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We can't wait for Towner Cinema to reopen in May, and we have some amazing titles already confirmed, including winner of the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay Belfast, and the universally acclaimed animated documentary Flee.

More to come very soon, but until our full programme is released, we thought we'd give you one last instalment of recommendations while you wait. Read on for what we've been watching lately and to get in the mood for the return of the big screen! 

Almodóvar has cultivated a particular brand of campness, his familiar subjects of tragedy, family and the labours of love always touched with a synthetic sheen. Underneath that glossy layer, though, is the mark of a political standpoint catalysed by Spain’s dark history and the ongoing devastation of the Civil War. Parallel Mothers acknowledges the literal “layer beneath” in its confrontation of the mass graves that have kept Spain from closing that chapter of its past for so long. 

This sincere and afflicting story contrasts with one of pure farce, though still tender and carried through its peaks and valleys expertly by alumna Penélope Cruz. Cruz plays Janis, who while giving birth meets Ana (Milena Smit), leading to an emotional bond between the two single mothers that continues into life postpartum. The women share stories of their growing children, but soon things start to get complicated, and it falls on Janis to figure out why.

Where to watch: In cinemas now

The horror genre has suffered long enough through gratuitous, overproduced remakes and plots that do as good a job at clumsily grafting over empty violence for the sake of violence as Leatherface’s human skin mask did at giving him a friendly exterior. But now, finally, a slasher for the cynics has reminded what films like the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre had to offer. In a word: nuance. 

Set in 1979, Ti West’s X follows a group of young filmmakers (at least, that’s how they like to think of themselves) as they set out to make an artistic adult movie in an old Texas farmhouse, occupied by a reclusive elderly couple. The bare-bones and relatively predictable setup allows themes of aging and sexuality to be explored in sincerity while satisfying camerawork ups the stakes each scene. X is a stripped-back and playful study of the genre, but its self-aware approach never detracts from its stylistic vision. 

Where to watch: In cinemas now

The titular House of this ambitious stop-motion feature ties three separate stories together in their exploration of what a home can mean, the hold it might have on you, and how a building touches lives through time. For fans of Coraline or Wes Anderson but erring even further towards the surreal and uneasy, the three chapters, though connected, allow separate directors to bring a fresh perspective and unique touch to each tale. 

What they all have in common is a slight sense of distrust, an eerie feeling that something might be amiss or lurking within the intricate shadows cast by meticulously detailed cloth-animated constructions in the set design. Starring Jarvis Cocker and Helena Bonham Carter, The House is a twee but twisted adventure, playful and entertaining but equally spooky and dark. 

Where to watch: Netflix

Primarily based on Haruki Murakami’s short story of the same name, Drive My Car is an engrossing investigation into secrets past and present and the never ending mysteries of the people you think you know. Yūsuke Kafuku (Hidetoshi Nishijima) is an actor and director who, troubled by the recent passing of his wife Oto (Reika Kirishima), struggles to come to terms with what she was hiding from him and what he continues to hide from himself. 

Two years later, the plot finds Yūsuke at a theatre residency in Hiroshima as he prepares to direct an adaptation of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Masks and multiple personalities are explored both on and off stage, especially poignantly through the relationship between Yūsuke and his chauffeur Misaki. The pair traverse the gorgeous Hiroshima landscape in a vintage red Saab, a perfect match aesthetically that complements a slow-burning plot. Winner of this year’s Oscar for Best International Feature Film and nominated for three others, this is a clear standout for 2022 and a testament to the art of filmmaking during the height of the pandemic.

Where to watch: Mubi

Joel Coen’s first venture into a solo directing project delivers this stark Shakespeare adaptation with a focus on the still relevant evils of power and corruption. There is a sense of the desolate in the black and white cinematography, a purposeful interpretation of Macbeth’s bleak future and the barrenness of his life that gives that promise of power such potency. Coen’s interpretation is modernised in a way that reminds of the prevalence of these parts of the tale and the lessons still not learned by mankind. 

The Tragedy of Macbeth brings out the gothic and moody elements of its source material through recognisable film noir devices - a perpetual fog and darkness and a  melancholic score by Carter Burwell. All the action, and there is a lot of action, is felt more deeply this way, complemented also by the leading roles of Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. The pair breathe complex humanity into their tragic characters, but their flashes of evil carry a weightiness with a lasting impact.  

Where to watch: Apple TV+, Amazon Prime

The arts world can pose a conundrum in that its real-life presence is often so sated with absurdity that satire becomes obsolete, or at least extremely hard to get right. The Square rises up to this challenge, perhaps benefitting from director Ruben Östland’s insider knowledge - the subject of its parody takes inspiration from a real life project he developed in 2014/5 with Kalle Boman. “In the square we have equal obligations and equal rights. Anyone can go there when s/he needs help – and the passerby is obliged to try to help” reads the project’s description, and it is this simple ethos that rings mockingly throughout the film as we watch out-of-touch curator Christian (Claes Bang) struggle to come to terms with its meaning.  

An intricate social commentary on contemporary art and the people who get to decide on its impact runs alongside more obvious lampoonery - for example, cleaners accidentally sweeping away carefully arranged piles of rubble or members of high-society sitting through bizarre performance art without flinching, deathly afraid of appearing not to “get it”. Ultimately a well-made parody which is laugh-out-loud funny but raises important questions about the uneasy relationship between art and marketing and the insular nature of what is accepted as high culture.

Where to watch: Amazon Prime

We’re not going to talk about The Batman for long (it would require a blog post of its own) but one clear standout was Jeffrey Wright as Lieutenant Gordon, bringing back memories of his delicate performance as Jean-Michel Basquiat back in 1996. Basquiat as a cult figure and Basquiat as a person are two very different things, and Wright is able to masterfully evoke the sadness and naivety of his character.

Also starring David Bowie as Andy Warhol, this is a sweet and tragic interpretation of the life of a genius who can’t quite seem to navigate the world he occupies, especially in light of his own burgeoning fame and talent. When an intrusive interviewer (Christopher Walken) asks about the “primitive nature” of his work, Wright’s Jean-Michel half-smiles and answers “Like a primate? Like a monkey?” but it is clear that these sorts of questions plague him as a young black artist. A biopic that stretches its wings just enough to feel like a work of art in itself, Basquiat is a touching tribute to the artist's short life.

Where to watch: YouTube, Amazon Prime