10. The Overnighters
The Plot: During the North Dakota oil boom, the unemployed desperately try to make a living for themselves, all while struggling to find somewhere to live. Local Pastor Jay Reinke allows over 1,000 homeless prospectors to sleep in his church over a two-year period, sparking a major fracas with the local community, who don't take kindly to the sudden influx of people in their small town. Why It's Awesome: A deeply conflicting portrait of economic desperation and small town closed-mindedness, The Overnighters is a stranger-than-fiction documentary which introduces a fascinating central figure in Pastor Reinke, whose motivations for his charity become increasingly intriguing and bizarre as the pic wears on. A shattering, devastating twist in the final act seals the film's masterpiece status, a deeply ironic ending that director Jesse Moss could surely never have expected. How To Watch It: On DVD now (US & UK)
Jack Pooley
Contributor
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes).
General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
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Jack