Greetings again from the darkness. The concept is interesting and relatable. A woman undertakes the solving of a mystery, and in the process, learns a great deal about herself. Writer-director Rebecca Zlotowski w-d (OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN, 2022) and co-writers Anne Berest and Gaelle Mace have delivered a film that works on a couple of levels: as a whodunit and self-discovery.
Oscar winner Jodie Foster plays Lillian Steiner, a successful psychiatrist with a bit of a chip on her shoulder. We see her leave a voicemail for a patient who has just missed her third appointment, followed immediately by an unscheduled drop-by from another patient – this one angry for having spent thousands of dollars for treatment by Lillian, when a hypnotist cured him of his smoking habit with a single visit. Lillian then learns that the no-show patient, Paula Cohen-Solal (Virginie Efira), has died. Paula’s daughter, Valerie (Luana Bajrami), informs her that Paula committed suicide by downing all the pills Lillian had prescribed.
The news sets Lillian off on the case, refusing to believe that she missed any warning signs during her sessions with Paula. A bizarre and uncontrollable case of tears sends Lillian to her ex-husband optometrist, Gabriel (Daniel Auteuil, CACHE, 2005) for an exam. He finds nothing that physically explains the tears, and she then leans on Gabriel for guidance on the case, and the two re-kindle a bit more than that. Lillian’s relationship with her son Julian (Vincent Lacoste) is a bit icy and she purposefully avoids alone time with her baby grandchild. Paula’s husband Simon (Mathieu Amalric, THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, 2007) and daughter Valerie play key roles here as Lillian tries to put the pieces together.
There is no shortage of characters to keep track of, including Dr. Goldstein (renowned documentarian Frederick Wiseman), a former professor who bluntly explains to Lillian that she’s always been a bit of a pain, and Jessica the hypnotist (Sophie Guilleman) first visited by Lillian’s smoking patient. When Lillian herself goes ‘under’, much is revealed about her past and true feelings, and though she doesn’t admit it, this session has opened her up.
This is a French film and in addition to the French actors mentioned above, a couple other long-time well-respected French actors appear: Aurore Clement (PARIS, TEXAS 1984) and Irene Jacob (AU REVOIR LES ENFANTES, 1987). Some may be surprised at Jodie Foster’s excellemt French dialogue … sprinkled with the occasional colorful English. Cinematographer brilliantly uses spiral staircases as Lillian works through the maze of information, and viewers should take note that this is not the typical ‘American in Paris’ fairy tale. It’s more of a psychological character study.
Opens in theaters on January 30, 2026
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. If not for a few bizarre (and interesting) visual metaphors tossed in, one might mistake this film from Icelandic filmmaker Hlynur Palmason (GODLAND, 2022) as a documentary. After all, we are mostly watching one family’s life over the course of a year. There are no car chases or criminal masterminds – just a few people living their lives.
Greetings again from the darkness. ‘Arco, phone home’. OK, that’s not actually a line of dialogue in this Oscar nominated animated feature film from w-d Ugo Bienvenu, co-director Gilles Cazaux, and co-writer and Felix de Givry … but the line sure fits. Taking place in the future, the film’s strong themes are family, friends, and coming-of-age.
Greetings again from the darkness. The Sundance Film Festival does a terrific job each year of selecting captivating short films. One of the films in the lineup of this year’s shorts program on January 24, 2026 is from Swedish filmmaker Lovisa Siren, and it’s a gem.
Greetings again from the darkness. We can pick our friends, but not our family or neighbors. However, we can (and do) speculate on and judge our neighbors – and that’s what occurs in this smart little film from writer-director Leon Prudovsky and co-writer Dmitri Malinsky. The premise of the film may initially seem absurd to some, but the final version is touching and quite entertaining.
Greetings again from the darkness. Chinese filmmaker Bi Gan’s third feature continues his string of visually stunning films and dramatic visual effects. However, this one runs 160 minutes, and seems to be inaccessible to most moviegoers, while the film will surely mesmerize a few. Bi Gan is a cinematic artist who is at ease toying with time and our sense of normalcy.
Greetings again from the darkness. What is true human nature? Is there even such a thing? Are we preprogrammed to do the right thing, or is it our nature to hold grudges, seek revenge, and take advantage of every situation? This superb film from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi explores the topic, and it’s important to know that he was inspired to write the story after being imprisoned for creating propaganda against the regime.
Greetings again from the darkness. Like most who obsess over cinema, I went through my French New Wave phase. Actually, binge is likely more accurate since the phase has yet to end. I’ll always make time for Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Rohmer, Varda, and Demy. American director Richard Linklater clearly shares this fondness as he releases this homage on the heels of BLUE MOON, his other superb 2025 release. Co-writers on this film are Holly Gent, Laetitia Masson, Vincent Palmo Jr, and Michele Petin … two of whom have previous collaborations with Linklater.
Greetings again from the darkness. Watching this film is how I imagine it would be to view a poem. It’s meditative and slow … somehow calming us as we contemplate the topics broached. Director Charlie McDowell (THE ONE I LOVE, 2014) and screenwriter Robert Jones have adapted the 1972 novel by Tove Jansson. Granted, it’s an unusual set up for a film shown anywhere outside of a film festival, yet because it is poignant and relatable, it’s an easy one to recommend.
Greetings again from the darkness. When we first meet Mr. Blake, he’s tidily packing a small suitcase and informing an anxious phone caller that he will not be attending the ‘Man of the Year’ award ceremony, even as he’s being introduced as the guest of honor in the background. We realize Blake is leaving London because he takes one last forlorn glance at his long-time apartment before heading “back to where it began.” It’s rare for the author of the source novel to adapt and direct a film, but that’s the situation here with Gilles Legardinier and his 2012 book, “Complètement cramé !” Co-writer Christel Henon helped with the screenplay.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 