It’s a seriously dark and disturbing gem. Kate Winslet and Melanie Lynskey – both brilliant – play teenage girls whose intense friendship and obsession with a fantasy world of their own creation ultimately culminates in murder. It helps that Angela Bassett gives a scintillating performance as Turner, who escapes from her brutally abusive husband Ike (Laurence Turner), then pulls off an all-time great comeback.įor fans of: Rocketman, Bohemian Rhapsodyĭirected by Peter Jackson, who’d go on to make The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, this haunting psychological thriller tells the story of a notorious 1954 murder case which shook New Zealand. Though Tina Turner later objected to some of the script’s fictional elements, this riveting rock biopic remains a cut above. and NWA’s Ice Cube, his stunning coming-of-age film offers a compelling and compassionate snapshot of life for a young Black man growing up amid the gang culture of South Central Los Angeles.įor fans of: Do The Right Thing, La Haine
Featuring breakout performances from Cuba Gooding Jr. John Singleton made film history with his debut feature, becoming the youngest person ever (and first African American) to be nominated for Best Director at the Oscars.
Its influence looms large over RuPaul’s Drag Race – which has adopted much of the scene’s distinctive terminology – and the acclaimed US drama series Pose.įor fans of: Truth Or Dare, The Death And Life Of Marsha P. Jennie Livingston’s seminal documentary film shines a spotlight on New York City’s ball culture, a place where African-American and Latino LGBTQ people could live out their high-glamour fantasies. The affect in display here is to make us think that the dialogue is more important, compared to what happens around the characters.The ‘90s was a real golden age for offbeat, provocative and powerful filmmaking, as these 15 (relatively) unsung classics from across the genre spectrum definitely prove. Throughout this film, focus is shifted from one character to another by the use of sound, rather than action (the final scene when the car pulls up and Hubert is walking away). The use of focus is another important feature. Although he has his back turned to the action, we can still see his re-action to the violence.
Also, the use of wide-angle lenses creates a very a dramatic effect, especially when the bouncers are shot by Vinz's friends. Because of this, the camera is shaky, but the director commented that this was a good thing as it creates a more realistic outlook. For this shot, a camera was attached to a remote control helicopter, which looks down on the entire estate, showing everything that the characters have to live with. It is this character that maps out the events for the central characters, as he is a close friend of theirs.Ī bird's eye view of the entire estate is given when the DJ plays his music from his apartment. A young man named Abdel is in hospital in a critical condition following beatings from a police officer. More of the narrative and background to the story is is revealed here. Another interesting factor is the news report that occurs as the riot scenes come to an end. This also alerts us that the events in the film all take place in one day. Throughout the film, the screen changes every so often, displaying nothing but the time in a large font. We are also kept aware of the time of day quite frequently. We are instantly introduced to the setting of the film - the aftermath of a riot in the French suburbs.
The film opens with archive footage of riot scenes. During a scene where a television reporter asks to interview the main characters and their gang, they become angry at the media's assumptions that they are violent, and act up out of spite. The media also does them no favors, with television reports portraying young people as violent and aggressive characters.
Because of this, a form of a unity is created against the racist and violent police forces - the characters know that on the estate, they have to close together to survive. Hubert, a peaceful boxer in control of his emotions, is black. Saïd, who is like a little brother who needs to be taken care of, is Arabic. Vinz, who wants to have leading power in the group, is Jewish. Diversity is widely explored in the small suburb setting as the film's three central characters all have different backgrounds and ethnic origins.