It's AFI Fest time in Los Angeles once again as Hollywood's free exhibition of the year's best cinema unspools tonight with the world premiere of J.C. Chandor's A Most Violent Year. While there are a few other world premiere sprinkled throughout the fest (mostly in the Galas program), the fest is packed with some of ScreenAnarchy's favorite films from previous festivals. We've got 10 recommendations for you to check out.
Eden
Mia Hansen-Løve's story about the early days of garage electronica in Paris is an epic tale of one man's life that sneaks up on you and leaves you feeling gut-wrenched by story's end. It's a brilliant experiment in storytelling that is sure have audiences at the Chinese theater busily discussing its merits after the screening lets out.
Read Dustin Chang's review
The Tribe
This dialog-free story of crime and prostitution in a Ukrainian school for the deaf had people buzzing from the South of France to the South of Austin. Drafthouse has scooped it up for domestic release. But don't wait. This is a movie that demands to be seen as soon as possible.
Read Ben Croll's review
It Follows
David Robert Mitchell's follow-up to The Myth of the American Sleepover is a creepy thriller that freaked out audiences at Cannes, Toronto, and Fantastic Fest. Maika Monroe's performance is just as stellar but far different than her role in this year's The Guest.
Read Jason Gorber's review
Inherent Vice
LA audiences will finally get a chance to have their say about the latest divisive film by Paul Thomas Anderson. Joachim Phoenix stars alongside Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Owen Wilson and more.
Read Dustin Chang's review
The Duke of Burgundy
Berberian Sound System director Peter Strickland has created an uncanny sense of time and place in this super stylish story of a love affair between two women. Just when and where this time and place exists is a bit less clear.
Read Kurt Halfyard's review
Blind
Norwegian Eskil Vogt is perhaps best known as the writer of Joachim Trier's Reprise and Oslo, August 31. This film about a woman losing her sight marks his directorial debut.
Read Ben Umstead's review
Wild Tales
Many have gushed about this Cannes competition-er comedy/drama/thriller directed by Damián Szifron and produced by Pedro Almodovar.
Read Jason Gorber's review
Leviathan
The latest of many films with this name, this Russian story of small town drama is directed by Elena director Andrey Zvyagintsev.
Read Kurt Halfyard's review
Thou Wast Mild and Lovely
Actor/Filmmaker Josephine Decker's rom/com/thriller stars indie stalwarts Joe Swanberg, Sophie Traub, Robert Longstreet, and Kristin Slaysman.
Happy Valley
There are not a ton of documentaries playing at this year's festival, but one of the most interesting is this Sundance-premiering examination of the Jerry Sandusky/Penn State scandal as directed by Amir Bar-Lev.