The Ritual

Oct 24, 2005 — Kihachi Okamoto’s subversion of the samurai movie possesses the same gritty, stark realism with regard to imagery and body count, yet the tone is decidedly comic.

Nov 10, 2014 — Monte Hellman’s existential westerns take Beckett to the desert.

Oct 3, 2024 — The winner of the top prize in San Sebastián, Serra’s first nonfiction feature screens at the New York Film Festival.

Nov 8, 2024 — This week offers revivals of overlooked films by Antonioni and Alan Rudolph and conversations with Garrett Bradley and Paulo Branco.

Jan 26, 2023 — This great director from the golden age of Mexican cinema drew upon a wide range of styles to explore the conflict between tradition and modernity.

May 25, 2022 — Mira Nair’s sumptuous second feature explores migration, rebellion, and romance across racial borders in the American South.

Oct 24, 2018 — The filmmaker behind the provocative indie hit Sorry to Bother You talks at Indiana University Cinema this week about a Paul Schrader masterpiece that has deeply influenced him.

Nov 15, 2016 — Akira Kurosawa lays bare his deepest fears in this visually astonishing interpretation of folklore, myth, and the director’s own dreams and memories.

Jul 9, 2026 — Deep Dives One of the most mischievous figures in world cinema, Věra Chytilová is still best known for Daisies, the daring 1966 film whose gonzo vision of female rebellion and empowerment launched her into the public eye. This Czechoslovak New...

Apr 28, 2020 — I first fell in love with Miranda July’s work with her strange, wild, poignant short stories;  her stories led me to her novel  and first two feature films, which I watch so  often that they have over time become spiritual...