No matter the changes and upheavals from recent years, Cahiers du cinéma’s status as cinematic north pole has waned little––evidenced by annual top 10 lists combining beloved arthouse titles, one or two mainstream favorites, and titles whose status has yet to be established stateside.
This year is the epitome of such, topping out with Alain Guiraudie’s great Misericordia––his fifth time on the list and second in first place, after 2013’s Stranger by the Lake––and continuing with Todd Haynes’ May December (old news to us, a theatrical release for France). Works that have shown up many places this year and last (The Zone of Interest, In Water, All We Imagine as Light, Evil Does Not Exist) find real estate with three those either lesser-seen or entirely disregarded in America: Rodrigo Moreno’s The Delinquents, Sophie Fillières’ Ma vie ma guele, and Jonás Trueba’s Septembre sans attendre. Meanwhile––and in a sterling confirmation that Cahiers knows what is up––there is love for M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap.
See the full list below: