Dan Gilroy dives into the world of contemporary art with a fierce satire that shifts from cynicism to the macabre. In “Velvet Buzzsaw”, the sophistication of galleries, market speculation, and the vanity of critics provide the stage for a biting critique, where beauty becomes tainted and the gaze turns into a sentence. When aesthetics are corrupted by ambition, even art finds ways to retaliate — and none of them offer salvation.

Blending social satire and romantic melodrama, “Meet the Khumalos” revives Shakespeare’s rebellious spirit and transplants it into the vibrant heart of contemporary South Africa. Amid secret passions, family rivalries, and unlikely reconciliations, director Jayan Moodley weaves a mosaic of emotions strained by pride, tradition, and the urge to break free — showing how love can still defy even the most deep-rooted structures.

Between the weight of tradition and unspoken desires, “Promised Hearts” guides its protagonist along a path where love must negotiate with social and religious constraints. Set in Indonesia and grounded in Islamic values, the film unfolds as a classic melodrama, where emotional bonds are tested by rigid structures, loyalty dilemmas, and the constant tension between devotion and freedom.

Amid the preparations for a seaside wedding, a wave of family tensions threatens to turn the celebration into an emotional battleground. “Love Forever” uses biting humor and everyday awkwardness to lay bare the disarray of relationships, revealing how social rituals often mask long-standing conflicts, insecurities, and unspoken truths — especially when no one is willing to give in.

Amid Norway’s relentless snow and the exhaustion of a life adrift, a woman attempts to regain control through an extreme challenge: crossing the 54 km of the Birken marathon. “The Wrong Track” isn’t about idealized triumph, but rather the raw, hesitant effort of someone who has lost almost everything — and still refuses to stop. Each step in the snow is also a step away from the spiral of self-sabotage consuming her.

By turning decay into spectacle, “Banger” invites the viewer to a surreal rave amid the rubble of cultural relevance. With sharp irony, meticulously measured humor, and a pulsating visual style, So-Me weaves a scathing critique of the French electronic scene, exposing recycled vanity as hollow resistance and nostalgia as the beat of a party long over, yet unwilling to turn off the lights and face the silence.

In a setting where the line between justice and barbarism dissolves, “Squad 36” plunges into the world of officers who betrayed their own badge. Olivier Marchal returns to the realm of institutional corruption with a dense thriller, in which a demoted commander faces — alone — the rotting machinery he once helped operate. The result is a story that confronts ethical collapse without offering relief — only the persistence of the abyss.