Ten Films to See at the Brisbane International Film Festival

This year's Brisbane Film Festival provides a showcase of some of the world's finest, funniest and frightening films. From thrilling psychological thrillers to dark black comedies, there's sure to be a flick for even the pickiest of movie goers.

And to help you narrow things down, we've handpicked ten of the best films showing at this year's festival.

Sightseers

The premise and execution of Sightseers is what might have happened if Edgar Wright had been given the film rights to Bonny and Clyde. This Brit-com contains everything great and loved about British humour. The story is centered around a rather odd couple. Chris (Steve Oram) takes his girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe) around the British towns of rural England for inspiration for a book he's writing. However their circumstances take unusual turns until things go horribly wrong. This film is charming and hilarious with its quick-wit humour and original concept. It truly cements Ben Whately as a director to keep our eyes on.

Compliance

This tightly scripted psychological thriller was described by the Huffington Post as possibly “the most disturbing movie ever made." Set in a simple fast food restaurant, a prank caller convinces the restaurant manager to interrogate an innocent young employee, leaving no-one unharmed. This sickening narrative quickly transcends from its fast-food setting into something much darker, and far more haunting. Given this story is based on true events, it is sure to be one of the most unsettling and provocative films at this year's festival.

The Man with the Iron Fists

Decapitations, Quentin Tarantino, Russel Crowe, and a healthy dose of kung fu – what more could anyone really want from a movie? This great action movie's abundance of fight scenes, complex characters and violence and gore are second only after the film's overall construction and cinematography. From start to finish, the film's breathtaking shots and astounding art style will have you blown away.

Berberian Sound Studio

It seems that this year's festival is providing a showcase largely dominated by dark, psychological thrillers – and Berberian Sound Studio is no exception. This masterpiece of claustrophobic, psychological horror unfolds entirely within a British sound engineer's studio. Hired to soundtrack a grisly '70s D-grade Italian horror film, the sound engineer finds his life beginning to interfere with the film, and vice versa. While the performances by Cosimo Fusco and Toby Jones are spectacular, it's really the direction and the sound that are the film's main attractions.

God Bless America

On a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens, a terminally ill man makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy. This dark black comedy, made on a small budget, will probably make you side with Frank (Joel Murray), gawking at the awkward stupidity of the Americans portrayed in this movie. The script and Murray's brilliant portrayal as a principled, moral character who has his suicide interrupted by one terrible reality TV show too many make for a unique, absurd but nonetheless engaging and funny film. Along the way he teams up with a psychotic schoolgirl - he's rebelling violently about what society has become, she's rebelling against what society is.

Robot & Frank

This heartwarming sci-fi comedy follows an elderly ex-jewel thief, Frank, and his butler robot as they grow to be companions and accomplices. The film was a crowd favourite at this year's Sundance Film Festival, where it nabbed the Alfred P. Sloan Prize. The script and plot have been criticised, purely for being a little too 'sappy', but combined with the film's fantastic performances, beautiful cinematography and heartwarming portrayal, this film is something quite more than a hit-and-miss heartwarming comedy.

Maniac

It's a little unsettling to see Frodo yielding a knife and violently scalping young girls as Elijah Wood truly puts his heart into this role as a disturbed killer. A remake of the the 1980s classic horror film, Maniac follows Elijah Wood's character, Frank, who was tormented by his mother when he was very young. As a result of this, he grew up to be a shy, sick man who murders women, scalps them, and displays their hair on mannequins around his apartment. He ends up falling in love with a woman named Anna (Nora Arnezeder), who at a glance, seems to tame Frank's murderous ambitions, leading to a very interesting climax. This movie isn't simply a horror film, nor a slasher, rather a well crafted, disturbing combination of the two.

Inbred

From the Walking Dead to the the chain of Resident Evil movies, it seems that Hollywood just won't stop pushing the zombie craze. Rest assure however, as there are some directors out there who are going out on a limb to create something so much more than the typical apocalyptic, blood and gore film. Inbred is one such movie that has manipulated the overused zombie plot to create a far more interesting cinematic experience to feast on. Of course there are the unsuspected victims and an innocent looking small country town, however the cinematic role of zombies has been replaced by something far more scary and real – inbred people. This movie is hard to label as horror given its absurdity, however it makes for a entertaining and engaging piece of cinema.

Death Rides a Horse

This 1967 Italian western is a real treat for movie goers at this year's festival. This oft-overlooked classic from the Spaghetti Western era follows Bill as he embarks on an adventure to avenge the death of this family by four bandits. Along the way he meets Ryan, an ex-con who wants the money the robbers owe him. Together they form an unholy alliance - a dynamic duo combining raw, untamed youth and the experience only a master gun-fighter can offer in the Wild West.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

If you have never seen this timeless classic, then now is your chance to experience what Quentin Tarantino described as “the greatest achievement in the history of cinema.” Rated an almost unheard of 9.0 on IMDB, and listed number five on their Top 250 films of all time, this sprawling western epic lives up to all of its hype and credit. The film follows professional gunslinger Blondie - The Good - hit man Angel eyes - The Bad - and wanted outlaw Tuco - The Ugly - as they search for $200,000 in stolen gold. This is one of those films that only gets better after every viewing. There isn't a wasted scene in this bold, engaging classic and is easily one of the best western films of all time.