Germany, Year Zero1948

Verdict: 🥇 MUST SEE (but not for everyone) Filmed just after Germany had surrendered from WWII by a revolutionary Italian filmmaker, *Germany Year Zero* stands uniquely apart from its predecessors. The landscapes are war-torn, buildings are barely left standing, and the German people are desperate. There's no food, no warmth, no electricity, no morality, and no hope. Perhaps no other movie has captured post-war Germany in quite so exquisite and excruciating detail, and the director's foresight stands as a living record. Visceral, authentic, and brutal in its depictions, Germany Year Zero is a must-see for film nerds and history buffs alike. You could triple feature this with Empire of the Sun (1987) and Grave of the Fireflies (1988). You know, if you want to feel inconsolably depressed.