Arnaud Desplechin’s whirlwind dramedy doesn’t fully reject Christmas joy, but it does give the undersung holiday traditions of dysfunction and discomfort their time in the spotlight. Starring a formidable French cast, this festive film’s thorny exterior makes way for little glimmers of tender hope.

Mathieu Amalric and Benicio del Toro are brilliant in Arnaud Desplechin’s period piece about the serendipitous pleasures of cross-cultural friendship and the talking cure. Co-written by veteran critic Kent Jones, the chatty characters of this offbeat film tickle both the funny bone and the heart.

A puzzlebox neo-noir, this erotic thriller from Mathieu Amalric is one where the French actor’s filmmaking is every bit as enthralling as his performance. We hand you the keys to The Blue Room, a spiral of passion, secrets & murder brilliantly adapted to the screen from Simenon’s eponymous novel.