Three lovers spin in a vortex of pent-up desire and resentment in Ira Sachs’ fresh, honest and acerbically funny take on messy, modern relationships. Just like its dynamic leads—Franz Rogowski, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Ben Whishaw—this refreshingly fluid relationship drama simply oozes sex appeal.

A thrillingly audacious takedown of casual misogyny, Monia Chokri’s pastel-hued and retro-styled sophomore feature also takes some pot shots at the cult of modern motherhood. Shot on 35mm, Babysitter is a bold and bitingly funny statement from the Québécois director and star of Xavier Dolan’s films.

Set in the dying days of the 19th-century, this crepuscular masterwork from Bertrand Bonello explores the transactional margins of sexuality. With a stellar ensemble that includes Adèle Haenel, House of Tolerance occupies a hermetic netherworld caught between a haunted past and an uncertain future.