What I've Been Watching: March 28-April 1

Another few days, another few films. These ones were particularly long for some reason, but were a staggeringly fantastic bunch. All of them are worth seeing for their own merits.

THE SACRIFICE (1986), Russian auteur Andrei Tarkovsky's final film before his death, this meditation on morals and religion feels particularly relevant in that it follows a man sacrificing his values in the face of a nuclear holocaust. Immaculately filmed, a slow burn that quite literally erupts in an unforgettable climax. Stream on the Criterion Channel, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.

TURTLES CAN FLY (2004), an Iraqi-Iranian coproduction chronicling the eve of the American invasion of Iraq, the film uses real refugee children as its protagonists in a film that feels caught between fiction and documentary. It's a tremendous accomplishment, however, if you can stomach it. Stream on Hulu, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.

SECRETS & LIES (1996), one of British filmmaker Mike Leigh's absolute best films, this Palme d'Or winning masterpiece follows a black woman tracking down her birth mother, who is white. Phenomenal performances across the board, this is sensitive, delicate storytelling at its most genuine and earnest. Stream on the Criterion Channel.

TESS (1979), the first film Roman Polanski made after he fled the United States. Set in Britain but shot in France, Polanski adapts this epic tale of love, sex, and class for the big screen. At 3 hours, it's a bit daunting but certainly worth the watch, as the source material is so excellent and the film's performances, as well as the screenplay, serve the original vision spectacularly. Stream on Cinemax, or rent on Amazon Video for $3.99.