Filmrecensies van Victor Fraga

Despite the slow pace, Sunday is dotted with subtle moments of comic relief, such as the man’s insistence in asking visitors for a match for no clear purpose, or the couple’s sense of helplessness in front of the modern 4k television with strange instructions written on the screen. Recensie

This is a woman taking control of her life, even if the clunky mechanisms and procedures over which she has limited command do not allow her to forge ahead smoothly. Genuinely affecting. Recensie

The movie is crafted with abundant music, a vivid cinematography with abundant colourful lighting, and a fast-moving, energetic script. Recensie

A rural veterinary doctor has to reconcile his love for animals with the cruel and deranged behaviour of human beings, in this luminescent Iranian drama. Recensie

Visually arresting. Heart-wrenching. Even if a little arcane. Recensie

Saddam Hussein develops a paternal bond with the the young farmer who sheltered him for nearly eight months, in this unusual tribute to loyalty and endurance. Recensie

Barely decipherable allegorical detective drama from Ukraine sets out to comment on the nation fast-changing soul and identity. Recensie

Crime thriller about call-centre-worker-turned-drug-dealer inserts some grit into the squeaky clean capital of Saudi Arabia. Recensie

Brutally honest Korean drama mercilessly deromanticises and demystifies the experience of pregnancy and motherhood. Recensie

Saintagnan was just too ambitious, setting out to create elaborate settings on a shoestring, instead of using her financial handicap as a catalyst for radical experimentation. Recensie

Isabelle Huppert challenges and looks audiences right in the eye for nearly an hour and a half, in this epistemological and reflexive study of cinema. Recensie

Suicidal control freak ex-boyfriend manipulates Italian woman over the telephone, in this clunky suspense thriller from Italy. Recensie

Moody, inscrutable road movie provides a fascinating peak into the ice-cold and barren landscape of Northern Russia, by the Barents Sea. Recensie

Slow and exquisite drama elegantly portrays the fleeting connection between two very different strangers in Brussels. Recensie

First-time French director crafts a nail-biting, suspenseful tale of unrequited love, stolen motherhood and female invidiousness. Recensie

This sense of hopelessness is supported by Barbu Balasoiu’s realistic and gloomy cinematography, with few close-ups and sparse lighting, and a minimalistic music score. Recensie

The spicy dialogues will keep you hooked, even if the uneven script makes the story a little difficult to follow... Recensie

The outcome is a film that’s breezy and pleasant to watch, however mostly unmemorable. Recensie

Matteo Garrone’s 121-minute film is a refugee drama of epic proportions. Recensie

Think of Orson Welles’s unfinished It’s All True, infuse it with unabashed mysticism, and you are halfway there. Recensie

Teen embarks on a journey along the American Northeast, in this highly experimental, trippy and barely coherent movie about US stereotypes. Recensie

Goodbye Julia is a 120-minute enrapturing drama thanks to its effective script blending elements of psychological thriller, melodrama and music. Recensie

Violence is not fetishised, and Heroic is not a sadistic, voyeuristic endeavour. This is unlike other Mexican films, such as Michel Franco’s celebrated New Order (2020), which uses graphic violence and blood as a narrative device. A powerful ending proposes a new, shocking solution. Recensie

Snakes, spells, growing rocks and a flying corpse come together in this esoteric blend of fantasy drama and visual arts experiment from Lithuania. Recensie