(Edson Oda, US/UK 2020, 124 min., DCP)
Brighton graduate Winston Duke leads a stunning cast in this film about what happens before (and after) we’re born. Duke is Will, an arbiter at a remote outpost watching the lives of the souls he has approved through their own eyes via multiple monitors in his house. When his favorite soul, Amanda, dies, new souls begin appearing at his house to apply for the vacancy on earth. As Will struggles with his conscience about what might have gone wrong with his approval of Amanda, it affects his interviews of the new souls, changing his criteria for what is necessary to survive in life. Among the applicants are Alex (Tony Hale), who challenges Will on his hypocrisy; Kane (Bill Skarsgard), a pessimistic man who recognizes evil in the world and his willingness to fight back; and Emma (Zazie Beetz), a free spirit who presses Will to look beyond his own limitations.