The Great Unwatched The greatest films you've probably never seen. BFI Restoration The Gold Diggers The ground-breaking debut feature from Sally Potter (Orlando) stars Julie Christie and is a key film in early 1980s feminist cinema. Animation & Artists Moving Image Drama 1984 89 mins Sally Potter BFI Restoration Friendship's Death Tilda Swinton plays an extra-terrestrial android discussing life’s big questions in this unique sci-fi by influential film theorist Peter Wollen. Science Fiction 1987 72 mins Peter Wollen Brother Takeshi Kitano directs and stars as a Japanese gangster who’s exiled to Los Angeles, where he builds a drugs empire that soon attracts Mafia interest. Thriller 2001 114 mins Takeshi Kitano Cosmopolis David Cronenberg’s chilling thriller in which a young billionaire’s insular world collapses during a limo ride across Manhattan, with Robert Pattinson Drama Crime 2012 109 mins David Cronenberg Black Joy Ben, an innocent immigrant from a remote village in Guyana, arrives in Brixton and falls prey to an assortment of streetwise characters in Anthony Simmons' Palme d’Or nominated comic drama. Comedy Drama 1977 99 mins Anthony Simmons Palindromes Todd Solondz’s casting of eight different actors of varying ages, genders and races to play the lead role of Aviva, makes for a truly original film. Comedy Drama 2004 100 mins Todd Solondz Scrubbers 1980s borstal drama – billed as the female Scum – featuring Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates in a ruthless women’s prison. Drama 1982 93 mins Mai Zetterling The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Thomas Clay’s unflinching story of teen drugs and violence scandalised the British film industry 20 years ago, but is arguably ripe for rehabilitation Thriller 2006 94 mins Thomas Clay Pharaoh Dazzling epic, in which the young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers. Historical drama 1965 146 mins Jerzy Kawalerowicz Long Day's Journey Into Night Bi Gan's ‘destroyed film noir' is a dazzling dive into an immersive dreamscape. Drama 2018 138 mins Bi Gan Bleak Moments Sylvia leads a quiet life caring for her sister Hilda who has complex care needs in Mike Leigh's deeply affecting debut feature film. Drama 1971 111 mins Mike Leigh Les Amants du Pont-Neuf A homeless addict (Denis Lavant) and a young painter (Juliette Binoche) with failing eyesight forge a bond on the streets of Paris. Drama Romance 1991 126 mins Léos Carax La Piscine A ménage à trois stirs passion and jealousy beside a secluded pool in this sultry, French cult-thriller. Drama 1969 123 mins Jacques Deray Currently unavailable Manhunter Michael Mann’s chilling and stylish adaptation of Thomas Harris’ bestseller introduced Hannibal Lecktor to cinema audiences for the first time. Crime Horror 1986 115 mins Michael Mann Currently unavailable El Mariachi A travelling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal, in Robert Rodriguez’s infamous ‘no budget’ exemplar of DIY action cinema. Crime Thriller 1992 82 mins Robert Rodriguez Chocolat Claire Denis' fully formed debut offers a child’s-eye-view of racial and sexual tension that bubbles with unspoken desires. Drama 1988 100 mins Claire Denis The Last Detail Jack Nicholson is at his very best in this highly-acclaimed dramatic comedy from Hal Ashby about three sailors on the loose. Comedy Drama 1973 104 mins Hal Ashby The Outcasts Haunting Irish folk-horror, from the writer of The Blood on Satan’s Claw, about an introverted farm girl suspected of witchcraft. Fantasy 1982 106 mins Robert Wynne-Simmons Discover exceptional cinema Just £6.99 per month or £65 per year. Subscribe annually with voucher code SUMMER26 to save £15. Subscribe now Available on multiple devices Help support a UK cultural charity Unique and trusted film picks New movies added weekly
BFI Restoration The Gold Diggers The ground-breaking debut feature from Sally Potter (Orlando) stars Julie Christie and is a key film in early 1980s feminist cinema. Animation & Artists Moving Image Drama 1984 89 mins Sally Potter
BFI Restoration Friendship's Death Tilda Swinton plays an extra-terrestrial android discussing life’s big questions in this unique sci-fi by influential film theorist Peter Wollen. Science Fiction 1987 72 mins Peter Wollen
Brother Takeshi Kitano directs and stars as a Japanese gangster who’s exiled to Los Angeles, where he builds a drugs empire that soon attracts Mafia interest. Thriller 2001 114 mins Takeshi Kitano
Cosmopolis David Cronenberg’s chilling thriller in which a young billionaire’s insular world collapses during a limo ride across Manhattan, with Robert Pattinson Drama Crime 2012 109 mins David Cronenberg
Black Joy Ben, an innocent immigrant from a remote village in Guyana, arrives in Brixton and falls prey to an assortment of streetwise characters in Anthony Simmons' Palme d’Or nominated comic drama. Comedy Drama 1977 99 mins Anthony Simmons
Palindromes Todd Solondz’s casting of eight different actors of varying ages, genders and races to play the lead role of Aviva, makes for a truly original film. Comedy Drama 2004 100 mins Todd Solondz
Scrubbers 1980s borstal drama – billed as the female Scum – featuring Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates in a ruthless women’s prison. Drama 1982 93 mins Mai Zetterling
The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael Thomas Clay’s unflinching story of teen drugs and violence scandalised the British film industry 20 years ago, but is arguably ripe for rehabilitation Thriller 2006 94 mins Thomas Clay
Pharaoh Dazzling epic, in which the young Pharaoh Ramses XIII clashes with Egypt's clergy over influence on the affairs of the state and its coffers. Historical drama 1965 146 mins Jerzy Kawalerowicz
Long Day's Journey Into Night Bi Gan's ‘destroyed film noir' is a dazzling dive into an immersive dreamscape. Drama 2018 138 mins Bi Gan
Bleak Moments Sylvia leads a quiet life caring for her sister Hilda who has complex care needs in Mike Leigh's deeply affecting debut feature film. Drama 1971 111 mins Mike Leigh
Les Amants du Pont-Neuf A homeless addict (Denis Lavant) and a young painter (Juliette Binoche) with failing eyesight forge a bond on the streets of Paris. Drama Romance 1991 126 mins Léos Carax
La Piscine A ménage à trois stirs passion and jealousy beside a secluded pool in this sultry, French cult-thriller. Drama 1969 123 mins Jacques Deray
Currently unavailable Manhunter Michael Mann’s chilling and stylish adaptation of Thomas Harris’ bestseller introduced Hannibal Lecktor to cinema audiences for the first time. Crime Horror 1986 115 mins Michael Mann
Currently unavailable El Mariachi A travelling mariachi is mistaken for a murderous criminal, in Robert Rodriguez’s infamous ‘no budget’ exemplar of DIY action cinema. Crime Thriller 1992 82 mins Robert Rodriguez
Chocolat Claire Denis' fully formed debut offers a child’s-eye-view of racial and sexual tension that bubbles with unspoken desires. Drama 1988 100 mins Claire Denis
The Last Detail Jack Nicholson is at his very best in this highly-acclaimed dramatic comedy from Hal Ashby about three sailors on the loose. Comedy Drama 1973 104 mins Hal Ashby
The Outcasts Haunting Irish folk-horror, from the writer of The Blood on Satan’s Claw, about an introverted farm girl suspected of witchcraft. Fantasy 1982 106 mins Robert Wynne-Simmons
