1 American Honey (15) (Andrea Arnold, 2016, UK/US) 164 mins
British auteur Arnold hits the open road for a dreamy, dishevelled cruise through the US midwest, her gift for sensual storytelling and marginalised landscapes still intact. The long, loose journey of lost teen Star (newcomer Sasha Lane) and pals including Shia LaBeouf’s Jake might frustrate impatient viewers, but it’s easy to get swept away with it all.
2 Kate Plays Christine (15)
(Robert Greene, 2016, US) 112 mins
A documentary about an actor preparing for a role might sound dull, but not here. The subject is Christine Chubbuck, a Florida newscaster who shot herself live on air in 1974. Actor Kate Lyn Sheil’s preparations to recreate the event spiral out into matters including identity, spectatorship and gun violence in this surprisingly complex and gripping tale.
3 The Greasy Strangler (18)
(Jim Hosking, 2016, UK) 93 mins
Seedy, offensive, cheap, repetitive and completely absurd, this studiously artless indie reaches for the gutter and gets there. Focusing on a father and son – the former of whom regularly slathers himself in lard and goes out killing people – it’s a guilty, gross-out pleasure.
4 My Scientology Movie (15)
(John Dower, 2015, UK) 97 mins
It’s hardly a forensic takedown, but Louis Theroux’s stumbling investigation into the church of Scientology delivers damning testimonies, scary re-enactments and some absurd confrontations with the organisation’s minions, whose infamous intimidation tactics fall pathetically flat.
5 Blood Father (15)
(Jean-François Richet, 2016, Fra) 88 mins
Mel Gibson’s real-life woes add an intriguing autobiographical element to this punchy dad thriller. His ravaged, ex-alcoholic tattoo artist has his work cut out when his estranged daughter comes knocking at his trailer door; she’s brought a whole heap of trouble with her.
