A holiday long weekend full of rain and copious amounts of food is a great reason for a movie binge! With the 40th annual Vancouver International Film Festival winding down on Monday, October 11th, we scrambled to put together this list of a handful of picks to watch from the comfort of your home, whilst tripping out on tryptophan (plus one in-theatre exclusive, for those restlessly seeking an excuse to get out).

Rock Bottom Riser

A stoner-ish rumination on the controversial construction of a telescope in a sacred Hawaiian volcano, Rock Bottom Riser is a collage of of mesmerizing visuals and meandering but amusing associations – from astrological theories and a class study of Paul Simon’s “I Am A Rock”, to Dwayne Johnson and a hypnotic, techno-laden scene of vaping stunts.

Havel

If, like me, you’re a sucker for a good/good-looking and -sounding biopic, then Havel probably also has your name on it. Dark and stylish, this period (late 1960s-80s) film recounts the transformation of real life Czech icon, Václav Havel, from playwright to president.

The Six

A revealing investigation into the real life mystery of the six Chinese survivors aboard the Titantic. Delve into some compelling, untold 20th century history by adding The Six to your film queue this weekend.

Money Has Four Legs

Looking for some levity this weekend? Despite its sordid associations (writer/producer Ma Aeint has been locked up for months without trial), or perhaps in full awareness of their irony, this little comedy from Myanmar, about a filmmaker struggling within the constraints of state censorship, seems promising for at least a few laughs.

Paris, 13th District (Les Olympiades)

If you want some inspiration to unpeel your butt from your own couch and sit it in a theatre seat instead (or are looking for a good excuse to escape your family this weekend), the new feature from French filmmaker Jacques Audiard (The Sisters Brothers, Rust and Bone, A Prophet) could be it. A black-and-white, comedy-drama love triangle story, focussed on three beautiful 30-somethings against a beautiful Parisian background, Paris, 13th District may sound basic on paper. But, if you’re familiar with the director and/or any of the leading cast, it is clearly much, much more.