Alice's pick: The Worst Person In The World by Joachim Trier

Harvey's pick: Aftersun by Charlotte Wells

Aftersun directed by Charlotte Wells.

In a time where so many filmmakers are reflecting on their upbringings and occasionally the origin to their love of filmmaking, no one has done it so more powerfully than Charlotte Wells in her masterfully crafted first feature Aftersun. I believe so many recognised women filmmakers are reinventing the form, and for my money Wells has reinvented memory. 

With an incredibly subtle performance from Paul Mescal, opposite the lively magic of Frankie Corio, we are taken on a tangled web of the past and present dancing the mind of a woman looking back on a holiday she shared with her father. It may not showcase early love of film but demonstrates her understanding and unique talent for it. It’s a true nostalgic magic trick that feels like your own past, the boxed framing and visceral texture are almost touchable and as we are taken on this subconscious voyage we are left shattered by the journey’s hidden revelations.

Rowe's pick: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris by Anthony Fabian

Damon's pick: The Northman by Robert Eggers

Northman directed by Robert Eggers.

In a year packed with a lot of standout films including the long-awaited dark reworking of The Batman and the masterful Everything Everywhere All At Once. It was hard to pick one film to praise. However, the favourite I had for the year was Robert Egger’s The Northman. As a fan of his previous works, The VVitch and The Lighthouse, I looked forward to this one. I was further intrigued as I also have an interest in Nordic mythology. I was curious about his interpretation of ancient literature and history of the Nordic saga. The Northman seemed accurate and honed in its approach.

I was blown away by the beauty of the cinematography, the stand out performances, its scale and its brutally forceful impact. The Northman showcases that fighting for what you hold dear is important and that love and hate are never too far from each other, leading to the discoveries that sometimes the most-simple things in life can be the most important. When these are stripped from us, a desire for hate and vengeance is left. It felt important and timeless and proved to be a memorable, badass movie experience.

Lara's pick: Moonage Daydream by Brett Morgen

Tom's pick: X by Ti West 

^{X directed by Ti West.}

Acting in part as a love-letter to Tobe Hooper’s classic slasher The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, X isn’t just a pastiche, it’s a slasher that plays into the time period it’s set in perfectly by pairing the anxieties surrounding violent movies with the reaction towards the rising adult film industry of the 70s. I am a big fan of exploitation and independent cinema in the 1970s, so naturally X ticked all of the boxes for me, and while lacking a little in subtlety, it twists the tried and true tropes of the slasher in a way that felt familiar yet refreshing.

On top of having a slasher villain that not only pairs with its themes perfectly, yet creates a weird moral ambiguity, one where you’re not sure if you should feel sorry for them, along with being further explored in the yet-to-be-released-in-the-UK prequel Pearl. Everything comes together to create a film that not only caters to my taste perfectly, but generally makes for a really entertaining and gripping watch that hasn’t left my mind since seeing it.

^{Everything Everywhere All At Once by Daniels.}