LA Film Fest 2014: ScreenAnarchy Picks 15 Can't Miss Films

Cut Bank

This small-town-America thriller from TV veteran director Matt Shakman sports an all-star cast that includes Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, Billy Bob Thornton, John Malkovich, Bruce Dern, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Oliver Platt. On top of that it's produced by Ed Zwick. -Ryland Aldrich

Han Gong-ju

Lee Su-jin's drama about a Korean girl forced to confront her past when she's transferred to a new high school was called "a deeply unsettling experience that frequently had me in tears" by Pierce Conran in his rave review. Don't miss your chance to see this one. -Ryland Aldrich

The Young Kieslowski

Ah, young love. That magical night where you finally consummate your physical and emotional adolescent yearnings... and then find out that the object of your affections is pregnant. With twins. During a phase where she's deep into Christianity. Uh oh. Kerem Sanga directs this dramedy of errors, which stars Ryan Malgarini and Haley Lu Richardson. -Brian Clark

The Last Time You Had Fun

We've had the 20-something crisis film (Tiny Furniture), and there's the 40-something crisis movie (This is 40 - aptly titled), but for a 30-something exploratory expedition (but not too deep), The Last Time You Had Fun should just about do it - despite it's terrible title. And if for nothing else, Eliza Coupe is in a lead role - so that's something. -Valentina I. Valentini

Evolution of a Criminal

Darius Clark Monroe's autobiographical documentary about his own life of crime was a big hit when it premiered at SXSW. -Ryland Aldrich

Uncertain Terms

I'm a big fan of Brooklyn-based filmmaker Nathan Silver's Cassavetes-esque looks at nontraditional families, so his latest about a home for expecting teenage mothers should be a highlight of the fest. -Ben Umstead

Inner Demons

Seth Grossman's latest genre feature is this possession story about a girl whose Christian mother tasks a reality TV crew with following her to make sure she stays off heroin. But what the mother doesn't know is that the girl is taking heroin to deal with a slightly more serious problem. -Ryland Aldrich

Echo Park

A woman from Beverly Hills and a man from London meet in the middle (well, close) and fall in love in Amanda Marsalis's feature debut.-Ryland Aldrich

Harmontown

Community creator and self-destructive genius Dan Harmon takes his popular podcast on the road. I am assuming some majorly whacked hijinks ensue, with a side of heartwarming/breaking. -Ben Umstead

Supremacy

Intense, racially charged dramas are hard to do. You're essentially setting yourself up to be compared to American History X, and that's probably not a smart move. But still, these stories are interesting and important to be told - white supremacists very much exist in our lives, not far off from our own little bubbles. The real-life counterpart to Joe Anderson's lead role in the film is set for the death penalty this month. -Valentina I. Valentini

The Well

You're Next and The Guest production designer Tom Hammock makes his directorial debut in this hotly anticipated "The Beyond" title about a post-apocalyptic farm and its dire lack of water. -Ryland Aldrich

Starred Up

Coming off of excellent buzz at Toronto and Tribeca, Dave Mackenzie's prison drama looks to be a sure-fire safe bet at this year's fest. -Ben Umstead