An eco-thriller made by delicate and observant director Kelly Reichardt may have been a too unusual mix of genre and sensibility upon the film’s release. In retrospect, this haunting character study forgoes genre twists for simmering tension—emboldened by its astonishing cast led by Jesse Eisenberg.

A beautifully modulated turn from Alia Shawkat complicates the broader fun of this zany war satire, costarring Callum Turner. A playfully shot debut feature, Atropia lands its different strands skillfully: touching human drama, tangly undercover romance, and confrontational send-up of US militarism.

Powered by an avid love for Blaze Foley, a forgotten yet hugely influential country music legend, Ethan Hawke’s golden-hued biopic breaks all the rules. Featuring a stellar cast including Alia Shawkat, this heartfelt ode to a star that burned too brightly basks in the poetry of artistic expression.