Particularly for a feature-length debut, Akinola Davies Jr.’s direction and script are impeccable, operating on so many levels from the personal to the political.

Here are 11 horror-comedy classics that are more than just laughs and blood splatter—and prove society itself is the punchline.

Winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes, Mascha Schilinski’s Sound of Falling treats family genealogy like a ghost story of inherited sense memories, trauma, and heartache.

Paolo Strippoli’s The Holy Boy is often quite original, packed with ideas and not afraid to cause discomfort as it raises questions about consent, community security, and how life cannot exist without pain.

In this delightful and entrancing directorial debut from frequent Sean Baker collaborator Shih-Ching Tsou, a financially insecure Taiwanese family navigate the ups and downs of running a noodle stand.

Guillermo del Toro’s dream project has been in the works for nearly two decades, which shows in its incredible craftsmanship. If only the story got the same attention.

Radu Jude’s follow-up to Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is overkill in every way and equal parts boring and insane, yet also something you should watch at least part of.

The latest Adams family folk horror story is more focused on a dark, poetic tone than traditional scares, with its own cinematic language offering a unique dialect of contemporary horror.

Acceptance lead singer Jason Vena on the movies that complement the band’s new remastered album.

It’s odd how dry a documentary this is about the pioneering Afro-futurist jazz musician and band leader Sun Ra, a guy who claimed to be from Saturn.

A smaller, tighter chamber drama compared to some of his most recent works, Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is a poignant addition to the recent wave of “late-stage capitalism” cinema.

Shot locally in Chicagoland, Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva’s narrative debut is an eye-opening journey into Chicago’s growing Kyrgyz immigrant community.

In Nia DaCosta’s remix of a classic Ibsen play, Tessa Thompson is deliciously wicked as the titular character throwing a Gatsby-level party of decadence and decay.

As a collection of images, Clint Bentley’s adaptation of the beloved Denis Johnson novella is a sight to behold—but that takes it only so far.

Edward Berger’s excessive directing style and a brilliant Colin Farrell performance elevate what would otherwise be a mediocre algorithm movie into a mostly fun ride.

Set in early 18th-century Venice, Damiano Michieletto’s directorial debut features a young orphaned violinist as the pupil of composer Antonio Vivaldi.

Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s latest film is perhaps a little long and overstuffed with ideas, but also like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Jafar Panahi’s Palme d’Or-winner is not just a masterpiece from a filmmaker seemingly liberated, but a vital testament to the power of remaining decent in a world that’s increasingly anything but.

Our reviews, red carpet interviews, and more from the 61st Chicago International Film Festival.

Indie pop singer-songwriter Peggy Owens on the movies that complement her new EP.