Ivan Nagar curates a personal must-watch list.

Time and time again, people have asked me for Bollywood recommendations. This is not a simple task – a lot of great Bollywood films are so contextual that chunks are lost in cultural translation. This listicle will take that into account, and I will go over some films that provide a good entry point into Bollywood for non-Hindi speakers. This is in no way a ranking of the movies, but just a list of film recommendations, as varied as possible with regards to genres, topics and how old the films are.

1. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)

In many ways, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is the perfect first Bollywood film to watch for any non-Hindi speaker as it offers a unique balance of Indian and European sensibilities unseen in many mainstream productions. Following three friends on a road trip across Spain, it is a simple road movie on the surface with a beautiful philosophical core that deepens one’s understanding with every re-watch. The film is accompanied with excellent music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy and lyrics & poems by Javed Akhtar, staple features of not just Bollywood, but Indian culture going back thousands of years.

2. Awara (1951)

Raj Kapoor is one of the greatest Indian filmmakers of all time, leaving behind arguably the biggest and most popular legacy. Awara is Kapoor’s magnum opus. A film that fantastically pays homage to Kapoor’s biggest influences – Orson Welles and the German expressionist movement (involving works such as from F. W. Murnau and Fritz Lang) – the cinematography and production design are a sight to behold, involving perhaps the most exceptional (and earliest) dream song sequences in Bollywood history. Awara‘s beloved soundtrack by legendary composers Shankar and Jaikishen with lyrics by the greatest poet of Indian cinema Shailendra, is still sung by millions of Indians, and is Indian cinema’s biggest and most successful export during the Soviet era. Even today after half a century, I often run into Eastern Europeans who knew the songs by heart and are big fans of Kapoor. Auteurs like Raj Kapoor are immortalised by their iconic cinema, and there is not a better example of it than Awara.

3. Do Bigha Zameen (1953)

London. Late 1940’s. Two relatively unknown filmmakers from India watched Vittorio De Sica’s humanistic masterpiece The Bicycle Thieves and are influenced to bring neo-realism to Indian cinema. One of them was Satyajit Ray, who went on to make his internationally renowned Pather Panchali, while the other was the equally talented but unfortunately overlooked Bimal Roy. Though both Pather Panchali and Roy’s Do Bigha Zameen are highly influenced by The Bicycle Thieves, they differ with regards to directors’ choice in cast. Roy chose to go for a known cast because of commercial reasons, while Ray stayed true to the neo-realistic roots and worked with non-professional actors. This is not to say the performances in Do Bigha Zameen aren’t realistic or grounded in humanity – in fact Balraj Sahni’s lead performance cannot be praised enough and would undoubtedly be counted amongst the few greatest Indian performances of all time. Do Bigha Zameen is a powerful human tragedy, immensely moving and has several heart-shatteringly beautiful scenes. It went on to become the first Indian film to get nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film and for good reason, as rarely does one come across Hindi cinema as beautiful and timeless as this.

4. Udaan (2010)

A brilliant display of where small budgeted indie filmmaking is headed in India, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan is a debut any filmmaker would be proud of. A film that boldly announced the arrival of one of present day’s most original and consistently good Indian directors, Udaan is a coming of age film set in modern small town India and is a depiction that is refreshingly honest and sometimes brutally so. The film features brilliant music by one of the most exciting composers working in Bollywood today, Amit Trivedi, and equally brilliant lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya.

5. Dangal (2016)

From low-budget indies, we jump straight to the highest-grossing Indian film in history, and behold the most commercially successful Indian actor of all time, Aamir Khan. Western audiences might know him from his 2001 Oscar nominated epic Lagaan, but Khan’s fame in East Asia has grown rapidly over the years, so much so that his films earn up to 10 times more in countries like China than they do in India. Dangal is a film with a social message that also packs a hefty dose of mainstream Bollywood entertainment, and Khan’s performance in particular is unbelievable, managing to astonish Indian audiences (and now Chinese audiences as well) every year with his chameleonic abilities as an actor.

6. Pyaasa (1957)

Raj Kapoor wasn’t the only Indian auteur to be influenced by Orson Welles. Another disciple of Welles was Guru Dutt, a director who possessed the ability to paint beautiful visual poetry on the canvas of cinema. Whether it’s blocking, framing or lighting, they all pay homage to Welles’ Citizen Kane. Pyaasa is Dutt’s most renowned masterpiece and one that has aged incredibly well, with it’s sociopolitical themes ringing as true today as they did back in the late 1950s, when India was in it’s constitutional adolescence. The soundtrack of Pyaasa is perhaps the greatest ever composed in Bollywood, pairing the legendary composer S.D. Burman with renowned poet and lyricist Sahir. Sahir’s piercingly observant lyrics managed to garner praise from then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who was ironically criticised in them. Over the years, polls in several publications such as TIME Magazine and Sight and Sound have counted it amongst the best films of all time, so even though Guru Dutt may not have enjoyed much commercial success post-Pyaasa, his influence on Indian cinema will live on forever.

7. Kabhi Kabhie (1976)

No Bollywood listicle would be complete without a romantic film and no one in the history of Indian cinema mastered romance on screen like Yash Chopra. If one were to list the 10 most popular romantic Hindi films of all time, at least half would be credited to Yash Chopra – it comes as a surprise to learn he also managed to direct iconic non-romantic films like Deewar and Trishul in his career. Kabhi Kabhie came out at the peak of Chopra’s career, a time where he directed an amazing film almost every year and was operating at the top of his game. The music, direction and dialogues in particular are highlights of not just Kabhi Kabhie but Yash Chopra’s filmography. The film’s romantic core finds strength in the immortal songs penned by Sahir and a charming cast led by the talented Rakhee and the demigod of Hindi cinema, Amitabh Bachchan.

Since this is the only film on the list featuring Bachchan, I believe it’s fair to mention his iconic status in Indian pop culture. This is a man who has been leading films for over 50 years and remains one of 2-3 most popular Indians alive. For the last 32 years, fans of Bachchan swarmed his residence every Sunday just to see him come out and wave hello to them – such is the stardom of Amitabh Bachchan.

8. Lagaan (2001)

Lagaan probably has the most international exposure on this list, as it was famously the first Indian film in almost 50 years to be nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars and garnered universal critical acclaim along with tremendous commercial success. Lagaan is a full blown Bollywood epic, one that Roger Ebert deemed ‘enormously entertaining’. I am in complete agreement with the claim: it manages to take all the usual ingredients of a mainstream Bollywood film and refines them to a degree of near perfection. A story set in colonial India about farmers being exploited by the British and how they settle matters by facing off on the cricket pitch, it almost sounds like an Indian fantasy. But Lagaan takes it’s unbelievable premise and grounds it with terrific performances (especially by Aamir Khan, who already has 2 films on this list), phenomenal music and a heartfelt story of the harsh colonial era in India.

9. Masaan (2015)

Masaan in many ways is the face of modern avant-garde Hindi cinema, and after premiering at Cannes in 2015 it went on to garner praise from all over. Unfortunately, as is the case with many great films, Masaan underperformed commercially. The script by first time screenwriter Varun Grover is superb and only second to the remarkable performances from the whole cast (in particular Vicky Kaushal). A story about individuals trying to escape the decay of small town urban India, it takes on heavyweight subjects such as the caste system, class divide, misogyny in society, and weaves them into one intertwining cathartic tale.

10. Sujata (1959)

Masaan wasn’t the first beautiful film taking on the caste system in India – Bimal Roy did it back in 1959 with Sujata. A tale of a lower caste orphan girl (Nutan) who is raised by an upper caste family and always made to feel the burden she bears by birth, Sujata is a tender but powerful takedown of the evils of the cast divide in India. It puts a mirror in front of the Indian audience and forces them to take note of their hypocritical and oppressive ways. Just like it’s predecessor on the list, Sujata too premiered at the Cannes Film Festival back in 1960, and even though it tackles subjects specific to India, I believe its emotional appeal remains universally accessible. Sujata‘s soundtrack by again, S.D. Burman, gave India one of the most popular lullabies of all time with its beautiful lyrics penned by Majrooh Sultanpuri.

11. Queen (2014)

Queen is the quintessential modern Indian feminist film, one that dismantles patriarchy in a way that is inoffensive enough for Indian audiences. Writer-director Vikas Bahl, like many influential Indian directors before him, understood that the best way to address the harshest of problems in society is through the humour that makes people look within once they stop laughing. Bahl was aided in his venture by Kangana Ranaut’s terrific lead performance, who along with actresses like Vidya Balan has brought a new wave of female-centric cinema to the mainstream of Bollywood. Queen doesn’t give us a ready-made strong female character. On the contrary, Ranaut convincingly depicts a plausible character arc of the titular working-class girl from Delhi, who finds herself in an unfortunate and unlikely situation but refuses to let life keep her down and embarks on a journey that is as much fun for the viewers as it is for her.

12. Salaam Bombay (1988)

The mention of Queen has provided us with an unintentional segue for this next entry, Salaam Bombay, which was the explosive debut of renegade filmmaker Mira Nair who has since become one of India’s biggest female directors. One could argue that Salaam Bombay isn’t a conventional ‘Bollywood’ film, in that it is not a part of the mainstream by any stretch of the imagination, but if so, could we say the same about the cinema of Guru Dutt and Hrishikesh Mukherjee? And if not, then what is it that separates the two? Mira Nair presents a stark realistic picture of the slums of Mumbai, a no holds-barred story about the grim realities of the city that the world usually associates with the glamour of the Hindi film industry.

13. Taare Zameen Par (2007)

With 2007’s Taare Zaamen Par, Aamir Khan proved that his talents not only lie in front of the camera but behind it as well. Khan has been notorious throughout his career for being extremely intrusive with the directors of his films, and all that backseat driving experience proved useful in his directorial debut, an unusually sure-footed and flawless first film for any director. Aamir Khan is a famously socially conscious artist, whether it’s hosting a TV show focused on social problems in India or constantly being involved with films that have strong sociopolitical statements to make. Taare Zameen Par is no exception. The film centres around a dyslexic child whose learning difficulty goes undiagnosed and is constantly labelled as ‘lazy’ and insincere, especially problematic in a country like India where parents often put a lot of pressure on their children to perform well academically. The film was immensely successful upon release, proving that Aamir had once again struck a chord within Indian audiences.

14. Mughal-e-Azam (1960)

In 2004, legendary film director Yash Chopra (of previously mentioned Kabhi Kabhie) made a film after 7 years. The hype for Chopra’s Veer-Zara was immense, bringing together top movie stars and a post-humous film score by exemplary music composer Madan Mohan. The same Friday as Veer-Zara, Mughal-e-Azam (English trans. The Great Mughals) was re-released in a fully restored colour version. What was amazing is that a film that was 44 years old at the time managed to give a tentpole release as stiff a competition at the box office as it did.

The production of Mughal-e-Azam is the stuff of legends, beginning in the 1940s with principal photography taking place only in the early 50s after a long period of pre-production disrupted by the India-Pakistan partition riots. The film’s financier also ended up relocating to Pakistan, which left Asif without any backer. When he finally managed to get the funds together, his old cast which consisted of heavy weights like actress Nargis had moved on to other projects, and Asif had to re-cast all the main players. Dilip Kumar was cast for the lead role, an actor widely considered the greatest to have ever graced Indian screens alongside stars like Madhubala and Prithviraj Kapoor. The film was shot in 3 languages so the filmmakers would shoot everything thrice, and on top of this as many as 14 cameras were used for some sequences, all of this contributing to sky high production costs. Principal photography took so long that during that time colour technology had arrived in India, and unable to restart the film from scratch but still wanting to shoot in colour, Asif shot a famous dance and song sequence in colour with the rest of the film in black and white. When Mughal-e-Azam finally hit cinemas in 1960, it had been 16 years in the making.

But the people were finally able to see Asif’s magnum opus, a story of an Indian prince rebelling against the Emperor Akbar for the courtesan he fell in love with. The film became so popular that most people to this day believe that the courtesan suffered the same fate in real life as she did in the film (Spoiler: She gets entombed alive). Mughal-e-Azam is not only the greatest epic ever to be made in India, but it is also a film with an unbelievably troubled production which is as fascinating as the film itself. Asif seemed to have been cursed with grand projects that went through unbelievable turbulence before completion – he went on to make only one more film and suffered an untimely death before it’s completion. At least we will always have Mughal-e-Azam to remember him by.

15. Dil Chahta Hai (2001)

Last but definitely not the least, we have Farhan Akhtar’s seminal Dil Chahta Hai. Arguably the strongest directorial debut in Hindi cinema, Dil Chahta Hai revolutionised Indian filmmaking in numerous ways, whether it was the gust of urban freshness it brought with it, or introducing basic concepts like a call sheet which was surprisingly not a thing in Bollywood until then. It is a coming of age story of 3 friends, Akash, Sid and Sameer, and includes all the main elements one expects from a Bollywood film, but in a way that appealed to urban elitists who looked down on Hindi movies in favour of Hollywood. For many people, Dil Chahta Hai was the first time they felt that a Bollywood movie could be relatable, cool and at the same time true to its mainstream roots.

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This list was denser than I initially expected, but I sincerely hope it will make you seek out some good Hindi movies and discover a cinema that I believe is misrepresented or in many cases, caricatured, in the minds of Western audiences.

It’s a cold world out there. Your heating may not be working and your toes might be about to fall off… but allow us here at FilmSoc to entice you with an eclectic list of icy films this London snowfall has brought to mind.

(Group post)

1. Amarcord (1973)

Let’s start this right. In 1930’s Fascist Italy. Oh, El Duce, I remember, a m’arcord. This film is one of Fellini’s finest and most beautiful. It is entertaining and captivating while boasting some strong resonant moments. The coming of Spring. The first snow of Winter. The film is ripe and fresh and sucks you into its changing seasonal climate through the lens of some classic Fellini characters. The young boy, the buxom town tart. A master filmmaker.

2. Ice Age 1, 2 and 3 (2002, 2006, 2009)

But of course! The polar ice sheets are expanding, growing even! The Earth’s surface is slowly coating itself in a supreme, clean, cocaine white. You’re in bed, wondering whether to leave or stay. Protect your shelter or migrate to a warmer habitat where you’ll last this icy cold winter. If only you had a rag-tag team of lovable extinct animals to keep you company and inevitably leave you to be with their own kind. Ice Age is a tale of togetherness and determination. Something you show your kids to teach them morals.

3. Fargo (1996)

We’re almost glad that it’s sub-Arctic levels outside because it gives us a reason to put Fargo on this list! Am I watching a static screen or am I watching the Coen brothers’ cult-classic? Who knows. Fargo is a black-coffee-on-a-snowy-morning comedy. It’s violently bonkers and darkly funny. The film boasts some seriously snowy visuals, so you won’t be disappointed. Even if it had no snowy visuals, you won’t be disappointed.

4. The Shining (1980)

If you’re in the mood for a beautiful psychological horror (terror) you know you should watch because you’re tired of nodding when people bring it up, Kubrick’s masterpiece will leave you exacerbated.

5. Dead Poet’s Society (1989)

A beautiful, heartfelt schoolboy drama, a tribute to the creative spirit and working against the established order, it also features a very young boyish Ethan Hawke bawling his eyes out in the snow in one of the few instances of realistic film ‘crying’, which is alone worth the price of admission.

6. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Where do you go when you’ve just blown up a Death Star? A freezer, apparently. Shiver along with Luke and Han on the ice planet of Hoth while enjoying the best Star Wars film since, well, the first one.

7. Frozen (2013)

Just two sisters, two princesses, Elsa and Anna. One sister has cryokinetic powers capable of manipulating water into ice. The other sister is Rapunzel. Oh wait…that’s Tangled. Anyone else make that mistake? Anyway, it’s topical! Watch with your freakish doll-looking friends.

8. Snowpiercer (2013)

An attempt to turn back the clock on global warming backfires extraordinarily – the world is frozen, all life extinguished. All life but the passengers on the Snowpiercer, a state-of-the-art train set on an endless course, circumventing the world again and again. But all is not well on this locomotive, with the rich living it up at the front and the poor languishing at the back. Chris Evans has had enough, and what better way to warm him up than a bit of cold-blooded class warfare. The snow will turn red.

9. Ikiru (1952)

Possibly the most underseen of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpieces, featuring at its centre the story of Takashi Shimura’s Kanji Watanabe, a meek, mundane, depressed government bureaucrat is diagnosed with cancer and blindly pursues some will and meaning to his existence. A touch too bleak for casual viewing, one might think, but the film’s most iconic scene of Shimura in the snow on a swing, completely earns this tough viewing experience.

10. Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001)

Surprisingly enough, the Arctic is not the place to look for beaches and pina coladas. The first film ever made entirely in Inuktitut adapts the Inuit legend of Atanarjuat who, as the title suggests, must run – through miles upon miles of gorgeously-shot snow and ice.

11. Scott Pilgrim vs The World (2010)

Who else thinks that Michael Cera managed to carve out a space for himself and his awkward teen-cum-man vibe? It wasn’t a type before he made it one. Anyway, Scott Pilgrim (Cera) must battle 7 deadly ex-boyfriends to win the heart of his pink haired manic-pixie-dream-girl, Ramona Flowers. Videogame themes and graphics feature. Heavily.

12. Citizen Kane (1952)

‘Rosebud’ mutters an old and decrepit Charles Foster Kane before taking his last breath. What could it mean? We are supposed to be wondering. The film takes us back and shows us Kane’s rise and fall. From an innocent young boy ripped away from his mother to an idealistic wide-eyed yuppie to a business mogul churning out salacious news for a hungry audience to an old recluse. Kane builds a palace, Xanadu, to live in and segregates himself from the world that destroyed his innocence. A classic film that everybody should watch. At the very least, to say you’ve seen it.

13. McCabe and Mrs Miller (1972)

Like many a revisionist Western, McCabe and Mrs Miller swaps out the sunbeaten deserts of the classic cowboy flick for the frozen wastes of Washington State. In an effort to warm the frigid denizens of McCabe’s new locale he sets up a brothel, and what follows is a stirring examination of masculinity and its ice-like fragility. Especially impressive is Zsigmond’s hazy photography, emphasising both the cosy warmth indoors and the sharp frost beyond. But besting even this is Warren Beatty’s enormous coat. Doubling his width, it probably encompasses the hide of an entire bear, and looks as cumbersome as that sounds. But boy does it look warm.

14. Transsiberian (2008)

Take me back to the Winter of 2009, watching this icy thriller with my mother in our living room. An American couple composed of sharp, cold Emily Mortimer and dad-esque Woody Harrelson take the Transsiberian train from China to Russia. They befriend another couple on the train, your typical freaky druggy shady Europeans. Funny how snow can make everything seem sinister, like being trapped on a train with a very psychologically damaged duo. Tensions are high and they stay high and cold like the taught strings of a frozen guitar, ready to crack and snap. An hour and a half later, I emerged, a hardened eleven-year old girl.

15. Napoleon (1972)

16. Edward Scissorhands (1990)

You’ve seen this one! Have you not? Have you at least seen those stills of Johnny Depp with the crazy black hair and the huge metal nail clippers where his hands should be? Directed by Tim Burton (duh), Edward Scissorhands is a darkly Romantic Gothic film. It’s the Frankenstein of the 90’s set in snow-covered American suburbia. It’s every girl’s teen dream. Did anyone else grow up fantasising about Johny Depp stroking your soft warm face with his cold sharp metallic hands, the same hands that you know will never touch you anywhere else? Sign me up for a tetanus shot!

17. Dumb and Dumber (1994)

A film so dumb it’s kind of great. It also imparts some valid lessons for our current weather: avoid Harry’s mistakes and don’t get your tongue stuck licking any icy metal poles (I know it’s a big ask). Also… A Christmas Story, anyone?

18. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

I know, I know, of all things, here’s a film about “global warming”. Clearly a lie fed to us by the government to make us conscious of our impact on this “Earth”. Surely if this “global warming” were real I’d be letting my scantily clad thighs melt into the hot felt seats of the tube by now? Anyway, Dennis Quaid plays a palaeoclimatologist (?) who just might be the one to save the world from this “global warming” induced catastrophic melting of the polar ice caps and subsequent flooding of the earth’s entire surface. The film is kind of terrifying, perhaps because it could actually happen. Meanwhile, Jack’s son, Sam, played by Jake Gyllenhaal is an anxious and adorable teen on his way to complete an academic decathlon as gigantic storm hits New York City.

19. The Hateful Eight (2015)

A blizzard roars over rural Wyoming. Seeking refuge from the cold, a wide variety of characters find themselves in a remote haberdashery, with four wooden walls and a door that won’t stay shut between them and the elements. But maybe some company is worse than a minor case of frostbite. Though it isn’t the witty dialogue or escalating drama that that comes to mind when thinking of this film. No, it’s the image of a man walking through the tundra, completely naked. Now that’s frosty.

20. The Gold Rush (1925)

Despite being over 90 years old, The Gold Rush remains intimately relatable. A snowstorm is raging outside, a fierce wind howling in its wake. You’re locked tight in your room – you don’t have a boiler, but you’re making do. You’re about ready to wait out the storm. But then you realize your fatal mistake. The cupboards are bare, the stocks exhausted. There’s no going outside, but your roommate’s hungry eyes are starting to take an unsettling interest in you. There’s only one solution; it’s shoes for dinner.

21. The Thing

Heralded by critics as “instant junk”, “a wretched excess”, and a “barf-bag movie,” The Thing is the perfect movie to watch during this god-forsaken barrage of snow. The movie follows a group of researchers in Antarctica (snow!) as they encounter an evil alien parasite they cleverly call “Thing.” The team eventually succumb to paranoia as they realise any one of them could be the Thing and that trusting people never works out. Rob Bottin, who designed the creature and largely handled special effects, was hospitalised for exhaustion, double pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer because of his production workload, only to be torn apart by critics and gain nothing from the experience. The Thing is one of the most disgusting movies you’ll ever see – happy watching!

22. Gangs of New York

If you’re one of those chics who’s screensaver is a doll-faced Leonardo DiCaprio, this is the film for you. Also if you’re a fan of seasoned director, Martin Scorsese, this film is also for you. Set in 19th Century Manhattan in the slum neighbourhood of ‘Five Points’, Leo plays a sexy badboy named Amsterdam newly returned to his childhood hometown with a score to settle. He will avenge his father’s death by killing Bill, the Butcher (Daniel day Lewis) in an gang war. Leo has an Irish “accent” and in one scene he wears his hair in a low Samurai-style bun. I’m into it. Watch out for snowy scenes in a New York setting you’ve never seen before.

23. Willow (1988)

Doesn’t the snow chase scene from this fantasy classic just make you want to hop onto a sled? In this weather, it’s also easy to spiritually identify with Val-Kilmer-As-A-Snowball.

24. SLC Punk! (1998)

Sean’s bad acid trip makes for great comedy. Snow features for a brief but iconic moment in this American cult film as he sits under-dressed and intoxicated on his front lawn.

25. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

So much snowiness in this childhood gem! From Lucy’s first magical forray through the wardrobe into the realm of Narnia, to the evil iciness of Tilda Swinton’s Snow Queen, our current weather phenomenon is showcased in all its forms.

Stay warm!

(Featured image: still from Phantom Thread)

2018 boasts an impressive lineup of films, ranging from superhero epics to buzzed-about indies. We compiled a list of films worth watching below, ranging widely and with something for everyone. This list includes UK release dates. 

Phantom Thread (UK release 2 February 2018)

Three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis stars in his final film as Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned couturier who begins a relationship with a young waitress named Alma. Directed by the actor’s longtime collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood, The Master), this sensual feature explores the dark underbelly of dependent relationships, gender roles, and control. Garnering early critical acclaim, specifically for Day-Lewis’ performance, the film is sure to be a proper sendoff for the legendary actor.

Wildlife (Sundance premiere 20 January 2018; limited release expected late 2018)

Actor Paul Dano (Little Miss Sunshine, There Will Be Blood, Love & Mercy) makes his directorial debut with this family drama, set to debut at the Sundance Film Festival in late January. The film will follow a young boy who witnesses the dissolution of his parents’ (Jake Gyllenhaal and Carrie Mulligan) marriage after they move to Montana in the 1960s. Upon positive reception, the film is expected for be picked up for distribution and released at the end of the year. If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing Jake Gyllenhaal as a dad, now’s your chance.

Black Panther (UK release 13 February 2018) and Avengers: Infinity War (UK release 27 April  2018)

Marvel Studios’ next two films come out within two months of one another, the former tying up loose ends for the epic face-off to come in Infinity War. Black Panther will follow Wakandan prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) as he returns to his home country to ascend the throne after his father’s untimely death. Michael B. Jordan plays Killmonger, T’Challa’s challenger to the throne, with Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Daniel Kaluuya, and Angela Bassett starring as some of the prince’s closest body guards and confidants. It will be Marvel’s first film mainly comprised of actors of colour and has already broken the studio’s record for most pre-sale tickets sold. The film will introduce important characters into the MCU in time for Infinity War.

Infinity War will be set four years after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, when the villain Thanos (Josh Brolin) arrives on Earth to finish his collection of the Infinity Stones, allowing him to control reality and conquer the universe. In order to stop him, every major character introduced since the inception of the MCU – from Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) to Rocket (Bradley Cooper) to Falcon (Anthony Mackie) – will have to put aside their differences, band together, and fight. The film will feature the largest amount of superheroes on screen in cinematic history, and is sure to be an unforgettable ride.

Annihilation (Netflix UK release expected March 2018)

Based on the acclaimed novel of the same name, Natalie Portman leads this sci-fi action film surrounding a group of soldiers who enter an environmental disaster zone after her husband (Oscar Isaac) survives a foray in the territory and barely makes it out alive. As they venture deeper into the zone, their perceptions of time, nature, and each other are tested. Director Alex Garland (Ex Machina) continues to expand the sci-fi genre by examining the relationship between human beings, technology, and morality.

Isle of Dogs (UK release 30 March 2018)

Following the success of his first stop-motion animated film Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson returns to the field with this film about canines. Set in a dystopian future, Japan has quarantined all dogs on an island due to “canine flu”. Five dogs agree to help a young boy named Atari to find his lost dog on the isle, and as Japanese forces try to capture him, Atari and the dogs race against time to reunite the boy and his best friend. The voice cast of the film nearly features every single actor who has ever starred in a Wes Anderson film, though Owen Wilson is notably absent. We hope everything is still okay between those two.

The Sisters Brothers (expected late 2018)

The story follows Eli and Charlie Sisters (John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix), two hitmen brothers on the trail of a prospector (Jake Gyllenhaal) who has stolen from their boss. The film is French director Jacques Audiard’s (A Prophet, Rust and Bone, Dheepan) first English-language film and will also star Rutger Hauer and Riz Ahmed in supporting roles. Many thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal for starring in so many films this year.

Boy Erased (USA release 28 September 2018; UK release expected late 2018/early 2019)

Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, The Gift, Loving) writes, directs, and produces this coming-of-age drama surrounding a young boy (Lucas Hedges) who, after being outed to his parents (Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe), is forced into a gay conversion therapy program. There, he comes into conflict with his therapist and the rest of the patients. The film is based on Boy Erased: A Memoir and will feature Troye Sivan, Flea, and acclaimed director Xavier Dolan in its supporting cast.

Widows (UK release 16 November 2018)

Steve McQueen’s (Hunger, Shame, 12 Years a Slave) fourth film will center four widows (Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, and Cynthia Erivo) who team up to finish the dangerous heist that killed their cousins. With a screenplay penned by McQueen and Gone Girl author/screenwriter Gillian Flynn, we can expect nuanced female characters, a gripping story, and (hopefully) Viola Davis kicking ass.

If Beale Street Could Talk (expected late 2018)

Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins will follow his acclaimed film Moonlight with this adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel of the same name. The story follows Tish Rivers (Kiki Layne), a woman living in Harlem, whose fiancé Fonny (Stephan James) is falsely imprisoned for rape. When Tish finds out she is pregnant, she, her lawyer, and her family race to prove Fonny’s innocence. With police brutality happening daily and mass incarceration continuing to increase in the United States, the film could not be more relevant and timely.   

Ocean’s 8 (UK release 22 June 2018)

Serving as both a sequel and an all-female soft reboot of the original Ocean’s Eleven film series, the film centers around Danny Ocean’s estranged sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock) as she organizes a team to pull off a massive heist at the Met Gala in New York City. Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna, and Helena Bonham Carter round out the core eight, promising a star-studded and exciting ride. George Clooney is not expected to make any cameos, but we can only hope. 

Other expected 2018 releases to keep an eye on:

A Wrinkle in Time (dir. Ava DuVernay)

Suspiria (dir.  Luca Guadagnino)

First Man (dir. Damien Chazelle)

The Death & Life of John F. Donovan (dir. Xavier Dolan)

Solo: A Star Wars Story (dir. Ron Howard)

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (dir. David Yates)

Backseat (dir. Adam McKay)

FilmSoc’s Screenings Producer Sarah Saraj reflects on today’s weather phenomenon.

The sky today was pretty incredible. It got a lot of us feeling like we were in a film. In fact, it reminded us of many films shrouded in memorably sepia-coloured hues. I guess life really does imitate art. Here are some films with the dreamiest of amber skies that we believe we may have been living in today:

1. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Is all of this yellow sky business just promotion for Villeneuve’s new blockbuster? Are we all being duped? Is this some elaborate Hollywood novelty trick plaguing the entirety of England?

2.  Apocalypse Now (1979)

‘Is the Apocalypse literally now?’ I ask myself. Sure, the government wants us to think it’s all due to Hurricane Ophelia and Saharan dust but does anybody really buy that? Maybe our disgusting rate of pollution is finally catching up with us — I mean, it’s pretty hot for October. End of the world, global warming, or both?

3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This would corroborate my theory that we have been transported to a new, filmic world, namely the boring Sepia one Dorothy inhabited before she jumped ship to the glitz and glamour of Oz.

4. The Lion King (1994)

From the day we arrive on the planet,

And, blinking, step into the sun.

There’s more to see than can ever be seen,

More to do than can ever be done.

5. Life of Pi (2012)

Thank God books get made into films because how else would we have these dreamy visuals? This film literally made me want to get separated from my entire family and left for dead on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, anyone else?

6. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

And who doesn’t love a vaguely problematic but highly praised classic? The weather today definitely made me feel like I was in the Middle East!

7. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

The idea that we are living in a United Kingdom on its way to becoming a post-apocalyptic wasteland, as featured in the 2015 return of George Miller’s Mad Max, is increasingly plausible.

8. Enemy (2013)

Another Villeneuve? Boy, did he know this was coming! But seriously, who feels like today was just one of those psychological-thriller days? I know I definitely hate Mondays.

9. Sicario (2015)

…Another Villenueve?!

10. Days of Heaven (1978)

Terrence Malick’s 1978 religious romantic drama is possibly the most beautiful film ever made. Evangelical and quasi-religious setting prevail in this absolute masterpiece.

11. The Yellow Sky (1949)

I guess when you type something into Google the internet will graciously impart its knowledge to accommodate you; Yellow Sky is the title of a 1948 Western. The film features a ghost town by the same name.