With his trademark mix of tenderness and unexpected comedy, Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters) explores the meaning of love and relationships in this quirky story of an “air doll” that comes to life. The loneliness of life in the city is perfectly captured with a melancholy beauty.

Upending cop-thriller tropes with deadpan wit, Takeshi Kitano’s directorial debut is acutely alive to how violence makes itself manifest. By turns incendiary and disconcertingly tranquil, this electrifying film explores how quickly society can become numb to everyday brutality.