Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £4.99 a month
Ashkal
The investigation into a series of unexplained deaths hints to the supernatural, in this thrillingly unconventional police procedural.
Director: Youssef Chebbi
Overview
In the eerie desolation of the half-built Gardens of Carthage, a major development whose construction was halted in the early days of the Tunisian Revolution, the burned body of a caretaker is found amongst the skeletal remains of forgotten buildings. The local police conclude death by self-immolation, but the discovery of a second victim a few days later leads detectives Batal and Fatma to suspect foul play. As the mysteries mount, the two investigators edge their way closer to a terrifying truth.
Skilfully exploiting the uncanny quiet of this architectural ghost town (breathtakingly shot by Hazem Berrabah), director Youssef Chebbi’s enigmatic fusion of melancholy neo-noir and the fantastical (think True Detective by way of The X-Files) is a politically tinged enigma, trading in bold provocations, rather than easy answers.
Related
The Night of the Party The Night of the Party
Crime 1934 61 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell’s fun stage adaptation about a murder at a society party, with characterful performances from its fine ensemble cast.
The Beasts The Beasts
Drama 2022 138 mins Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Denis Ménochet (Peter von Kant) stars as a small-town farmer whose idyllic lifestyle turns into a living nightmare, in this rivetingly structured, slow-burn thriller.
She Dies Tomorrow She Dies Tomorrow
Drama 2020 84 mins Director: Amy Seimetz
Amy knows she's going to die tomorrow and her fear is contagious.
The Beta Test The Beta Test
Horror 2021 93 mins Director: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe
Indie actor-director Jim Cummings returns after his breakout hit Thunder Road with a pacey down-the-rabbit-hole thriller about a Hollywood talent agent who becomes ensnared in a sinister world of sex, lies and murder.
The Wages of Fear The Wages of Fear
Crime 1953 153 mins Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Henri-Georges Clouzot's classic, nail-biting suspense thriller won both The Golden Bear and the Palme d'Or in 1953.
Muscle Muscle
Thriller 2019 111 mins Director: Gerard Johnson
A directionless call centre salesman gets more than he bargained for when he joins a local gym, in Gerard Johnson's stunning dissection of masculinity.
A Touch of Zen A Touch of Zen
Action and Adventure 1971 179 mins Director: King Hu
King Hu's epic swordplay saga combines ghost story, martial arts mastery and Buddhist mythology to stunning, hypnotic effect.
Black Orpheus Black Orpheus
Romance 1959 107 mins Director: Marcel Camus
Academy Award and Palme d'Or-winning adaption of the Orpheus myth, incorporating the music, costume and dance of Brazil’s Rio Festival.
Memories of Underdevelopment Memories of Underdevelopment
Drama 1968 99 mins Director: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea
A mesmerising and complex character study of alienation amid tumultuous social change, from one of Cuba’s greatest directors, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea.
La Ronde La Ronde
Drama 1950 89 mins Director: Max Ophuls
Ophuls’ exquisite, imaginative adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler’s play about a carousel of erotic encounters involving characters of different social status.
French Cancan French Cancan
Period drama 1955 104 mins Director: Jean Renoir
Based on the story of Moulin Rouge founder Charles Zidler, Jean Renoir’s tale of an impresario’s commitment to his art is a masterpiece of Technicolor brilliance.
Les Enfants du paradis Les Enfants du paradis
Drama 1945 190 mins Director: Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné's masterpiece of French cinema portrays the theatrical milieu of Paris' 'Boulevard du Crime'.
A Touch of Zen A Touch of Zen
Action and Adventure 1971 179 mins Director: King Hu
King Hu's epic swordplay saga combines ghost story, martial arts mastery and Buddhist mythology to stunning, hypnotic effect.
Les Enfants du paradis Les Enfants du paradis
Drama 1945 190 mins Director: Marcel Carné
Marcel Carné's masterpiece of French cinema portrays the theatrical milieu of Paris' 'Boulevard du Crime'.
Plan 75 Plan 75
Drama 2022 113 mins Director: Chie Hayakawa
Faced with a rapidly ageing population, a government in near-future Japan rolls out an unsettling agenda.
The Edge of the World The Edge of the World
Drama 1937 75 mins Director: Michael Powell
Michael Powell's daring, windswept story of the inhabitants of a remote island who find their way of life threatened by a rapidly industrialising world.
De Humani Corporis Fabrica De Humani Corporis Fabrica
Documentary 2022 118 mins Director: Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel
The psychedelic physicality of this mortal coil – journey into the systems that comprise the human body in this fascinating sensory experience.
Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures Great Yarmouth: Provisional Figures
Drama 2023 113 mins Director: Marco Martins and Marco Martins
As Brexit looms on the horizon, hundreds of migrant workers arrive in the coastal town of Great Yarmouth looking for work, in Marco Martins’ damning depiction of immigrant life in a fracturing Britain.