A paragon of American independent cinema.

It's no wonder that Linklater references this as one of the most inspirational works of the 80's. Rarely does a film reflect more palpably (and hopefully) a need to be made at any cost. Director Wayne Wang's pioneering work subverts the detective genre, reminiscent of the 1940's-50's golden age of film noir, and infuses it with the spirit of a pioneering, grassroots cultural documentary. Today, it remains an achievement of focused artistic vision, overcoming…

Jeon Do-yeon turns in a remarkably holistic performance as Shin-ae, an unfortunate wife/mother turned into the embodiment of grief. Everything is under constant pressure -- her shoulders hunched down and heavy, tears that do not fall from her eyes but rather strain out from them, and sudden piercing cries that seem to suggest a soul trying desperately to escape the physical body for any kind of release.

Dir. Lee Chang-dong's delicate handheld camera and sparse editing empowers such a performance.…

Director James Wong returning to the throne to show us how it's done. The way he patiently sets up the rube goldberg machines, using menacing visual tilts, dollies, zooms, closeups and crane shots along with sensationalized audio cues to signify that something ain't quite right. It knows how to tease, when to elongate the suspense, how to let the audience play along, and when to deliver the goods when least expected. **spoilers!** The tanning bed scene is an all-timer, but…

Fire.

We don't get too many hot takes on society and race relations like this in the film world, let alone from an Asian-American perspective.

Dir. Justin Chon delivers a searing character-driven drama that is equal parts Boyz n the Hood + Clerks + La Haine while also being something completely its own. The visuals range from intensely personal to lyrically stunning, the acting is raw and visceral, and the story is built to hit you straight at the core.…