The Lure (2015)

In 1980s Poland, two mermaids hear their own siren song: a fair haired boy playing an indie ballad on the shoreline. Leaving the water for the world of humans, the mermaids eventually front their very own synth pop band. Welcome to the horror-musical-fantasy world of The Lure (2015; Córki dancingu), which revolves around a nightclub […]

Cold War (2018)

Beautifully shot and composed in black and white by cinematographer Lukasz Zal, director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Cold War (2018; Zimna wojna) is an ode to a love that endures over decades despite great suffering. Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) meets Zula (Joanna Kulig) while both working for a state-sponsored music troupe that travels throughout post-war Poland. Their attraction […]

Spoor (2017)

When Spoor (2017; Pokot) opens with a sweeping shot of the majestic snowy landscape of the Klodzko Valley where it is set, accompanied by Antoni Lazarkiewicz’s thunderous score, I was reminded of the Coen Brothers’ Fargo. However, this film directed by Agnieszka Holland is not as nihilistic as the Coens, with strong environmental themes, introducing […]