Unprecedented in its long-haul production methods, this expansive drama from writer-director Richard Linklater is a coming-of-age tale like no other. Nominated for six Oscars®—including a Supporting Actress win for Patricia Arquette—this is a deeply felt ode to growing pains and parental wisdom.

This sweet, surprising true-crime film from Richard Linklater (Before Sunrise) proves part crafty black tragicomedy, part tabloid mockumentary, a lighthearted telling of the real-life story of a 1996 murder in small-town Texas. Starring Shirley MacLaine and an impressive, career-best Jack Black.

After screenwriting success with What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Peter Hedges won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for his directorial debut. Peppered with the vivacious wit of Patricia Clarkson’s deliciously mordant performance, dysfunction crackles between characters in this meaty ensemble drama.

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.