Films like Playing the Victim.

Playing the Victim (2006) reads as Sombre, steady, measured comedy / drama, inventive in texture. Nihilistic, intimate, cold. Every film below is ranked by distance across the same twelve hand-scored axes — with what it keeps, and where it walks away. Not a genre dump.

A Serious Man (2009) poster
1. A Serious Man2009

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Reality (Garrone 2) (2012) poster
2. Reality (Garrone 2)2012

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Drained (2006) poster
3. Drained2006

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Baghead (2008) poster
4. Baghead2008

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the intimate, personal stakes; trades toward a patient, unhurried pace.

Reality (2012) (2012) poster
5. Reality2012

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Running with Scissors (2006) poster
6. Running with Scissors2006

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

The Chumscrubber (2005) poster
7. The Chumscrubber2005

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the intimate, personal stakes — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

The Square (2017) poster
8. The Square2017

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Funny Bones (1995) (1995) poster
9. Funny Bones1995

Keeps the patient, unhurried pace and the intimate, personal stakes; trades toward a chilly detachment.

Faults (2014) poster
10. Faults2014

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace — one of the nearest reads in the catalogue.

Bamboozled (2000) poster
11. Bamboozled2000

Keeps the intimate, personal stakes and the chilly detachment; trades toward a white-knuckle intensity.

Unfair World (2011) poster
12. Unfair World2011

Keeps the cold, bleak undertow and the patient, unhurried pace; trades toward a chilly detachment.

These are Playing the Victim’s neighbours — where are yours?

Rate five posters and the same twelve axes read you — then tonight’s pick comes from your own centre of taste.

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