Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like The Shrouds:
The Girl with the Needle
The Girl with the Needle is not a film I plan on revisiting anytime soon, and that in itself is a testament to its power. From its devastating opening moments to its suffocating final act, the film tightens its grip with unrelenting intensity, refusing to offer easy catharsis. It’s a brutal but masterfully executed experience—one that lingers long after the credits roll, leaving you desperate to escape its grasp.
Hard Truths
Hard Truths is an intimate, quietly devastating character study from Mike Leigh, a filmmaker known for his deeply human, observational storytelling. While I haven’t spent much time immersed in Leigh’s filmography, this latest effort—anchored by an Oscar-worthy performance from Marianne Jean-Baptiste—proved to be an absorbing introduction to his distinct, unvarnished style.
Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola‘s Megalopolis makes it crystal clear that the legendary director is disappointed in the trajectory of modern civilized life. To think that this passion project of his has been in the works for nearly four decades is astonishing considering how neatly it conveys modern anxieties about the fragility of social infrastructure.
The Beast
While The Beast won’t be for everyone, its risks are what make it so compelling. Bertrand Bonello is uninterested in tying up every loose end, but those narrative imperfections feel like deliberate artistic choices rather than missteps. The film constantly shifts shape, feeling at times like an anthology, a love story, a sci-fi thriller, and an existential drama all at once.
C’mon C’mon
With C’mon C’mon, Mike Mills continues his deeply personal exploration of familial relationships, following Beginners (about his father) and 20th Century Women (about his mother). This time, he turns inward, reflecting on his role as a father and the complexities of raising a child in an uncertain world. The result is a delicate, introspective film that is both heartfelt and deeply human, even if it doesn’t always hit the emotional highs of Mills’ previous work.
Mickey 17
Following up Parasite was never going to be easy for Bong Joon-ho. The 2019 film was a global phenomenon, breaking language barriers at the Academy Awards and cementing Bong as one of the most exciting directors of his generation. With Mickey 17, his first film since that historic win, he dives headfirst into sci-fi, adapting Edward Ashton’s 2022 novel Mickey7 with an all-star cast that includes Robert Pattinson, Naomi Ackie, Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo, and Toni Collette.
Plan 75
Plan 75 is a challenging yet undeniably impactful film. It’s a powerful indictment of societal ageism and a stark reminder of the human cost of progress. Chie Hayakawa directs a wonderfully constructed soft sci-fi entry.
Fingernails
Fingernails, directed by Christos Nikou, stands as another strong addition to Apple TV+’s repertoire, blending elements of romance, drama, and comedy against the backdrop of a futuristic society grappling with the complexities of love. Starring Jessie Buckley, Riz Ahmed, and Jeremy Allen White, the movie explores the fragility of relationships in a world where a single fingernail can determine the strength of a couple’s love.
They Cloned Tyrone
They Cloned Tyrone has many elements that I like to see in movies from first time directors, as well as movies heading straight for streaming services. Juel Taylor directs a movie stylized to the nines, backed by grainy throwback camerawork and zany performances by a star-studded cast.
The Vast of Night
Simple but precise, The Vast of Night proves that low budgets and COVID times aren’t real excuses for making lackluster movies. What is essentially three to four long sequences transforms into a story that continues to build and build the stakes until it’s explosive finale. It is an invigorating debut film from Andrew Patterson.