A young mother, contending with a rare brain condition and desperate to save money for her daughter’s future, takes a risky job from a mysterious woman with a dark past, and gets entangled in a web of revenge, deceit, and murder. Shot in magnificent 16mm and co-written with the magnetic lead actress, Ariella Mastroianni, Gazer gazes fondly back on the masters of the 70s paranoid thriller while keeping itself grounded firmly in the cutting-edge of today’s independent filmmaking.

From Cannes Film Festival to Fantastic Fest, this indie noir is a potent reminder of how exciting American independent filmmaking can be!

“Critic’s Pick! Marrying the manic paranoia of ‘After Hours’ with a ‘Memento’-esque unreliable protagonist and touches of flesh-bending body horror that could be ripped straight from ‘Videodrome,’ ‘Gazer’ is the kind of debut that should restore your lost faith in independent cinema.” -Indiewire

The Encampments is a groundbreaking documentary that chronicles the Columbia University Gaza Solidarity Encampment and the international wave of student activism it ignited. Executive Produced by Grammy Award-winning artist Macklemore, the film is directed by Kei Pritsker, a journalist and producer at Break Through News, and award-winning filmmaker Michael T. Workman (Meantime).

Through exclusive footage and intimate interviews, The Encampments provides an unprecedented look atone of the most significant student movements in modern history. The film captures the passion, resilience, and challenges faced by students who risked everything to demand justice. The film delves into how universities responded with mass arrests and force rather than engagement and dialogue, and it sheds light on the institutions’ efforts to suppress student activism. In doing so, it offers a deeper understanding of both the power and the costs of grassroots movements.

Encoring as part of our Andrei Tarkovsky Retrospective is Andrei Rublev, one of the director’s most celebrated and historically significant works. Set in 15th-century Russia, the film follows the life of Andrei Rublev, a monk and icon painter, as he grapples with the brutality of the world around him, the spiritual toll of his calling, and the complexities of artistic creation.

Upon its release, Andrei Rublev faced heavy censorship in the Soviet Union, and it was initially banned for its perceived bleak portrayal of Russian history and spirituality. However, it eventually garnered international acclaim, receiving the FIPRESCI Prize at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival and securing its place as one of the greatest films ever made.

Andrei Rublev remains a cornerstone of both Tarkovsky’s career and Russian cinema, offering a profound exploration of the intersection between art, faith, and the human condition.

Next up in our A24orror series is a chaotic double feature of Bodies Bodies Bodies and Climax. Both are rollercoasters of excess and anxiety, where the boundaries between party fun and full-blown nightmare collide.

Bodies Bodies Bodies takes the classic whodunit and flips it on its head, serving up a hilarious look at a group of Gen-Z friends trapped in a remote mansion during a hurricane. As they play a game of “bodies, bodies, bodies,” a real body turns up, and madness ensues.

Climax, on the other hand, takes you to a wild dance party that spirals straight into madness. Gaspar Noé’s visceral direction puts you right in the middle of the action as the dancers, high on LSD, descend into an all-out frenzy of delirium, violence, and emotional collapse.

What links these two films together? The loss of control. Both are feverish, disorienting dives into the breakdown of social bonds, self-control, and the terrifying consequences of groupthink in high-stakes environments. Whether it’s a deadly game of trust or a drug-fueled descent into chaos, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Climax show how quickly things can escalate when the mask of civility slips and the true horror of human nature emerges.