Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like Monster:
All of Us Strangers
Andrew Haigh’s All of Us Strangers emerges as one of the most quietly devastating and emotionally resonant films of 2023. From its opening scene, where Adam (Andrew Scott) and Harry (Paul Mescal) meet in the empty expanse of their apartment complex, the film invites viewers into a world filled with space, vibrant colors, and thoughtful design. Andrew Haigh, known for his work on films like Weekend and 45 Years, crafts a poignant narrative that explores the complexities of love, loss, and the haunting specter of the past. What transpires certainly stands as one of his best works yet as a director.
The Holdovers
The Holdovers is a gem that sits among the best films of 2023. The movie‘s engaging narrative, stellar performances, and melancholic tone makes it a standout addition to the holiday film canon. Three central performances by Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph pull the film together.
I Saw the TV Glow
I Saw the TV Glow is one of the best movies of 2024, showcasing exactly what independent filmmaking can be when handled by the right people. A24 adds another riveting drama by a fascinating young auteur to their trophy case, and Jane Schoenbrun announces themselves as an important and singular filmmaker to look out for moving forward.
Hamnet
Hamnet is uneven, sometimes too tidy and sometimes too hushed, yet it closes with a knockout. Jessie Buckley gives a performance that reframes everything around it, and Paul Mescal matches her once the material lets him. The last act is worth the price of admission on its own, a clean and crushing argument for how art can hold the unsayable.
Here
Bas Devos‘ Here is a subtle delight, the kind of film that quietly sneaks up on you and leaves an unexpectedly profound emotional impact. Its supremely melancholic and understated style might appear unobtrusive at first glance, but Devos has a talent for crafting movies that stay with you long after they are finished.
Past Lives
Celine Song‘s Past Lives is a revelation, despite a growing skepticism that romance movies are dead in the current streaming era. Every bit of emotion and rekindling romance is only strengthened by a nuanced approach to script and perfect casting. A real highlight of 2023.
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.
Sentimental Value
Joachim Trier has earned enough goodwill at this point that even his “minor” films arrive with a sort of built-in reverence, especially after The Worst Person in the World became such an instant modern staple. Sentimental Value is a very different kind of Trier movie: less messy, less slippery, more refined, and more self-conscious about its own prestige. I liked it more the second time around, mostly because the first viewing had me fighting the weight of its reputation. It premiered in competition at Cannes with a lot of immediate hype swirling around it, and you can feel that aura baked into the framing.
The Florida Project
The Florida Project isn’t just one of Sean Baker’s best films—it’s a modern indie masterpiece that has solidified itself as one of the defining movies of the 2010s. Released by A24 in 2017, it’s a stunningly poignant slice-of-life drama that immerses the audience in the sun-drenched but deeply flawed world of its characters. For me, this movie came at the perfect time, when I was just beginning to see film as more than entertainment and started engaging with it as an art form. It wasn’t just a gateway into Sean Baker’s career; it was a revelation that reshaped how I thought about storytelling on screen.
Small Things Like These
I thought Cillian Murphy couldn’t get any more wide-eyed and weathered than in his Oscar-winning turn as the title character in Oppenheimer, but just one role later, he manages to do exactly that in Small Things Like These. Serving as a low-key star vehicle for one of the industry’s most steadfast and quietly expressive performers, Murphy feels almost too right for a role like this. The film simply follows him—face etched with equal parts resilience and sorrow—through a small Irish town during the Christmas season as he uncovers deeply unsettling truths about the Catholic Church, an institution that looms heavily over nearly every citizen in town.
READ MORE: Monster (2023), Hirokazu Kore-eda
