Sam and Jonathan, a pair of hapless novelty salesmen, take us on a kaleidoscopic tour of the human condition, unfolding in absurdist episodes: a sing-along at a 1940s beer hall, a randy flamenco teacher, a thirsty King Charles XII of Sweden en route to battle, and more slices of reality and fantasy.

Roy Andersson, one of today’s most unique auteurs, reached new heights of absurdity with this deadpan, dark tragicomedy, a Golden Lion winner at the Venice Film Festival! Told in moving tableaux, Andersson’s hilariously existential scenes throb with a strange—and strangely satisfying—desperation.