The first in the Paradise thematic trilogy, Love starts the series of darkly comic tales about the human search for happiness, making bold connections between sex tourism and globalization through the lens of aging desire. The rounded lead character of contradictions is consistently fascinating.

After Love comes Faith! The Paradise thematic trilogy heads into even more dangerous territory with the twisted middle installment’s look at extreme faith, diving forward with zero inhibitions and a positively fiendish eye for unsettling satire. One of the best films of 2012, said John Waters!

Twinhood is by turns a beautiful bond and a terrifying force in this dark psychological fairy tale. With a sharp visual style, disturbing set design, and meticulous storytelling, Goodnight Mommy draws on anxieties around doubles and identical siblings to build an increasingly uncanny atmosphere.

Exploring an unseen side of Austria, provocateur Ulrich Seidl wanders into actual basements to look at the darkest desires of its inhabitants. Often hilarious and grotesque—yet somehow compassionate—this is a startling look at power dynamics, ranging from S&M to the festering seeds of fascism.

At times recalling The Wrestler in its study of chasing faded fame, Rimini is a funny, sometimes vulgar and often moving tale of people struggling towards contentment despite lifetimes of disappointment. The film is a scathing character study about how easy it can be to commodify people’s lives.