Coming Attractions

Beau Is Afraid

With his wild horror-drama hybrids Hereditary and Midsommar, Ari Aster has quickly established himself as one of the most interesting voices in Hollywood. His latest, Beau Is Afraid, looks like it might take him to surreal new heights. Little is known about this upcoming feature, but the trailer suggests Aster is working in a more comic direction, with Joaquin Phoenix playing Beau, an anxiety-filled man embarking on an epic odyssey to get home to his mother.

Released 19 May by Sony

War Pony

The debut feature from Gina Gammell and actor-turned-director Riley Keough takes us inside a Native American reservation in South Dakota and follows the hard-knock lives of two of its young residents. One is Bill, an easy-going chancer of about 20; the other is Matho, a heartbreaking 13-year-old who is forced to grow up way too fast. With a sophisticated attention to detail and a gorgeous sense of place, this immersive film will break your heart before making it sore.

Released 9 Jun by Picturehouse

Suzume

When Japanese filmmaker Makoto Shinkai released his hugely imaginative and moving 2016 fantasy Your Name, many declared him the heir apparent to Studio Ghibli maestro Hayao Miyazaki. Like Your Name, anime Suzume blends YA romance, jaw-dropping visuals and a beguiling sci-fi plot, which in this case involves the 17-year-old girl of the title heading on a race-against-time adventure with a demonic cat and a talking chair to prevent the end of the world. Colour us intrigued.

Released 14 Apr by Sony

Sick of Myself

This whip-smart black comedy from Norway explores our modern-day obsession with self-image. It centres on the unhealthy relationship between waitress Signe and her conceptual artist boyfriend Thomas. Vicious tensions arise between the pair when Thomas suddenly has a career breakthrough in the art world. In response, Signe attempts to regain centre stage by creating a new persona through which she can attract attention and sympathy. In the age of Instagram, TikTok and continual self-promotion, Sick of Myself is a toe-curling delight.

Released 21 Apr by Modern Films

Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret

Judy Blume’s beloved coming-of-age novel has been delighting readers since 1970; finally, it’s making its way to the big screen. Written and directed by The Edge Of Seventeen’s Kelly Fremon Craig, the story centres on 11-year-old Margaret, who as well as going through all the messy elements of puberty has to deal with being uprooted from her life in New York to the suburbs of New Jersey. Newcomer Abby Ryder Fortson takes the title role, while Rachel McAdams plays her mother and the mighty Kathy Bates is her grandmother.

Released 19 May by Lionsgate

One Fine Morning

Léa Seydoux is magnetic as a widowed single mother being pulled in many different directions: her father, a celebrated philosophy professor, has a neurological disorder and is deteriorating quickly; she begins a passionate affair with an old friend, who’s married with children; her precocious daughter is acting up; and she’s slipping up at her work as a translator. Few filmmakers can match Hansen-Løve’s sensitivity when it comes to emotions of the heart like love and grief, and One Fine Morning is among her very best work.

Released 14 Apr by MUBI

Asteroid City

Hollywood’s most fastidious director, Wes Anderson, is back with his 11th feature, which is sure to be one of the summer’s most anticipated titles. Set in 1955, the film takes place at a Junior Stargazer convention, which is disrupted by life-shattering events. As ever, he’s assembled a jaw-dropping cast, with Anderson regulars like Tilda Swinton, Adrien Brody and Jeff Goldblum joined by newcomers to the Anderson universe, including A-listers Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson.

Released 23 Jun by Universal

Full Time

Anyone who’s ever had to deal with a hellish commute will appreciate Full Time. After getting an interview for a job that will enable her to be financially stable and spend more time with her kids, Julie’s dreams hang by a thread thanks to a Paris transit strike. A nail-biting thriller dressed as a social realist drama, Full Time has accurately been described as Uncut Gems for single mums. Call My Agent!’s Laure Calamy is fantastic as the under-pressure Julie and Irène Drésel’s synth score is a propulsive delight.

Released 26 May by Parkland