In these days where many cinematic works are driven by lengthy dialogues, action-heavy sequences and mind-blowing effects, director J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) strips away the excesses of filmmaking in his latest drama to give a stark portrayal of man’s will to survive.

Our man in the film (Robert Redford, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) runs into a series of unfortunate events at sea, which begins with a minor collision with a stray cargo container, and struggles to survive with limited resources.

This is the kind of contemplative cinema that is rare here, so kudos to first-time feature director Wong Chen-Hsi for her dreamy Innocents, which centers on two lost teens trying to find meaning in a harsh adult world. Filmed on-site at the North South corridor of the old KTM railway tracks, alongside many decrepit buildings around the city, the film maintains a quiet pace throughout, keenly filmed by American cinematographer Joseph White, whose beautiful visuals buoy the film.

The last part of a trilogy of political-themed films by emerging director Pablo Larrain, NO charts Chile’s unprecedented rise to democracy after it managed to overthrow the country’s military dictator Augusto Pinochet. It's based on the true story and unpublished play The Referendum by Antonio Skarmeta. Shot purely with analog video cameras from the ‘80s, the film seamlessly merges found footage with Lorrain’s effective documentary-style, which lends its mise en scenes a natural, gritty edge.