A revisit to Christopher Nolan’s first feature film, Following — a low-budget black-and-white thriller that already contains many of the ideas he would explore throughout his career.

I look at Nolan’s fascination with time, identity and perception, the film’s clever structure, the brilliant final reveal, and whether the early signs of one of modern cinema’s most discussed filmmakers were already there.

A short, inventive debut that shows the blueprint was already forming.

A CIA conspiracy thriller starring Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway, Three Days of the Condor captures the paranoia of 1970s America. I revisit a film that always had a huge reputation for me, but one that I found more entertaining than unforgettable. Great performances, strong suspense and a fascinating snapshot of a time when conspiracy films were everywhere.

I revisit Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover, a film I first saw when I was about 17 and one I’ve never forgotten. It was rated R, so I couldn’t hire it myself, which only added to the feeling that I was watching something forbidden.

Back then, I was stunned by the sheer audacity of it. Watching it again 35 years later, I still love the outrageousness, but I now appreciate the extraordinary filmmaking behind it — the direction, production design, music and completely committed performances, particularly Michael Gambon and Helen Mirren.

For me, what makes it work is that nobody treats it as a shock movie. Everyone believes in it completely, and that elevates all the excess into something genuinely artistic.

A provocative, disturbing, beautiful and unforgettable film.

I revisit Robert Aldrich’s The Dirty Dozen, a film that has always been regarded as a classic and one that I mostly knew through my dad’s memories of it. Watching it properly for the first time (or at least the first time I could remember), I was surprised by how much fun it is.

Lee Marvin is perfectly cast as the tough-as-nails Major Reisman, while John Cassavetes steals scenes as the rebellious Franco and Charles Bronson shows why he was such a compelling screen presence.

For me, the most interesting part of the film wasn’t the final mission, but the process of bringing these twelve very different men together. The training, the clashes and the building of the team are what make the film memorable.

The Duellists was Ridley Scott’s first feature film, but it already shows the visual confidence that would define his career. I revisit this Napoleonic-era drama starring Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel, a story about honour, obsession and a feud that consumes two men for nearly twenty years. A film I remembered more for its connection to Barry Lyndon than its own identity surprised me on rewatch with its atmosphere, performances and incredible final image.

I revisit Spike Lee’s debut feature She’s Gotta Have It (1986), a film I hadn’t seen since the 1990s.

Coming back to it nearly 40 years later, I found myself admiring it more than actually enjoying it. You can already see the filmmaker Spike Lee would become, with his confidence, originality and willingness to tackle race, relationships and strong female characters. While the black-and-white cinematography, jazz score and Mars Blackmon all work well, I found the acting uneven and some of the film’s attitudes, particularly towards the end, haven’t aged well. An important first step from a major filmmaker, even if it isn’t one I’ll revisit again.

I revisit Olivier Assayas’ Irma Vep (1996), a film about filmmaking, creativity, ego and the changing world of cinema.

I first saw it in the 1990s and found it interesting but couldn’t fully connect with it. Coming back to it nearly 30 years later, I appreciated much more of what Assayas was trying to do, even if some of the conversation about French cinema still felt just outside my understanding.

The biggest connection for me is Maggie Cheung, who is fantastic as the outsider entering this chaotic filmmaking world. She becomes the audience’s guide through the confusion, the arguments and the uncertainty.

A fascinating film about cinema itself.

I revisit Francis Ford Coppola’s One from the Heart (1982), a film I first saw more than 25 years ago and didn’t connect with at all. Coming back to it now, with a much greater understanding of Coppola, American Zoetrope, and the enormous ambition behind the project, I wanted to see whether time and perspective would change my opinion.

The film is visually extraordinary, with incredible production design, colour, music and a dreamlike artificial Las Vegas that feels unlike almost anything else from its era. But for me, the biggest question is whether all that beauty can overcome a story and relationships that never really connected.

I also look at the performances, including Teri Garr’s wonderful and underrated work, Frederic Forrest, Natassja Kinski, Raul Julia and Harry Dean Stanton.

In this episode I revisit At Close Range (1986), James Foley’s powerful crime drama starring Sean Penn and Christopher Walken. More than a story about criminals, it’s a film about fathers and sons, temptation, belonging and the difficult process of becoming your own person. I explore Sean Penn’s remarkable early career, Christopher Walken’s unforgettable performance as the charismatic and dangerous Brad Sr., and why this story of family, loyalty and betrayal remains such a compelling and highly re-watchable film nearly 40 years later.

Sidney Lumet’s The Offence (1973) is a dark psychological drama that shows a very different side of Sean Connery. Far removed from James Bond, Connery plays a troubled detective carrying the weight of years spent confronting violence and suffering.

This isn’t a traditional crime thriller, but a powerful study of trauma, memory and what happens when someone spends too long surrounded by the worst of humanity.