Carol

The British Film Institute’s official publication brings a global perspective to their rulings, having polled 168 critics worldwide on their favorite releases of the past calendar year.

Talk of the Oscars has been taking up much of our time lately, but let’s take a break to highlight this year’s top indies. The Independent Spirit Awards, considered the most important awards in the indie film world, revealed their nominees on Tuesday.

By now you’ve heard of Carol, the latest film from Todd Haynes that’s left a huge impression on critics since it began screening a few months ago. The latest trailer opts out of dialogue, letting a haunting score and the film’s beautiful imagery speak for itself — well, that and a few choice quotes from noted film critics reinforcing the idea that Carol is mandatory viewing.

Few actors have done half as many crazy things as Sarah Paulson, but for her, it’s all about balance. The American Horror Story actress recently turned down notch on her outlandish roles to portray one of her most human characters yet in Carol, this year’s most universal love story.

Few films create a sumptuous experience you want to live in and soak up. They give off a swirl of emotions that you long for, like breathing in the scent of a lover’s sweater, filling your lungs and hoping to save a piece of that memory. That’s the kind of experience Carol concocts, a love story of sublime subtlety where the smallest encounters have the most consuming impact.

This is the most exciting time of the year for anyone who loves film, as critics and journalists no longer have to play the guessing game of what may or may not make it to the Oscars. The awards season frontrunners are already pretty clear, with the exception of a few titles yet to screen for press, including The Revenant, The Hateful Eight, Joy, By the Sea and Concussion. Here’s what your 2016 Oscar categories will most likely look like.

After the blockbuster offerings of summer we have the fall and winter movie season to look forward to, which offers some very exciting prospects — and while many (us included) are looking forward to new Star Wars, Quentin Tarantino and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, there’s one film that’s a little less showy and perhaps a little under your radar: Carol, the upcoming drama from acclaimed director Todd Haynes, which has just unveiled a new official trailer.

Director Todd Haynes has not made a feature film since 2007's I’m Not There, although he did direct the excellent five-part Mildred Pierce miniseries for HBO back in 2011. Fans of the director will be thrilled to watch this new trailer for Carol, Haynes’ first film in eight years — and it looks like a real stunner.