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Phantom Cinema: The Films of Nina Menkes | Official Trailer | Hand-picked by MUBI

Nina Menkes’s films (Queen of Diamonds, Phantom Love, Magdalena Viraga, and more!) uncover the unnerving condition of feminine alienation enforced by patriarchal cruelty. Her complex heroines drift on the margins of society, from ramshackle motel rooms to casino halls, while her experimental style has drawn comparisons to other feminist filmmakers such as Chantal Akerman.

Recent reviews

One of the greatest films of the 90s, Todd Haynes and Julianne Moore’s portrait of a suburban housewife beset by ambient fear is a masterpiece of slow-burn atmosphere and cultural critique. A breakthrough for the director and star, they create an enthrallingly open-ended film of haunting resonance.

Now streaming here.

This exquisite restoration of Hungarian maestro Béla Tarr’s magnum opus has been a long time coming. Shot in languorous, extended takes and riven with mordant humour, Sátántangó is a pungent, Beckettian epic of the human condition. Don’t let the running time put you off, this is essential cinema.

Now streaming here.

One of Susan Sontag’s favorites, Alain Resnais’ acclaimed Mélo shines through its interplay between the theatrical and cinematic. Adapting Henri Bernstein’s play closely, Resnais’ rendition varies with immaculate long takes and compositions, highlighting outstanding performances from his actors.

Now streaming here.

Filmmaking brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani made history with this provocative masterwork, the first feature to win both the Palme d’Or and the Critics Prize at Cannes. For its raw yet surreal depiction of rural life, Padre Padrone was famously championed by Roberto Rossellini and Akira Kurosawa.

Now streaming here.

Liked reviews

The scars of war are laid bare in this piercing drama from writer-director Maksym Nakonechnyi. Stylistically inventive and featuring a compelling lead performance from newcomer Rita Burkovska, Butterfly Vision is a timely testament to the trauma and resilience of women on the Ukrainian frontlines.

Now streaming exclusively in 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇮🇳 🇮🇪 🇧🇷 🇲🇽🇨🇦 here. A MUBI Release.

Wild with the elemental powers of water, fire, and air, Léa Mysius’s witchy second feature inventively folds a queer love story—featuring a magnetic Adèle Exarchopoulos—in a girl’s time-hopping coming-of-age fantasy. Magic is afoot in this genre-defying family tale of desire, prejudice, and revenge.

Now streaming exclusively here (almost) globally. A MUBI Release.

The stakes keep on rising in this riveting and award-winning portrait of a unique character. As Jaime speaks charismatically to the camera, the boundaries between reality and fiction blur and become indistinct. En route to its unexpected ending, the film asks: Perception is reality, or is it?

Now streaming exclusively here (almost) globally.

Riotously campy as a 1950s housewife awakened to fetishistic thrills, Oscar® nominee Andrea Riseborough is a vortex of sexual chaos in Amanda Kramer’s genderqueer musical fantasia, also starring Demi Moore. Dripping with neon colors, Please Baby Please surrenders to the ecstasy of erotic liberation.

Now streaming exclusively here (almost) globally.