The long-awaited return to fiction filmmaking from Academy Award-winner Andrea Arnold, Bird is a tender, striking and extraordinarily surprising coming-of-age fable about marginalized life in the fringes of contemporary society.

12-year-old Bailey (astounding newcomer Nykiya Adams) lives with her devoted but chaotic single dad Bug (Barry Keoghan, Saltburn) and wayward brother Hunter in a squat in Gravesend, north Kent. Approaching puberty and seeking attention and adventure, Bailey’s fractured home life is transformed when she encounters Bird (Franz Rogowski, Passages), a mysterious stranger on a journey of his own.

Love is a hustle.

Our second November Volunteer of the Month is Hiroki Funahashi, who has chosen Ruben Ostland’s Force Majeure as his VOTM pick.

The film follows a Swedish family on a ski vacation in the French Alps. During lunch at a mountainside restaurant, a controlled avalanche appears to threaten their lives, and the father, Tomas, instinctively flees, abandoning his wife, Ebba, and their two children. The avalanche stops short, but the family is left to grapple with Tomas’ reaction, leading to tension and deep introspection about his role as a protector and the underlying dynamics of their relationship.

The next entry in our Party Like It’s 1999 series is The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola’s dreamlike directorial debut.

The story of five sisters, and their mysterious existence growing up in the 1970s. The film follows the chain of events initiated by one of the Lisbon sisters’ suicide attempt, and its effects on their family, their suburban town and most importantly, the young men who loved the Lisbons from afar and whose words provide the narrative for the film.

Alright, alright, alright, it’s time to celebrate 30 years of Dazed and Confused, Richard Linklater’s beloved coming-of-age comedy!

Set in the 1970s, the film follows a group of Texas high school students on the last day of school in 1976. The story intertwines the experiences of different characters—ranging from incoming freshmen to soon-to-be graduates—who navigate the rites of passage, from hazing to partying, while contemplating their futures. With an ensemble cast that includes Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Milla Jovovich, the film captures the carefree, rebellious spirit of youth, marked by its nostalgic soundtrack and laid-back atmosphere.

The Bogart suspense picture with the surprise finish!