Indie picks for the summer

Since it premiered at the Telluride and Toronto festivals last year, Denmark-based director Joshua Oppenheimer's documentary about Indonesia's anti-communist massacres in 1965-66 has reaped rave reviews. 

Now playing in UK cinemas since end of June, "The Act of Killing" continues to attract extraordinary coverage, as shown in this impressive list of five-star reviews: 

★★★★★ "The most compelling thing you'll ever see" – The Guardian
★★★★★ "Fascinating, chilling, but important film" – Independent on Saturday
★★★★★ "Shatteringly powerful" – The Sunday Times
★★★★★ "This might be the most important documentary ever" – The Daily Mail
★★★★★ "Simply the best film of the year" – The Metro
★★★★★ "Like no movie seen before" – The Financial Times
★★★★★ "Unlike anything else out there" – Little White Lies
★★★★★ "Staggeringly original" – Time Out
★★★★★ "A devastating, surreal must-see" – The Evening Standard
★★★★★ "Shocking and surreal" – The Skinny
★★★★★ "A strange and startling documentary" – The Arts Desk
★★★★★ "Challenges the very limitations of what a documentary can be" – CineVue

"The Act of Killing", produced by Final Cut for Real, has already reached theatres in France and Holland, and release dates in the US are set for 19 July (New York) and 26 July (Los Angeles).

Four films on Indiewire's indie list

"The Act of Killing" is but one of four US releases this summer of Danish descent – all of which made it to Indiewire's list of indie "must-sees":

A Hijacking (21 June)
Dir. Tobias Lindholm
... a thriller with contemplative moments, the film teases out anticipation as the pirates must negotiate with officials in Copenhagen.

The Hunt (12 July)
Dir. Thomas Vinterberg
... a harrowing portrayal of a torn community and a man fighting for his dignity against impossible odds.

The Act of Killing (19 July)
Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
... the most unsettling movie about mass killing since "Shoah."

Only God Forgives (19 July)
Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn
... early screenings make it clear that Kristin Scott Thomas steals the show as Gosling's bloodthirsty gangster mother.

See Indiewire's full list including trailers

The Act of Killing

Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012

I 1965 væltede militæret den indonesiske regering, og over en million mennesker - kommunister, etniske kinesere og intellektuelle - blev udryddet. I filmen, der foregår i byen Medan på øen Sumatra, udfordrer filmskaberne dødspatruljeledere til at dramatisere deres rolle i folkemordet. Resultatet er en surrealistisk filmisk rejse ind i massemordernes forestillinger og fantasier om dem selv og deres ofre.

Only God Forgives

Nicolas Winding Refn, 2013

Julian driver en thai-bokseklub i Bangkok som dække over familiens narkoimperium. Da hans bror Billy bliver slået ihjel, ankommer deres mor Crystal til byen for at bringe liget af sin yndlingssøn hjem til USA og for at få Julian til at tage hævn over sin brors morder.

Jagten

Thomas Vinterberg, 2013

Den 40-årige fraskilte familiefar, Lucas, står foran en genforening med sin søn, da han pludseligt anklages for en kriminalitet, han ikke har begået og nu starter heksejagten i en mindre dansk provinsby. Hvor længe kan et menneske holde til det, når vennerne og kæresten også begynder at tvivle..

Kapringen

Tobias Lindholm, 2012

Fragtskibet MV Rozen er på vej mod havn, da det bordes og kapres af pirater i Det Indiske Ocean. Ombord er to danske sømænd, skibskokken Mikkel og maskinmesteren Jan, der bliver taget som gidsler i et kynisk spil om liv og død. For med kravet om en løsesum på millioner af dollars udløses et psykologisk drama mellem den danske skibsreder og de somaliske pirater.