In his favorable review of Anatomy of a Fall, Anthony Lane of The New Yorker advises that you should arrange to watch the film “with your most captious friends, preferably at six o’clock, so that you can thrash things out over dinner.” I did just that—planning far in advance, after the movie took home the Palm d’Or at Cannes—and found Lane’s predicted thrashing an understatement of the commotion that ensued. Directed and co-written by Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall is more than a French courtroom drama. It is dexterous and complex—very much a psychological thriller. Watching the movie, one cannot help but turn detective and go to work. Afterwards, you realize that despite your attentiveness you’ve missed a surprising, even alarming number of clues, and you’ve also fallen for a false flag or two. Over a 150-minute run time, Anatomy of a Fall keeps pace and remains captivating. Then it’s on to the post-credits analysis. —Jack Sullivan