Asteroid City among the New Park films in Chichester

Asteroid City marks the triumphant return of Wes Anderson whose latest film sees him dipping a toe into the world of 50s sci-fi kitsch. Set in a fictional American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space cadet convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events including atom bomb testing taking place just kilometres from the convention. The superb cast lights up this delightful film.

According to The Times, Reality is an ‘astounding docudrama’. Director Tina Satter uses the transcripts of interviews with former intelligence operative Reality Winner who turned whistleblower. When the FBI arrive at her door there begins a verbal game of cat and mouse. This is palm-sweating stuff that will stay with you long after you leave.

Medusa Deluxe is a fantastic whodunnit set in the world of hairdressing. After a coiffeur gets scalped at an event, a model turns detective in this flamboyant first feature from Thomas Hardiman. The film unfolds back stage as models and hairdressers wait to be interviewed by detectives following the murder. A gripping and dizzyingly stylish thriller. My Imaginary Country is Patricio Guzmán’s staggering documentary that examines popular protest that swept through Chile in 2019, when hundreds of thousands of people – chiefly young women – took to the streets of Santiago. You can feel how awed Guzmán is by these young people – chiefly, in fact, young women.

Richard Warburton