Watch: “Other People’s Children.” “Life is both short and long.” That’s what an ancient-looking French gynecologist tells 40-something Rachel, who’s confronting the slowing of her biological clock – a cinematic concept often used as a bludgeon. But not in this film. Director Rebecca Zlotowski magnificently explores fertility and love, and the highs and lows of caring for other people’s children. – Gabrielle
Undrown yourself: in a glass of water. “My name is Cara Romero, and I came to this country because my husband wanted to kill me.” Angie Cruz’s novel “How not to Drown in a Glass of Water” starts with a bang and stays there. It’s a series of monologues delivered by Romero – a joyously unfiltered 55-year-old Dominican immigrant in NYC who has lost her factory job in the Great Recession – to a city job placement official she is ordered to meet with. Humanistic, moving, and often hilarious, it’s a short masterpiece about the Latina immigrant experience, generational trauma, and all the ways that bureaucracies are square holes made for round human beings. – Alex
Try this-Watch: “In the Bedroom.” Writer-director Todd Field is one of the most interesting filmmakers of his generation. A protege of Stanley Kubrick, Field has only made three films, usually taking large breaks before coming out with another masterpiece. Starring Tom Wilkinson and Sissy Spacek, this 2001 film centering on a Maine family is at once intimate, harrowing, and shocking. – Benjamin
