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What stands out first about Assassination is the confidence with which Dong hoon Choi establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Assassination asks Jun Ji hyun and Lee Jung jae to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Assassination is established with useful clarity: While Korea is occupied by the Japanese Army in 1933, the resistance plans to kill the Japanese Commander. That direct approach lets Assassination use its 2h

What stands out first about Demolition is the confidence with which Jean Marc Vallée establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Demolition asks Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Demolition is established with useful clarity: A successful investment banker struggles after losing his wife in a tragic car crash. That direct approach lets Demolition use its 1h 41m running time for character,

What stands out first about Desierto is the confidence with which Jonás Cuarón establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Desierto asks Gael García Bernal and Jeffrey Dean Morgan to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Desierto is established with useful clarity: A group of people trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States encounter a racist man who has taken border patrol duties into his own hands. Th

What stands out first about The Dressmaker is the confidence with which Jocelyn Moorhouse establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, The Dressmaker asks Kate Winslet and Judy Davis to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of The Dressmaker is established with useful clarity: A glamorous woman returns to her small town in rural Australia. That direct approach lets The Dressmaker use its 1h 59m running time for character, atmospher

What stands out first about A Bigger Splash is the confidence with which Luca Guadagnino establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, A Bigger Splash asks Tilda Swinton and Matthias Schoenaerts to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of A Bigger Splash is established with useful clarity: A famous rock star's vacation in Italy with her boyfriend is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend and his daughter. That direct a

What stands out first about Tamasha is the confidence with which Imtiaz Ali establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Tamasha asks Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Tamasha is established with useful clarity: A boy meets a girl, in Corsica. That direct approach lets Tamasha use its 2h 19m running time for character, atmosphere and consequence. ⁠ Beneath its plot, Tamasha is most inter

What stands out first about Jem and the Holograms is the confidence with which Jon M. Chu establishes its romance identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Jem and the Holograms asks Aubrey Shea and Stefanie Scott to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Jem and the Holograms is established with useful clarity: As a small town girl catapults from underground video sensation to global superstar, she and her three sisters begin a journey of discoveri

What stands out first about My All American is the confidence with which Angelo Pizzo establishes its biographical drama identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, My All American asks Aaron Eckhart and Finn Wittrock to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of My All American is established with useful clarity: Freddie Steinmark, an underdog on the gridiron, faces the toughest challenge of his life after leading his team to a championship season. That

What stands out first about Meru is the confidence with which Jimmy Chin establishes its documentary identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Meru asks Conrad Anker and Grace Chin to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Meru is established with useful clarity: Three elite climbers struggle to find their way through obsession and loss as they attempt to climb Mount Meru, one of the most coveted prizes in the high stakes game of Himalayan big wall

What stands out first about Mistress America is the confidence with which Noah Baumbach establishes its comedy identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Mistress America asks Greta Gerwig and Lola Kirke to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Mistress America is established with useful clarity: A lonely college freshman's life is turned upside down by her impetuous, adventurous stepsister to be. That direct approach lets Mistress America use its 1

What stands out first about Truth is the confidence with which James Vanderbilt establishes its thriller identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Truth asks Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Truth is established with useful clarity: Newsroom drama detailing the 2004 CBS "60 Minutes" report investigating then President George W. That direct approach lets Truth use its 2h 5m running time for character, atmosp

What stands out first about Captive is the confidence with which Jerry Jameson establishes its action film identity. Rather than relying on premise alone, Captive asks Kate Mara and David Oyelowo to supply personality from the opening stretch. The premise of Captive is established with useful clarity: A single mother struggling with drug addiction is taken hostage in her own apartment by a man on the run who has broken out of jail and murdered the judge assigned to his case.