With this proletarian drama, the Dardenne brothers made one of their finest in an illustrious career filled with social-realist masterworks. Attuned to the complexities of its rich cast of characters, and led by a never-better Marion Cotillard, Two Days, One Night is as enveloping as cinema gets.

In this sumptuous masterwork from Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, the outskirts of N’Djamena shimmer with a vivacity that belies brutal prejudices. A powerful ode to the resilience of Chadian women in the face of patriarchal cruelty, this quietly radical drama has all the healing warmth of a mother’s embrace.

Injecting a dose of neo-noir into melodrama, the Dardenne brothers reinvigorate their signature moral intrigue with a daring detective film. Starring Adèle Haenel in an impressive lead performance, The Unknown Girl is never squeamish about probing French attitudes to race and immigration.