The Orphanage - 2007 - Belén Rueda

At long last, a bit of fresh air in the world of horror! This is no gooey, gory Hollywood horror with an ultimate, ugly evil. It seems we should expect the resurrection of horror to take place in Europe where it was born. A true successor to The Others. Omid Nikfarjam

Once - 2006 - John Carney

A love story told through a wonderful music video. Glen Hansard plays a down in the dumps busker/hoover repairer trying to make it as a singer song writer. While busking in Dublin he meets Markéta Irglová, a young Czech mother. Together they embark on a funny and uplifting stuggle to put their lives right. JJ

Young Adam - 2003 - David Mackenzie

Dark, erotic and brave, Young Adam tells the story of an apparently cold-hearted aspiring writer in search of God knows what! Brilliant story, fantastic lead character and good acting make this one of the best British dramas in the last decade. Ewan McGregor’s never been this good. Omid Nikfarjam

Roman de gare - 2007 - Claude Lelouch

If you liked the sometimes violent scripts of Chabrol and Truffaut,  strongly inspired by Hitchcock, or the endless dialogues of Rohmer about love – take a bus and go watch Roman de gare.  A is B, or C but no, maybe it’s D. Is E, killed by F or by G? Is this character even alive.  Lots of questions, and answers too. Mario Alemi.

Sl8n8 - 2006 - Frank van Geloven, Edwin Visser

Horror movies are a bit like sex. You have sex in some different, exotic place, wear costumes and use implements - if you’re into that - but essentially it’s routine. The fact that this movie is in Dutch, and is set in a disused mineshaft makes it different, but everything else remains the same. Brian Murray

Anamorph - 2007 - Henry Miller

Aesthetically beautiful thriller, with a very interesting perspective on perspective. Willem Dafoe is a police profiler of serial killers, and becomes so obsessed with the case that he can no longer see the wood for the trees. Brian Murray

In Bruges - 2008 - Martin McDonagh

Two Irish hit men waiting for the call that will tell them about their next job; turns out it’s no ordinary job. Very funny and witty and bitter, In Bruges is about friendship and sticking to principles. Oh, just in case you don’t know, “fucking Bruges is in Belgium!” Omid Nikfarjam

Jules et Jim - 1962 - François Truffaut

After watching this bizarre love triangle I was surprised that Catherine, the female tempest, wasn’t given a title credit. Interesting also to note how much Amélie, the most successful French film of the last decade, mimicked the quirkiness and playfulness of this entertaining and intriguing gem. JJ

Vampires - 1998 - John Carpenter

James Woods stars in this vampire movie that never really takes off. There’s killing, religion, sex - all the usual suspects that you would expect to see in a vampire movie, but it doesn’t do anything to capture the imagination. Brian Murray

My Brother Is an Only Child - 2007 - Daniele Luchetti

Lucchetti’s best film remains The Yes Man (Portaborse, Il), but with My Brother is an Only Child, he recreates the tension in republican Italy post WW2, through his portrayal of two brothers, one a fascist the other a communist. Dramatises the delusion on both sides and how it led to “left” and “right” terrorism of the ’70s. Mario Alemi