At Eternity’s Gate

Art lovers get a chance to peek into the troubled, kaleidoscopic vision of artist Vincent Van Gogh in this inspired film by Julian Schnabel. Willem Dafoe is compelling as the artist who is somewhat of an outsider to the world he inhabits — his vision and his art do not always fit the demands of his time. The best scenes revolve around him simply watching the sky, the sunset and the colours that escape through them. Structured in episodic moments, At Eternity’s Gate paints a rich and impressionistic portrait of an artist who was truly ahead of his time.

Spencer

At the beginning itself, Spencer declares that it isn’t just a biopic of Princess Diana but a “...fable from a true tragedy” that chooses to reimagine Diana attending a Christmas holiday with the royal family. In director Pablo Larráin’s brooding chamber piece drama, Diana is unable to find a way out of the walls that seem to be closing in on her. Kristen Stewart is captivating as a spiraling woman whose depression and stress starts to eat her alive. A bulimic Diana sees Anne Boleyn in her dreams, breaks down under the demanding scrutiny and vomits her food out. Spencer is a haunting, anguished fever dream of a film that ultimately provides Diana her own agency.

Mank

You may not have heard of Herman J. Mankiewicz, the man who wrote the screenplay of Citizen Kane, often considered as the greatest movie ever made. For director David Fincher, who is mostly known for his masterful crime thrillers, the biopic of this man is his most personal work yet. With a screenplay written by his father Jack Fincher, Fincher deftly tells the story of this bumbling, idiosyncratic man who is part self-righteous, part insecure. Brimming with stylised old Hollywood set pieces and fuelled by rich performances, Mank is a movie about the making of a movie that is as good as it gets.

Tick, Tick... BOOM!

The extraordinary life of Jonathan Larson is brought to life by Andrew Garfield and director Lin-Manuel Miranda. Larson was a piece of work, a highly intelligent Broadway director who pulled no stops to create what he wanted. tick, tick...BOOM! focuses on the anxieties and inspiration behind the creative process as Larson approaches the age of 30 and the realisation that he has to create something important that will outlive him. A meta-musical, Garfield makes this charming and moving tribute to a true genius unforgettable.

Judas and the Black Messiah

This truly gripping drama by director Shaka King gives Daniel Kaluuya a role of a lifetime as chairman —Fred Hampton, who was just 21 when he was assassinated — of the Black Panther Party. Judas and the Black Messiah tells the true story of Hampton, whose party was spied upon by FBI informant William O’Neal (a superb LaKeith Stanfield) in the late 1960s. Even though we are well aware of what lies ahead, Judas and the Black Messiah will sweep you off your feet with its rousing storytelling and impeccably shot sequences.

First Man

Neil Armstrong holds centrestage as the first man to land on the moon, and beyond in Damien Chazelle’s overlooked First Man. This biopic ensures we see the process behind the mission that changed the course of space exploration forever. Ryan Gosling slips into the role of Armstrong with an internalised passion, a person who is grieving inside. What First Man does so well is put the viewer in the mind and body of the man inside the rocket... where the harrowing speed and force reduces everything else one can anticipate. When First Man moves towards the reenactment of the moment on the moon, it is breathtakingly good.

Elvis

A Baz Luhrmann movie about one of the most celebrated artistes of a generation lives up to expectations. The roller-coaster life story of Elvis Presley is a gigantic hill to climb, and Luhrmann does so by following the lead of Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). The flamboyance, drama and dazzle all culminate perfectly in Austin Butler’s embodiment of the rock ’n’ roll man, as Elvis tracks the rebellious space that burst into 1960s culture. It is almost like a fairy tale, one that ensured mostly chaos and spectacle.

I, Tonya

Margot Robbie played Tonya Harding, the Olympic figure skater, in this Craig Gillespie directorial that revolved around the infamous attack on her competitor Nancy Kerrigan. I, Tonya is not just a film about its star in the traditional sense of a biopic. It also works as a black comedy, and in some ways a cautionary tale that digs out unexpected sympathy for the characters that inhabit its world. Outrageously entertaining and propelled by a scene-stealing Allison Janney as Tonya’s abusive mother LaVona Harding, I, Tonya has a swagger that rings with acidic truth.