30 Movies Like The Black Phone (2022) (Page 2)

Gunda offers an empathetic look at the lives of farm animals with its minimalist approach to the nature doc. Director Victor Kossakosvsky films without a sentimental score or voice-over narration, and shoots in a sparse yet striking black and white. This decision gives the film an intimacy often missing from more traditional modes. 

We watch a sow named Gunda, her piglets, and a few other animals through their daily routines. Long natural sequences allow the viewer to sink into the zen of the animals’ natural rhythms. The result is an astounding and bittersweet film that hints at the brutalities of factory farming without ever stepping foot in a slaughterhouse.

Genre: Documentary, Drama

Director: Viktor Kossakovsky

In the words of the journalist Christo Grozev, Alexei Navalny isn’t just a politician; he’s also an internet personality, reporter, investigator, lawyer, and opposition leader who’s up against one of the biggest regimes in the world. He’s a dangerous man, a top Kremlin target, and the documentary gives us incredible access into the ins and outs of his daily operations. 

It’s always astonishing to see a hero humanized, especially since the documentary makes sure to balance newsworthy events with quiet moments of rest and reflection. But more than just a profile, Navalny is a valiant work of investigative journalism, as well as a timely reminder of the importance of activism. It's relevant, revelatory, and rousing; a must-watch in our ever-heating political climate. 

Genre: Documentary, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Alexei Navalny, Alexey Navalny, Angela Merkel, Christo Grozev, Dasha Navalnaya, Georgy Alburov, Kira Yarmysh, Leonid Volkov, Maria Pevchikh, Vladimir Putin, Yulia Navalnaya, Zakhar Navalny

Director: Daniel Roher

Rating: R

This moving biopic is about Maud Lewis, the legendary Canadian painter who suffered from arthritis. In the film, Maud gets away from her controlling family by finding a job as a live-in housekeeper for a local fish peddler. It is there where she begins to paint, before marrying the fish peddler in spite of their different personalities. Sally Hawkins, who plays Lewis, brings undeniable spark and soul to the role, for which she had to undergo an astonishing physical transformation.

Maudie is a beautiful and uncomplicated film that challenges the conventions of marriage and relationship roles, while at the same time celebrating Maud Lewis’ paintings and life’s simple pleasures.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Actor: Billy MacLellan, Brian Marler, David Feehan, Ethan Hawke, Gabrielle Rose, Greg Malone, Kari Matchett, Kate Ross, Lawrence Barry, Marthe Bernard, Nik Sexton, Sally Hawkins, Zachary Bennett

Director: Aisling Walsh

Rating: PG-13

Adam Sandler rarely plays a role straight, but when he does, you know it’s good. In Hustle, Sandler is Stanley Sugarman, a basketball scout stuck in the long game, waiting for his chance to finally coach an NBA team. On a recruitment trip to Spain, Stan discovers a talented but unknown player named Bo Cruz. They fly to the US, where Stan and Bo fight against all odds and hustle for a spot in the NBA draft. 

Inspiring without being too cheesy and informative without being bogged down by too many details, Hustle is a slam dunk of a film; a gritty crowd-pleaser that’s sure to draw anyone in.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Adam Sandler, Ainhoa Pillet, Allen Iverson, Andrea Sooch, Anthony Edwards, Beanie Sigel, Ben Foster, Boban Marjanović, Charles Barkley, Dan Patrick, Dirk Nowitzki, Evan Rosado, Fat Joe, Freeway, Gina Jun, Glenn 'Doc' Rivers, Grayson Boucher, Heidi Gardner, Ivica Marc, Jaleel White, James Goldstein, Jon Collin Barclay, Jordan Hull, Joseph Vecsey, Juancho Hernangómez, Julius Erving, Kenny Smith, Lyman Chen, María Botto, Mark Cuban, Mark Jackson, Moritz Wagner, Oliver Morton, Olivia Daniels, Oscar Pavlo, Pat Croce, Peter Linari, Peter Vecsey, Queen Latifah, Raúl Castillo, Robert Duvall, Samuel Muriithi, Shaquille O'Neal, Sunny Sandler, Thaddeus Daniels, Tierra Whack, Toonyun, William Franke

Director: Jeremiah Zagar

Rating: R

It’s been years since Fahrije and the women of her village lost their husbands to the war. It’s one thing to move on after their passing, but quite another to never be sure about their whereabouts, dead or alive. Hive tells the story of how, in the wake of this inexplicable loss, the women of a Kosovo village reluctantly band together and make a new life for themselves and their families.

Thanks to its grit and restraint, Hive avoids the cheesy trappings of a melodrama. The dialogues are straightforward and the performances taut but affecting. Their battle with poverty and misogyny is sadly a familiar tale, but told through the lens of single mother/burgeoning entrepreneur Fahrije, it is rendered deeply personal and illuminating. 

Genre: Drama

Actor: Adem Karaga, Adriana Matoshi, Armend Smajli, Astrit Kabashi, Aurita Agushi, Bislim Muçaj, Blerta Ismaili, Çun Lajçi, Ilir Prapashtica, Kaona Sylejmani, Kumrije Hoxha, Labinot Lajçi, Yllka Gashi

Director: Blerta Basholli

In “The Way”, an American doctor, Tom (Martin Sheen), travels to Spain to identify the remains of his deceased son (Emilio Estevez, also writer/director) who has died while traveling "El Camino de Santiago”, the famous pilgrimage across Northern Spain. Once there, Tom unexpectedly finds himself inspired to continue his son’s journey, sprinkling his ashes along the lengthy expedition to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, home to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Great. Along the way Tom gains several unlikely traveling companions: a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen), a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irishman (James Nesbitt), each of whom has his/her own personal reasons for making the pilgrimage, with each adding various degrees of drama and humor to the proceedings as well. A touching and inspiring film marred a bit by some unnecessarily roughly-hewn characterizations, but overall a pleasant experience with a warm feeling of adventure and camaraderie throughout.

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama

Actor: Ángela Molina, Alfonso Delgado, Ángela Molina, Antonio Gil, Carlos Leal, David Alexanian, Deborah Kara Unger, Emilio Estevez, Eusebio Lázaro, James Nesbitt, Martin Sheen, Matt Clark, Omar Muñoz, Ramon Estevez, Renée Estevez, Romy Baskerville, Santi Prego, Simón Andreu, Simón Andreu, Spencer Garrett, Stéphane Dausse, Tchéky Karyo, Tchéky Karyo, Víctor Molero, Yorick van Wageningen

Director: Emilio Estevez

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Horror, Romance

Actor: Alice Lowe, Aymen Hamdouchi, Christine Talbot, Dominic Applewhite, Eileen Davies, Gemma Lise Thornton, John Hurt, Jonathan Aris, Kelly Munro-Fawcett, Kenneth Hadley, Lucy Russell, Mark Kempner, Monica Dolan, Rachel Austin, Richard Glover, Richard Lumsden, Roger Michael, Samantha Stone, Sara Dee, Sara Stewart, Seamus ONeill, Stephanie Jacob, Steve Oram, Susan McCardle, Tom Meeten, Tony Way

Director: Ben Wheatley

Rating: Not Rated

In Marlowe, Liam Neeson joins the lofty lineup of actors who have stepped into the shoes of Raymond Chandler's titular detective, famously played by Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum, and Elliott Gould. These are big boots to fill — and, if you’ve been paying attention to Neeson’s career over the last decade or so, you’ll be aware that he hasn’t exactly been stretching himself, dramatically speaking.

But Marlowe is something of a happy anomaly in Neeson’s filmography, because it has more than just adrenaline-pumping ambitions. Written by director Neil Jordan (of Michael Collins fame) and William Monahan (the screenwriter behind The Departed), the 1930s Hollywood-set plot is steeped in noir’s characteristic cynicism, giving it the seductive pull of that well-loved genre. It’s true that a not insignificant portion of the dialogue is so hard-boiled you can see the cracks — a clunkiness that’s repeated in a couple of the phoned-in supporting performances and the movie’s awkward action sequences. However, with a couple of bright spots in the starry cast, handsome production values, and a labyrinthine plot that just about passes muster as homage and not muddle, there are enough noir trappings here to keep the movie slinking along well enough, even if it ultimately isn't nearly as memorable as Marlowe’s previous screen incarnations.

Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Alan Cumming, Alan Moloney, Colm Meaney, Daniela Melchior, Danny Huston, Darrell D'Silva, Diane Kruger, François Arnaud, Gary Anthony Stennette, Ian Hart, Jessica Lange, Julius Cotter, Kim DeLonghi, Liam Neeson, Mark Schardan, Michael Garvey, Minnie Marx, Mitchell Mullen, Patrick Muldoon, Roberto Peralta, Seána Kerslake, Stella Stocker, Tony Corvillo

Director: Neil Jordan

Rating: R

Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Aubrey Joseph, Brandon Rogers, D.C. Young Fly, Jim O'Heir, John Lewis, Nikki Blonsky, Theo Rossi, Thomas Jane, Tory Lanez, Tyrese Gibson, Vivica A. Fox

Director: Nicholas Manuel Pino