Autumn is here again, and with it come shorter days and slower evenings. When the weather turns grey, many of us reach for something equally moody to balance it out but with so many new movies released monthly, it’s easy to overlook the quieter, more thoughtful ones, those that draw you in slowly and stay on your mind after. The ones that don’t just entertain, but make you feel something, maybe even think a little. Here are a few that do exactly that, stories that move at their own pace…
Sorry, baby
2025 – 1h 43m | ☆☆☆☆
‘Sorry, baby’ perfectly balances drama and comedy in a story about pain, guilt, regret and distrust in the most natural yet still warm way. Eva Victor, who both directs and stars as the main protagonist, offers a strong character study of what it means to find a way to move on in life. With thoughtful camerawork and a carefully set atmosphere, the movie avoids unnecessary heaviness, while all the dialogue throughout feels real, just as we would experience in life and in the situations we’ve been through. Somehow, it makes you feel safe, yet still manages to show the rawness of emotions that come with such a situation.
Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
2022 – 2h 39m | ☆☆☆☆☆
With this movie, director Alejandro Iñárritu looks back at his own past and offers an honest self-reflection on a life spent through a series of events and stories, while facing an existential crisis between living in Los Angeles and Mexico City. Thanks to the stunning cinematography and visual storytelling, reality and dreams blend together seamlessly, creating a thought-provoking story full of surprises, with a deeply personal message floating just beneath the surface. Bardo is a well-layered, complex, and sometimes absurd movie that feels almost like a poem, full of metaphors, each one more thoughtful than the last.
It’s a movie that asks for patience, as it takes its time to unfold, but if you allow yourself to get lost in it, the experience becomes rewarding. It might not be a movie for everyone, but if you’re open to what the director wants to share, it might leave you with something personal to think about. Streams on Netflix.
Parallel Mothers
2021 – 2h 3m | ☆☆☆☆☆
Pedro Almodóvar once again brings together everything he’s known for. Staying true to his ability to write complex and engaging roles for women, he offers a story about motherhood, full of emotion, surprising turns, and beautifully written dialogues. Each female character shapes her own path, which feels like a refreshing change in a movie industry still often centred around men.
Penélope Cruz takes us on a wonderful and intense rollercoaster of emotions in a story that, while seemingly about one thing, turns out to be about something much deeper, touching on Spain’s history in a subtle but powerful way. The movie is visually stunning, with Almodóvar’s unmistakable attention to colour and detail. His use of warm tones, contrasting palettes, and carefully designed interiors mirrors the emotional intensity of each scene, making Parallel Mothers also visually unforgettable. Available via Apple TV or Viaplay.
Pain and Glory
2019 – 1h 53m | ☆☆☆☆☆
Pain and Glory is a beautifully told autobiographical movie about emptiness and recollection of the past. Almodóvar here reflects on pain, sadness, forgiveness and regret, and how to find a way to heal from what’s unfinished. Antonio Banderas’ award-worthy performance as the director’s alter ego is understated yet powerful. No wonder Almodóvar once mentioned that Banderas is to him what Marcello Mastroianni was to Federico Fellini.
The movie takes its time, letting emotions and inner struggles appear naturally, without ever feeling forced. Every scene is carefully framed, with colour compositions and lighting that elevate the emotional depth of the story. The result is a movie that feels both deeply personal and visually captivating, a reminder of how beauty and pain can coexist so naturally.
The Farewell
2019 – 1h 40m | ☆☆☆☆
The Farewell is a bittersweet tragicomedy that offers an intimate look at family life and cultural differences in China. It’s an exploration of what sets Chinese culture apart from Western ways of living. Lulu Wang’s story of an independent Chinese-American woman returning home is quietly moving, a thoughtful portrait of a family coping with loss, told through themes of love, death, tradition and belonging.
The movie moves at a calm, deliberate pace, allowing its emotions to build naturally rather than forcing them. The cinematography complements this beautifully, with soft, natural light and carefully framed shots that add warmth to the story. All the dialogue feels real, often funny, yet deeply human and poetic.
