf known as Björk. The buzz around Cornucopia is uncommonly strong, even considering that Björk has enjoyed alpha-critical-darling status for more than 30 years.
By all accounts, Cornucopia is a destination-type experience. It’s essentially the cinema transposition of the theatrical production that Björk toured around from 2019 through 2023. Recorded live from a performance in Lisbon, the show features Broadway-level choreography, costumes, art design, and collaborative spirit. Also in the mix: a flute ensemble, an Icelandic choir, several bespoke musical instruments, and something called the Soul Gown, embroidered with 97,000 Swarovski crystals.
Quick Picks
The psychological thriller Hurry Up Tomorrow stars Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) as a pop star who undergoes some kind of existential ordeal after meeting a mysterious stranger (Jenna Ortega). Very mysterious. Very hush-hush.
Cringe-comedy kingpin Tim Robinson (Detroiters) headlines the inverted rom-com Friendship, which chronicles a doomed platonic bromance between two suburban dad types. Paul Rudd is the other guy, and early reviews say this one is plenty funny, if you like Robinson’s extreme comedy techniques.
The indie documentary Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted profiles influential cult musician Jerry “Swamp Dogg” Williams. The film earned good reviews and a lot of fans at last year’s SXSW festival.
Patricia Clarkson headlines the indie drama Lilly, a character portrait wrapped around a courtroom drama. The script is based on the true story of Lilly Ledbetter, whose sex discrimination lawsuit against Goodyear Tire led to improved legal rights for American workers. Eventually.
Bring Her Back is the new film from Australian horror savants Danny and Michael Philippou, the twin brothers behind the 2022 hit Talk to Me. The great Sally Hawkins stars as a mom whose grief for her dead boy leads to some reanimating impulses.
Titled with admirable candor, the horror-comedy Clown in a Cornfield tweaks 1980s teen slasher tropes with 21st-century twists and subversions.
Tom Cruise delivers the eighth and supposedly last installment of his action spy franchise with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. Interesting casting note: Nick Offerman plays the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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