#also the atmosphere and visuals in this game?!?! insane i was shook!!

[olgipolgi]

Been obsessed with Little Nightmares recently! Oh my god why didn't I play this series sooner it's so good 😭😭😭😭

[noonaficcorner]

Rose-Colored Boy | Part Four

Paring: Mark Tuan | Reader

Genre/Rating: Friends to Lovers |  Fluff, Smut (later on), Slight Angst

Warning: Language

Summary: Working as a Nurse, Y/N's favorite pastime is getting lost in her favorite online game with her online gamer squad. After 2 years of online banter, Y/N finally gets the chance to get closer to and meet her online friend, Mark Tuan. With many things in common and the same twisted sense of humor, one thing still remains a mystery: Mark's career that causes him to constantly travel out of the country. Still, Y/N decides to take a chance on what could be more than just friendship and meets Mark for the first time. (New Summary thanks to a friend)

NOTES: Quick update!! I was really inspired and cranked this chapter out quick. I’m already working on the next but not sure when it will be up. I’m busy at the end of this month. So fingers crossed I get the next out in August.

Part One // Part Two // Part Three // Part Four

Everything you owned was crap. It was either scrubs or jeans and a t-shirt. It wasn’t like you didn’t have nice outfits. However, when you looked at all of it thrown across your bed in panic, you couldn’t seem to find anything decent. All of it felt dull and lackluster for what was about to happen. As you picked up what you deemed the cutest pair of jeans you owned, a black skinny pant with nicely placed rips, you started to realize why Mark kept his secret for as long as he did. Knowing who he was to the outside world made you start to question yourself even more. It made you wonder if you were enough to even just be in his presence. People pay thousands of dollars to just give him a hi-five and here you were, cursing him out for 2 years over the internet for free. If only they knew…

Holding up shirt after shirt to your chest, each one making you even more disgusted than the last. There had to be something that didn’t scream ‘try hard’ or ‘disgusting creature’. Snatching literally the last shirt out of your closet which happened to be a high-low blue striped button down, you threw it on over the black cami you already had on. It was almost time for you to leave the house without being late and if you started this whole process over again, you wouldn’t even go.

While you looked in the mirror finalizing the touches on your make-up, you realized that this isn’t some sort of date. Why were you putting so much effort to receive an apology? Blinking those wayward thoughts away before you went down another hole, you grabbed your purse and rushed out of your freshly messy apartment.

You had only been to Mark’s place once, but the muscle memory was there because you had played the scenes over in your mind for almost a week. It felt like you were standing in front of the intimidating high-rise in no time. Your body was moving through mind fog as you punched in his code and waited to be buzzed up. Even the elevator ride felt like an out of body experience. It wasn’t until the door was opening and you looked up and saw Mark that your soul snapped back into you and you could focus.

“I hope it wasn’t a hard trip.” He said as the door widened and you crossed the threshold. It had only been six days since you last saw him, but the purple in his hair was almost gone and his dark roots were starting to show. Realizing that the hair choice probably wasn’t his, but was for his latest album, made your lips turn down slightly. He picked up on that and thought it was a non-verbal answer to his statement.

“I could have gotten you a taxi if the train was too crowded…” He trailed off.

“No, no. The ride was fine. I was noticing that your hair is a little different from last time.” You mumbled as you both hovered around each other. You could feel a slight pain start to form between your shoulder blades from all the tension in the room. Both of you locked eyes and it felt like you had entered a staring contest, and neither one of you were losers. It wasn’t until his hand reached out and took your wrist and led you to the living room and onto the couch, that you regained your senses.

“I’m sorry. I’m so freaking sorry.” His words came out rushed and pained. Your lips parted to respond but Mark held a hand up to stop you.

“Let me get this out first. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. Honestly, I thought that the moment I opened that door and you saw me, you were going to freak out cause you recognized me. When you didn’t, my plan went to shit and I fell into the comfort of just us hanging out. Believe me when I say I had every intention of telling you about my career. I just didn’t know how to come out and say I’m an idol singer.”

“Rapper.” You interjected. Mark’s head tilted slightly and confusion dipped his brows.

“You said idol singer. From what I looked up, you’re not really a singer. You’re the main rapper and lead dancer of the group. It also said you’re the visual which makes sense cause…” You waved your hands in front of your face to indicate your point that he’s gorgeous.

Mark’s laugh filled the room and it was exactly like those compilation videos you found of his laugh. A slight smile tugged at your lips as the atmosphere in the room started to lighten up. You were still mad and will probably be for a while but the big mad feeling was almost completely gone.

“So you did research? I bet the internet had some crazy things to say. Sin, I’m sorry that I wasn’t the one to tell you everything from the beginning. When you’re in the business I’m in, it’s hard making friends who aren’t also in the life or after you for something else. I was selfish because I really liked what we have or… had. I got addicted to the ease of just being myself with you.” He went on. His eyes dropped down as he talked about your relationship in the past tense. The wall that you unconsciously started to build since your last visit shook. Maybe it was the earnestness in his tone or the way he used your online nickname, but at that moment you kind of just wanted to hug him. Instead you did the only thing you could do in this situation.

“Now that you said that, are you gonna show me some of your backflips? They looked really impressive on youtube.” You smirked as his head shot up and looked at you in surprise. The smirk turned into a full smile and the tension started to melt away when his toothy grin appeared.

“I can even teach you some moves but I don’t know your flexibility level.” Mark joked and that’s how the rest of the afternoon went. He started to talk about how he joined the company and his trainee period. I knew it was hard on young kids but hearing it first hand made you want to throw on a cape and save them all from the heartache. When he calmed down your anger, Mark talked about  the traveling he did all over the world with the group. He talked about how they were more than just bandmates and more like brothers. Even mentioning some stories you found through your ‘research’, but hearing them from him made them ten times funnier.

“Remind me to never get you upset where you can throw a laptop at me.” You joked. The sun had gone down outside and now you both were sitting on the floor, take-out containers covered the table. Hours had passed and you only realized how many when you tried to hide a yawn and Mark check the time on his phone.

“Time flew by. I guess you have to get going soon?” His eyes were like tea cups as they looked over to you. The last thing you wanted was to have this good time end but you had worked a full shift yesterday and had to be on in the morning as well. It didn’t help that you left your apartment in such a mess, it looks like it was probably burglarized.

“Yeah… I’m sure your roommates want to come home too. What did you tell them that made them give you the place to yourself?” You asked as you started to clean up the mess created. Piling the dishes into one, Mark took them from you and moved them toward the door.

“Most of them had schedules, so the house was gonna be empty anyway. Though I did have to promise Yugyeom and Bambam that I would treat them to meat soon. Are you going to take a taxi? It’s pretty late.” Between his worrying, you both cleaned up rather quickly. In no time, you looked around and the space was back to normal and Mark was standing with his hands pulling at his hoodie sleeves. You noticed that he did that when he felt unsure about something or wanted to word vomit.

“I’ll take one just because you insist. But what is it, sweater paws?” Reaching forward and tugging on the hood strings, you asked him. It was clear why he had so many fans. The half smile he gave was a weapon of ovary destruction and shouldn’t be used all willy nilly. How rude…

“I’m glad you came over. I’m also glad we’re talking again. And now that you know everything , I have a work thing tomorrow. It isn’t long though. Just need to go film a spread for a magazine. I’ll be back by next weekend. Promise.” Mark picked up your bag and played with the strap of it before closing the distance and looping it over your head, adjusting it. The height difference between the two of you wasn’t gigantic, but it was enough that had your neck tilting back a bit.

“It’s okay. Remember, I’m used to Ghosty McGhostington. You don’t have to worry too much.” Before you could even stop yourself, your thumb reached out and smoothed the little wrinkle between his brows. The level of skin-ship you were exhibiting wasn’t the norm for you. But the way he didn’t recoil from your touch allowed you the brief moment of insanity and for you to place your hand casually on your strap without looking like a crazy person. You thought you saw a hint of a smile on his lips, but it was so faint, you’re sure you imagined it.

“I’m calling you a car, and before you say something, don’t. And text me when you get home, okay?” You wanted to argue that you were independent and didn’t need him to do that, but a part of you thought it was sweet. In all honesty, when it was just you and him talking and playing around like you’ve done for so long virtually, the idea of him being a celebrity was a foreign concept. He was just Mark to you.

Once he was finished punching in some numbers on his phone and you came out of your own head, he walked you to the door. That smile you thought was just a shadow was now plastered on his face and it had the chain reaction of making you smile in return. Your hands squeezed harder on your bag strap because every fiber of your being was telling you to just reach out and hug this dorky guy smiling at you. But instead you held your hand out for a hi-five like the loser you were becoming.

“Thanks for inviting me over and I'm glad we cleared things up. Uh, hit me up if you get some free time. Or not, it's whatever.” Shrugging off the awkwardness, Mark connected with your hand with a look of confusion and before he could say anything, you darted from his apartment. It was becoming a habit of yours to flee every time you were there. Your flight or fight response was out of whack because with anything else in your life you were all about fighting. However, wherever Mark was concerned, you flew out of there like a bat out of hell.

By the time you were walking through your door, you were so distracted by thoughts from your day that you forgot that you left your place in a state of utter disgust. The vibrating of your phone made you forget all about the clothes covering almost every inch of available surface because of course it was Mr. Tuan himself in your inbox.

Mark: U made it?

Sin: You* and yeah, just walked in.

Mark: Ha ha ha. Are you tired?

Sin: Depends, why do you ask?

Mark: Wanna get online for like an hour? I’m a bit wired and we haven’t properly played in a while. Miss it…

Sin: Don’t you have a flight to catch in the morning?

Mark: Yeah but I can sleep on the plane. Are you scared I’m gonna kick your ass? ;-)

Sin: Signing on right now so get the lube because I’m about to tear you a new one.

And just like that, Mark brought you back to a comfortable mindset. The root in which your friendship grew from.

Finally, it was Friday, but you were antsy as hell. The clock was ticking down to the end of your shift, but it felt as  if it was moving as slow as if you were sinking in a mudflat. Bora and Ahin, another first year resident, were finishing up your shifts so the three of you could do your weekly Karaoke night. But it wasn’t only the promise of a night of chicken, beer and bad singing that had you anxious. Mark was coming back from his trip tomorrow and it had you on pins and needles.

The two of you had been texting while he was away. You were sure it was more than he should actually be doing during a work trip, but now that there weren’t any omitted truths between you, he would tell you about everything that was happening, within reason. When you asked for pictures, he couldn’t give you any official ones, but he did snap a few selfies of his face filled with pretty eyeshadows and lip tints. He really did clean up well.

As you were changing out of your scrubs, your phone pinged and like a pavlov response, your hand reached and opened your texts with Olympian speed.

Mark: What are you doing Sunday?

Sin: Washing my hair, shaving my back, catching up on sleep. Lol why?

Mark: Sexy. I need a favor from you.

Sin: If it involves money, we might need to reevaluate our friendship.

Mark: No money involved, but I would like it if you said yes.

Sin: Okay you’re being cryptic. Are you sick?

Mark: No. But will you say yes before I ask?

Sin: Sure, what is it?

After asking that, the little dots jumped across the screen as he typed his response. You stood there in your jeans and scrub top, staring at your phone like a crazy person. What did he have to ask that was so important? Bora and Ahin walked into the locker room and started to change themselves while you waited.

“What’s going on? Your face is all scrunched up?” Ahin asked as she hung up her lab coat. Just as you were about to tell her, Mark’s bubble appeared…

Mark: Will you go on a date with me? Not as a friend, but as a woman. A date date.

Your heart dropped into your stomach with a clatter. When you heard your name being yelled by Bora, you looked down and realized that it wasn’t just your heart that dropped, but also your phone on the floor. Quickly dropping down and picking it up, you looked at the words over; Woman. Date. You sucked in all the oxygen you could manage and sighed.

“Well shit…”  

[lu-undy]

Chapter 79 - SBT

Here it is!

The sun was starting to set and Lucien set his foot on the ground as he braked at a red light. He felt Mundy brush his sides and smiled. 

To the outside world, they looked like two friends on a ride between point A and point B. But to themselves, it was immensely different. They were not only travelling through a few streets together. It was their entire life that they wanted to spend as close as they were on that black motorcycle with dark red reflections. 

The traffic light went from red to green and the engine roared. They flew through the streets fluidly, effortlessly. Lucien proved to be an excellent bike rider, prudent and efficient. After an enjoyable ride, the Frenchman stopped the motorcycle and hopped off. 

Lucien and Mundy removed their helmets. 

"Here we are." He said. 

"Oh…?" Mundy looked at what stood in front of him. He was surprised. He genuinely didn't expect Lucien to take him to a… pub. 

"Close your jaw, mon loup." Lucien chuckled.

[My wolf]

"Well, I'd never have expected that from you. You don't look like the pub type!" Mundy answered. 

"Such a lot of things you assume about me…! Come." 

They entered and both were hit with a smell that Mundy hadn't experienced in more than a year. It smelt of beer, hop and the different and subtle flavours of the beers they create. The visual atmosphere was very cosy too. The pub had off-white painted walls that had turned more yellowish with the years. Large, dark brown beams of wood shot from the ground to the quite low ceiling and above people's heads, more of those same slightly curvy logs decorated the ceiling. The lights were yellow, almost orange and people's chattering wrapped them in a crowded kind of intimacy, paradoxically enough.

Lucien went to the counter and placed an order while Mundy was trying to spot an empty table, preferably far from other people. But the establishment was quite busy. On the television, a rugby game was broadcast and the sports enthusiasts had gathered to support their team around a pint or two. 

"Mundy?"

"Huh?"

"Let us find a seat." 

"Right." 

They walked through the pub, slithering through people, zigzagging around the tables until they met a flight of stairs. 

"Let us try upstairs." 

"Ok." 

The upstairs area had the same kind of atmosphere and was as crowded as below. 

"Here, a table." Lucien headed to it and put the two beers down. Mundy took a seat opposite him. 

"Thanks, love." 

"My pleasure." 

They were in a corner, there was a lamp on the wall next to them. 

"What is it?" Mundy asked, pointing at the beer.

"A favourite of mine, Belgian." Lucien answered. 

"Right." Mundy took his glass and they both raised their own. 

"To us." Lucien said. 

"To you and me." Mundy answered before they tipped their beers and took a good swig of it. "Mh…"

"What do you think?" Lucien asked.

"Not bad, and quite light too."

"In alcohol, oui, but not in flavour." 

"You're right. I like the taste." Mundy said and they drank more of it. "I didn't know you liked beer, eh?"

"I do, sometimes. It has been years since the last one I drank, especially in such good company." He winked at his lover who blushed. "So, tell me about yourself."

"What?" Mundy asked with a chuckle. 

"This is a date, Mundy."

"Isn't it a bit late for that?" Mundy raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe." Lucien smirked. "But please, do not ruin my date with the man that I keep in my thoughts at all times. And tell me…"

"Pff…" Mundy laughed. "Alright then, what d'you wanna know?"

Lucien’s eyes shone beautifully under the yellow and warm light of the lamp. 

"Everything, obviously." 

"That's… That's quite a bit, eh?" 

"I believe so, but indulge me, please." Lucien rested his elbows on the table and his chin on his palms, his eyes were half-closed. 

"Right, so, uh… I'm… I'm Mundy, I'm a bloke and uh, I'm a hunter."

"Mh-hm." Lucien smiled. 

"I'm… Close to forty now and… I don't know what to say, eh?" He chuckled nervously.

"Tell me about your taste in beer for instance."

"Well, this one's good, but not as good as the one I usually get." Mundy answered. 

"Then, the next one is on you." Lucien answered and they both drank more. 

"Ok, whenever we're done with this one… What else d'you wanna know?"

"What is your favourite genre of music?" Lucien asked. 

"I've changed quite a bit through the years but recently…? Uh…"

"Oui, recently."

"Old French songs." Mundy looked away and lowered his eyes. "'Specially when you sing them." 

Lucien sighed with the widest smile. 

"But I understand you don't wanna sing anymore?" Mundy asked. 

"To be honest, it depends." Lucien took a sip. "I do not wish to sing like I have been in this country, as a pretext, an excuse to get close to a man that I have to kill. I don't want that anymore."

"Does that mean you'd be ok to sing again?"

"For you?" Lucien raised his eyes and tilted his head on the side. "Anytime, and any song." 

Mundy melted in a sweet smile as the rugby fans cheered. Their racket wrapped them such that no one was noticing Lucien's hand sliding to Mundy on the table. 

"Our glasses are empty, you can go and order the next round." 

"Oh, yeah, sure, gimme a minute." 

Lucien's eyes went to the television screen not far and he lazily followed the match for a moment until a perfume broke his daydreaming. 

"You are fast." Lucien said. 

"Didn't wanna go away from my date for too long, eh." 

They smiled to each other. 

"Your turn now." Mundy put the beers on the table and resumed his seat in front of Lucien. "Try this one and tell me what you think of it." 

Lucien raised his glass. 

"To you."

"To you, too." Mundy answered. 

They tipped their glasses and took a generous swig. 

"Almost bitter in the end, I like this aftertaste." Lucien said as he put his glass down. 

"Yeah, catches you by surprise, eh?" 

"Indeed!" The Frenchman said. "And very refreshing, almost fruity." 

"Yeah, I like it cause it's fruity without the sugar." Mundy answered. 

"Oh, I knew you don't like your men sweet, but I see this also applies to your beers." 

"What? You're very sweet." Mundy protested.

"Sometimes, and only with you." Lucien answered, raising his glass to his lips.

"That's not true." 

Lucien gulped down the beer and his eyebrows jumped. 

"I saw you with Pearl. Since the first day I met her. You're very soft. You just don't show it to people."

"Isn't it the same with you?"

"Heh, guess so. But go on, tell me about you now."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Lucien shook his head with a smug smile.

"What?"

"This was my strategy, wild hunter, what is yours?"

"Can't I use the same?" 

"Non, where would be the fun in that?" Lucien chuckled and drank more. "Humour me." 

"Alright, I'll think of something… Hm…" 

Mundy looked at his glass of beer. The bubbles slowly raced each other to the top, through the golden and transparent beverage. He could see Lucien's distorted index tapping on the table through the glass. It looked like each tap made a group of bubbles jump to the froth of the beer. The Aussie took a swig.

"Mundy?"

"Hold on, I'm still thinkin'."

"Non, not that, look up." Mundy raised his eyes to Lucien who raised his thumb and wiped the Aussie's upper lip.

"What-?!" Mundy's pupils blew up wide.

Lucien licked his finger. 

"The foam." He answered. 

"Ooh, sorry, didn't feel anything." 

"It is fine."

And suddenly, Mundy had it. He had the idea. 

"How d'you do it?" He asked. 

"What? Wipe the beer of your lip? I would lick it directly if we were not surrounded by so many people." Lucien answered, cocking an eyebrow.

"N-no…" Mundy's thighs tensed under the table. "I meant… How d'you… How are you so… like that?" 

"Like what?" Lucien asked. 

"Well, y'know… You always know what to do to make me blush and-and I can't keep my eyes on you cause you're… You're impressive." 

Lucien tilted his head on the side. 

"I mean… You're always so… sexy." Mundy added, with a slight, nervous chuckle.

"Am I?" Lucien pushed his luck. 

"Yeah! And it looks easy, almost natural to you! I-it's insane! How d'you do it?"

The Frenchman chuckled.

"A bit of confidence and a pinch of charm." He answered. 

"Gosh… Even right now you're-!"

"Evenin', gents, you done with the beers?" A waiter interrupted them. 

"Yes, we are, thank you." Lucien answered and the man took the empty glasses away. 

"Anythin' else for the gents?" 

"Your turn, Lu', you choose." Mundy answered.

"What kind of wines do you have?" He asked. 

"Here's the list." The waiter gave Lucien a wine menu. "I'll give you a second and be right back." 

"It won't be necessary." Lucien's eyes were scanning the names of the château, the years and the locations at the speed of light. "We will have a Graves 1954, please." 

"Oh, alright. A glass or-?"

"Non, a bottle, to share." 

"Noted, I'll be back in a second." 

Lucien and Mundy nodded and the waiter disappeared. 

"I think this date is going pretty well, what do you feel?" Lucien asked.

The rugby enthusiasts cheered loudly for a few seconds again before the relative calm came back. 

"Y-yeah… I don't really know… I don't do dates." Mundy answered.

"Il y a un début à tout."

"What?"

"There is a beginning to everything. It is a French saying. But have you never been on a date before?" 

"Not really. I mean. It never felt like it."

The waiter came back with the wine and two glasses. He was about to uncork the dark green bottle when Lucien raised a hand. 

"Please."

"Oh, sure." The waiter nodded and handed him the corkscrew. 

"Non, merci, you may leave us."

"As you wish." 

The waiter went away and Mundy frowned, curious. Lucien took a blade out of his inner pocket and grabbed the bottle in his hand. 

"We normally do it with champagne and a sword, but I can do it with wine and a knife." 

"Do what?"

"This." 

Lucien swiftly slid the knife along the curve of the bottle. It caught the cork and the latter flew away. 

"What the-?!" 

The Frenchman took the bottle to his nose and sniffed gently, closing his eyes. 

"Aah…" He exhaled with a smile. He opened his eyes and poured the wine in Mundy's glass before helping himself.

"Holy dooley…" 

"Impressed?"

"Yeah! Can't you just open it normally?" 

"I could have. But I want to impress my date." Lucien answered as he raised his glass to Mundy, with a soft grin. 

"You'll have to teach me that, eh." Mundy raised his glass too. 

"With pleasure."

Their glasses met with a high-pitched sound and they both took a sip. 

"Mmh, it's a good one. Quite earthy, not too strong though." Mundy said, staring at the Burgundy liquid.

"Indeed. I have a weakness for this château."

"I can see why, eh." 

"Mundy."

"Yeah?" 

"It was produced where I come from." 

Mundy's eyebrows jumped.

"Really?"

"Oui. The private school I attended was named École des Graves, 'School of Graves'. It was named after the château because it was right next to the vineyards. From the classrooms, I remember seeing the vines lay for as far as the eye could see."

"Oh, woah… What does it look like?"

"Neatly arranged lines of green during spring. In summer, the grapes start appearing and you can see the black fruits hanging from the branches. Then, come autumn, it is the time for the vendange."

"The what?" Mundy poured more wine for him and his date.

"It is the word we use for the picking up of the grapes." Lucien drank more. 

Both of them started to feel the effect of the alcohol slowly untying their tongues, relaxing them and their mood went more cheerful.

"You have a word just for that?"

"Oui." Lucien chuckled. "It is such a big part of our culture and economy that there is a dedicated word for it."

"Right…"

"And in winter, in some regions they start serving the early wine from that same year."

"Really? Doesn't it need to stay in barrels longer?"

"It does, but it is a tradition, a bit of a festival to celebrate the new wine. It usually doesn't taste very good but the spirit is what counts." 

"Oh, I see…"

"Back in the Ministry, they would organise it too. They would have some bottles sent from the regions where this new wine is made and we would all enjoy it in the canteen for lunch." 

"Crikey… and then everyone's drunk in the afternoon, eh? What's it like being a drunk spook?" Mundy chuckled.

"Mundy, this is not how it works." Lucien joined him in his soft laughter.

"You get your fancy arse drunk and go to work, putting your balala-mask thingy upside down, wrappin' yer tie on your head like a bloody bandana! And off to save the world!"

Both burst out laughing. 

"Non, Mundy! We would not get drunk off of a glass of it!"

"Then you go around, sneakin' in yer fancy tuxedo, doin' whatever spooky business you've been sent off to do!"

Lucien couldn't stop laughing and caught his breath in short snorts. Mundy's ears pricked up and he looked at Lucien with surprised eyes. 

"Listen to your laugh, now that's something I didn't expect, eh!" He was sent off on a laughter with his lover. 

"I am sorry…!" Lucien took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the corner of his eyes. "Ooh! Last time I laughed like that was a few lifetimes ago…!"

"And when was last time you got drunk with a mate like this, eh?"

"Ooh! It has been forever…! But please, your turn now, tell me about your life here, when you were younger." 

"Well… I was a quiet kid, nothin' much to say eh. Parents had a farm, chicken and geese mainly. I helped them after school."

"Did you like going to school?"

"Oh Gosh no! Hated the place!" 

The rugby fans in the pub applauded their team again. Lucien seized the opportunity to refill their glasses.

"Why?" He asked when the crowd calmed down. 

"Such a pain it was…! Stay sat, your arse on the same bloody chair for hours on end to solve fake problems…! Problems, that wouldn't help me or my parents with the chicken and geese!"

Lucien chuckled and nodded while Mundy took a swig of the wine before resuming his speech. 

"And I wasn't good at it. Kept on gettin' shit grades. Parents weren't too happy either, eh. So I dropped the whole thing as early as I could!"

"Really?"

"Yeah! Was gettin' nowhere!"

"What were you the worst at?" 

"Oh, easy, languages! Maths I was decent at until they added bloody letters in the numbers. But languages I could never get. We had to take French and I couldn't understand, read or write the damn thing!"

"Well, we can arrange this, hm?" Lucien moved closer and put his elbows on the table. He held his chin on his palms.

"Ooh… Can we, now…?" Mundy cocked a playful eyebrow up. 

"I happen to be a native French speaker with a fair experience in teaching." Lucien answered seductively.

"Alright, sounds promisin'. But what d'you suggest, eh?"

"Perhaps some… private lessons?" Lucien let his eyes do their magic and Mundy chuckled.

"Think you can teach me?" He asked. "I'm a tough student. I don't listen, I daydream too much, and I hate to sit still and listen to a teacher blabber endlessly."

"I have my ways…" Lucien moved his foot below the table and brushed his leg against Mundy's.

"Mh… Yeah… I see…" Mundy reciprocated. He took one of Lucien's legs between his own and cuddled it while looking deep in the eyes of the man that made him feel light, so light.

"What about it, then, hm?" Lucien asked. "Do we have a deal?"

"Hold on, Professor Sexy…" Lucien's eyebrows jumped. So this was what Mundy was like when he was drunk, hm? 

"Oui?"

"What about payment?"

They drank more of their wine and shared whatever was left of it. They were both past tipsy now. 

"Well, as you might guess from my age, my experience is unquestionable in the field, thus raising my fees quite high." Lucien removed his gloves and slid his fingers through Mundy's on the table. 

"Uh-huh, right, how much are we talkin'?"

"Too much for you, wild hunter." Lucien smirked. He lit a cigarette and put it between his lips. 

"Oh-ho… But what if," Mundy stole the cigarette off of his lover's very lips and puffed on it himself. "What if I don't pay you with money, hm…?"

"Pray elaborate, I am not sure I follow you." Lucien wiggled his eyebrows through his lie. Mundy's eyelids fell half-way through his eyes and he bit his lower lip. 

"How the hell d'you manage to be so bloody sexy…?" Mundy growled with his low, gravelly voice. 

Lucien flashed his pearly white teeth between his thin lips and stole the cigarette back for himself. He chuckled as he smoked and blew the smoke out in a ring that slowly wreathed, and grew to caress the Aussie's face. It punched his guts warmly. 

"Gosh, Lu'..." Mundy clenched his fingers on his lover's. "I don't know if it's you or the wine… Can't see straight anymore… Can't see anythin' else but you… I-I…"

Lucien watched his lover melt and his pupils blow wide with a smirk. It was awfully selfish and arrogant of him but he loved seeing that particular instant in front of him. The moment when his lover cracks, melts by the sheer force of his charms. He cocked an eyebrow up and smoked more. 

"If we were alone…" Mundy started but couldn't finish his sentence.

"What would you do, if we were alone?" Lucien blew the smoke away. 

"I… Can't tell you, not here, not now." 

Lucien's smug smile widened and he chuckled.

"Mh… You tickled my curiosity."

Mundy took a deep breath and his lungs filled with the bitter smoke that Lucien had exhaled a second ago. 

"Gosh, and yer cigs…"

"They are menthols. You like them?"

"Yeah…"

Lucien took a long drag and held Mundy's chin on his four fingers. His thumb went to Mundy's lower lip and pulled it down slowly. The Aussie's entire lower jaw loosened up under the thin thumb and his lips parted. Lucien blew the smoke straight between his lover's lips and watched him roll his eyes up in bliss before his eyelids fell completely. The Frenchman smirked. Oh he wished! He wished he could immortalise Mundy's roll of his eyes, his jaw lowering slowly, and the waves of smoke that the Frenchman created slowly filling his lungs, like the waves of love sent straight to his heart. He held Mundy's chin and watched his head roll back slightly, his grip on reality and consciousness slowly fading, abandoning himself and his body entirely to Lucien. 

The Frenchman's thumb slowly and softly traced Mundy's bottom lip, from left to right. His eyes followed his own thumb on the thin lip that glistened in gold under the yellow light of the lamp above them.

"Oh-?" Lucien's eyebrows jumped. 

Suddenly, Mundy had bitten his thumb and was smirking. He wiggled his eyebrows and Lucien's heart burst in his ribcage.

"Let's go home, luv', need you to deal with me now."

[ubourgeois]

Top 30 Films of 2018

I’m actually getting one of these out at a fairly reasonable time! I’m a champion.

Compared to last year, I would say 2018 had fewer films that I really loved, that shook me and immediately registered as important - but also, more films that have grown on me over time, that were clever and inventive in ways that convince me to look past their shortcomings (or reevaluate if they are shortcomings at all). Plenty of odd, perhaps imperfect movies made it far up the list, and I think I ended up privileging that weird streak more than usual this year. But hopefully that makes for interesting reading here.

I found making this list that a couple of the big arthousey hits of the year (Eighth Grade, Burning, The Rider, and others) ended up slipping into the basement of the top 50. Keep an eye out for a rejoinder post following this in a couple days where I hash out my thoughts on those. For now, top 30 after the jump:

30. Unsane dir. Steven Soderbergh

Remember when Tangerine came out and everyone was like, “wow I can’t believe this was shot on an iPhone” and it was a whole thing? Well, I can believe that Unsane was shot on an iPhone, and that’s really for the better. Ever the innovator, Soderbergh follows Sean Baker’s lead by taking full advantage of the logistical advantages and distinctive appearances of iPhone-shot footage, putting together a film that uses its hardware not as a flashy obstacle to be overcome but as a driver of its look and feel, proving at least for now that mobile-shot films are viable (though we’ll see how his next one turns out). The film itself is good too - Claire Foy gives a wonderfully prickly performance, and the claustrophobic visuals make for a great psychological thriller.

29. Cold War dir. Paweł Pawlikowski

Expanding on the aesthetic territory he explored with Ida, Pawlikowski brings another black & white, Polish-language period piece about identities split between different (religious, political) worlds. Cold War is the more complicated and perhaps less focused film, but also the more alluring one, with a luscious love story, incredible music (Łojojoj...), and great, showy performances from Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot. In other words, it’s luxurious, romantic Euro-arthouse fare. Probably best watched with a full glass of wine in hand.

28. Ready Player One dir. Steven Spielberg

A film that many accused of “pandering” to audiences for its many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nods to 80s nostalgia and gaming culture, Ready Player One was on the contrary seemingly uninterested in anything of the sort. It managed to accomplish something more meaningful by packing the film so dense with nerd-bait that it becomes just texture and noise - Tracer popping up in the background of random scenes ends up being less of Overwatch reference and more of a piece of plausible set dressing in a VR social media hub. This contributed to RPO being not only a technically impressive but a visually overwhelming effects film, packaged around a seemingly knowing 80s blockbuster pastiche (the story, the character types, even the music cues were too old-fashioned to be on purpose). A film both smarter and easier to like than the discourse around it suggested.

27. Widows dir. Steve McQueen

I do really wish that McQueen would go back to making demanding, brutal films like Hunger, but if he simply has to become a commercial filmmaker I guess I don’t mind this. Surely the ensemble film of the year, with the entire cast firing on all cylinders - Daniel Kaluuya as the sadistic enforcer/campaign manager in particular impresses, though naturally Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and even Colin Farrell make for compelling characters in this twisty, nervy heist film. The action scenes are all impressively mounted (if a bit few and far between) and there are enough McQueen-esque florishes to keep things interesting in the interim (that long car scene!). Great moody popcorn stuff.

26. An Elephant Sitting Still dir. Hu Bo

Elephant has gotten a lot of press for two reasons: its nearly four-hour length and its director’s untimely death shortly after its completion. The length is important because it beats you into submission, forcing you to accept its rhythm and smothering you in tight focus on its main characters until you feel like it’s your own POV (I wasn’t really into it until, uh, the two hour mark, but then somehow I was hooked). Hu Bo’s death is important because knowing that, the sensation of being trapped, pressured, and disoriented by the Current State of China (ever the popular subject matter) feels all the more palpable and, maybe unfortunately, grants the film some extra layer of authority, or at least urgency. If I ever have the time or energy, I would love to revisit this film - I expect it will one day be seen as a landmark.

25. Make Me Up dir. Rachel Maclean

A bizarre little bit of sugary pop-feminist techno-dystopia, pulling off a sort of cinematic cousin to vaporwave by way of Eve Ensler. What unfolds is pretty insane, involving dance numbers, incomprehensible lectures on dodgy gender politics, and sets that look pulled out from a cheap children’s TV show. It’s definitely a marmite film - how well you connect with this will depend heavily on your tolerance for clearly-fake CG, well-trodden feminist talking points, and pastels - but for those with the appetite for this brand of political kitsch then this is just about the best version of itself imaginable. 

24. Liz and the Blue Bird dir. Naoko Yamada

Naoko Yamada out Naoko Yamada-s herself. A standalone spinoff of Hibike! Euphonium that focuses on members of the secondary cast, Liz makes good on the sensitive, subtly-executed love story that the show ultimately failed to produce (not quite Adolescence of Utena-tier course correction, but we’ll take it). This is a film propelled by the tiniest gestures - a hand tensing behind the back, a nervous flicker of the eye, a cheerful bounce in the step - in that way animation can provide that seems not incidental but hugely, blatantly filled with meaning. While A Silent Voice was a great breakthrough for Yamada as an “original” feature, it’s Liz that feels like the more mature film, and a promising indicator for what lies ahead.

23. Sew the Winter to My Skin dir. Jahmil X.T. Qubeka

Maybe the most surprising film of the year is this, an action-biopic about John Kepe, a South African Robin Hood figure, that almost entirely eschews spoken dialogue in favor of visual storytelling, physical acting, and clever audio design. But this is not some pretentious, austere arthouse film substituting gimmicks for actual character; Sew the Winter to My Skin is an engaging, fascinating, and unexpectedly accessible historical epic, prioritizing mythic bigness over simple recitation of fact. While it demands some patience at first (with no dialogue, it takes a bit for the film to properly introduce its cast), it quickly shows itself to be an inventive, exciting, and occasionally funny adventure that proves Qubeka as a truly exciting voice in South African cinema.

22. Mom and Dad dir. Brian Taylor

Forget Mandy, THIS is the crazy Nic Cage movie of the year. A slick, rapid-fire horror comedy that feels almost like a music video at points, Mom and Dad has what’s surely Cage’s best unhinged performance in years as well as a great, more restrained turn by Selma Blair. The violence is ludicrous, the premise is nutty, and the sense of humor is utterly sick - that the film manages to squeeze out a surprisingly coherent commentary on suburban family life on top of this is a minor miracle (a scene where Cage destroys a pool table proves strangely thoughtful). For all the broadly acclaimed “serious” horror films in recent years, like this year’s kind of boring Hereditary, groan-filled A Quiet Place, and mostly incoherent Suspiria, I more appreciate this breed of deranged, funny, and tightly focused effort. It doesn’t need to be that deep.

21. Good Manners dir. Marco Dutra, Juliana Rojas

I’m going to mark this write-up with a **spoiler warning**, as I think it’s basically impossible to talk about this film without giving the game away. Good Manners has one of the best genre switcheroos in recent years, starting off as a proper Brazilian class drama (think Kleber Mendonça Filho) with a lesbian twist before explosively transforming into a horror movie that reveals a hidden monster-coming-of-age story that’s nearly unrecognizable as the same film from an hour before. As delightful as this bit of narrative sleight of hand is, it can’t justify a good film alone, which is where the great lead performance by Isabél Zuaa and the mesermizing, inventive matte paintings of the São Paulo skyline come into play, making this fantastical, genre-bending film a true original of the year.

20. The Miseducation of Cameron Post dir. Desiree Akhavan

There’s a tendency in the queer teen film genre to sometimes drift towards miserablist portrayals of growing up; to emphasize the hardship, nonunderstanding, and isolation to the expense of other experiences. Cameron Post manages to avoid this path even as it explores the dreadful premise of life in a conversion camp by balancing the solidarity, humor, and defiant joy hidden along the edges of the camp experience with the cruel, dehumanizing nature of the place. The film works, then, not only as a statement against conversion therapy and the real harm it does to all participants, but also as a lively, triumphant teen movie that feels more powerful than the lazy, doom-and-gloom approach.

19. Minding the Gap dir. Bing Liu

Few films capture the particular small city Midwest atmosphere quite like this one, a very raw documentary that feels very much like the first feature it is - but in a good way. Cut together from years of Liu’s amateur footage as well as new material of its subjects (the director and two of his old friends), a documentary that at first seems to be about the local skateboarding culture stretches out to many other topics: domestic violence, race relations, middle-American economic anxiety. The film, perhaps because of its closeness to the director and his relative inexperience, manages to take on a quick-moving scattershot approach, weaving stream-of-consciousness from one topic to the next, while still giving each the time and weight it deserves. 

18. The Green Fog dir. Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin

A hard film to sum up, though at its heart not a terribly complicated one. Ostensibly a very loose reconstruction of Vertigo using clips from other material shot in San Francisco, from The Conversation to San Andreas to Murder, She Wrote, this new, uh, thing from Maddin and the Johnsons is a short, sweet, and really quite funny collage less interested in slavishly reenacting its inspiration than making funny jokes with movie clips. Some highlights include Rock Hudson carefully watching an *NSYNC music video on a tiny screen, a long sequence admiring Chuck Norris’ face that doesn’t seem to match any particular part of Vertigo, and a number of scenes of dialogue with all the speech cut out, leaving only awkward pauses and mouth noises. It’s high art!

17. Sorry to Bother You dir. Boots Riley

Boots Riley’s transition from long-standing underrated rapper to breakout auteur has been wild to witness. Sorry to Bother You is certainly one of 2018′s most original and distinctive films (what other film is it like, exactly?), and any complaints about unsubtle politics or overpacked narrative can be easily counterbalanced with the film’s sheer verve and oddball energy. Like Widows, it’s another of the great ensemble pieces of the year - Lakeith Stanfield and Tess Thompson are great as usual, and of the supporting cast Armie Hammer emerges as the standout with an incredibly funny halfway-villainous turn, plus a great bit of voice casting with David Cross. Leading candidate for this year’s Film of the Moment.

16. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse dir. Robert Persichetti Jr., Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

The problem with comic book movies a lot of the time is that they’re somehow too embarrassed to own their source material. Into the Spider-Verse succeeds because it emphatically embraces its roots, not only visually (the cel shading, impact lines, and even text boxes that make up the film’s look) but also narratively, by adopting the multiverse concept in earnest and milking it for comedic and dramatic effect. It’s an incredibly innovative (not to mention gorgeous) animated film that not only raises the standard but expands the scope of superhero films, giving new hope to a genre that has been stuck spinning its wheels for years. Plus, it has probably the only post-credits scene actually worth the effort, which is a very special sort of victory.

15. Museo dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios

A playful, thoughtful heist film that gets the actual heist out of the way as soon as possible. Two suburban twenty-somethings pull off a daring robbery of Mayan artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, then set off on an ill-fated roadtrip to fence the goods. There’s a certain magic to this film, in its approach that is at once totally reverent and mythologizing but also eager to take the piss out of everything (the recurring motif of Revueltas’ The Night of the Mayas suite does both), and in how it turns this story into something of a love letter to the history and geography of Mexico. Very mature, well-balanced filmmaking in Ruizpalacios’ second feature.

14. BlacKkKlansman dir. Spike Lee

The best Spike Lee joint in a long, long time. It taps into the freewheeling, confrontational energy of his best work, but almost as a career victory lap as he makes a game out of outfoxing Klan members. There’s plenty of humor and tension here, with a great, dry leading duo in John David Washington and Adam Driver, and a funny turn from Topher Grace (!) as David Duke. Even if it does play it a bit safe with an easy target and wraps up a bit too easily (a quick flash-forward to Charlottesville as a postscript notwithstanding), it should be fine, I think, for a film to indulge in the simple pleasure of overcoming obvious villains in a glorious fashion. For all the recent films that give nuanced and serious takes on racism in America, one ought to be about the joy of blowing up the KKK.

13. Mirai dir. Mamoru Hosoda

Since he’s started making original features, Hosoda has been taken with relatively high-concept storylines, from his “debut” The Girl Who Leapt Through Time to Wolf Children, but Mirai is certainly his most ambitious yet. Nearly every choice about the film is a bit weird: from the unusual, compact layout of Kun’s home to Kun’s very believable, nearly alienating (to an older audience) childish behavior to the simply bizarre logistics and metaphysics of Kun’s fantastic adventures. The time- and space-travel antics Kun and Mirai get up to never seem entirely literal or entirely imagined, somewhere between childish fable and psychological sci-fi, a mixture that culminates in a surprisingly existential climax for an unabashed children’s film. After the quite safe The Boy and the Beast, it’s exciting to see Hosoda branch out into such a complicated and strange project, certainly the most daring animated feature of the year.

12. Support the Girls dir. Andrew Bujalski

A bubbly, sensitive, and lightly anarchic workplace comedy in that most essential of American institutions: the Hooters-flavored sports bar off the highway. Bujalski continues to prove himself an observant and funny writer, putting together a fascinating ensemble of characters brought to life by a perfectly-cast ensemble (Regina Hall is flawless as advertised, and Haley Lu Richardson brings us one of the most adorable characters in cinema). I don’t think I’ve seen a more charming film about workers’ solidarity and the lively communities that find their niche in liminal spaces. 

11. First Reformed dir. Paul Schrader

Edgy priests are in a certain way low-hanging fruit; the tension is automatic, the contradiction inherently compelling. It’s a lazy symbol that can be milked for cheap profundity when employed, if you will, in bad faith. That’s why it’s so important that First Reformed, for all of its alcoholic, violent, libidinous angst packed into Ethan Hawke’s (masterfully interpreted) character, is also a great, genuine film about faith besides. It’s a Revelations film if I’ve ever seen one, about facing down the apocalypse with no way of understanding God’s plan, about living on the precipice of a collapse of belief, about accepting mystery. It’s the only film I saw this year that communicated actual dread, but even then still, somehow, bizarrely hopeful. 

10. Birds of Passage dir. Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra

Ciro Guerra (now with partner Cristina Gallego co-directing) follows up the excellent Embrace of the Serpent with another powerful portrait of an indigenous community that, under the pressure of colonial influence, gradually devours itself. In the new film, however, this takes the form of a traditional gangster film, from the humble beginnings and runaway success to the explosions of violence and crumbling of an empire. Birds of Passage shows the origins of the Colombian drug trade with the native Wayuu people (a counterpoint, Gallego explains, to the much-celebrated Pablo Escobar narrative), and in doing so still finds room to organically and respectfully depict the traditions of the Wayuu, as well as showcase their beautiful language, which makes up much of the film’s dialogue. Best film in the genre since at least Carlos. 

09. The Favourite dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Though I really admire Dogtooth, I’ve found myself increasingly disappointed in Lanthimos’ output since that film. Alps was fine but clearly minor; The Lobster started strong but fizzled out; Killing of a Sacred Deer was ultimately too self-consciously bizarre. With The Favourite, we’re finally back in exciting, unsettlingly weird territory, Yorgos having found that his very mannered style of English dialogue works superbly in a costume drama context. He also gets great, uncharacteristically emotive performances (compared to, say, the last two Colin Farrell outings) out of his central trio of Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, with especially great work coming from Stone, who I think has discovered that all of her best roles take full advantage of the fact that she looks like a cartoon character. It’s wonderfully perverse, incredibly funny stuff, with one of the great, inexplicable endings of the year - fair to call it a Buñuel revival.

08. Bisbee ‘17 dir. Robert Greene

A documentary that tackles a shocking forgotten chapter in American labor history - a group of strikers deported from their mining town and left for dead in the desert - as well as the potential of historical reenactment to act as communal therapy. Greene moves a bit sideways from his usual performance-centric subject matter to show a different kind of performance meant not to affect the audience but the performers themselves, breaking through decades of near-silence on Bisbee’s tumultuous small town history. It’s also a remarkably multi-faceted film; though it would certainly be easy to side fully with the strikers, Greene makes sure to document the perspectives of current Bisbee citizens who sympathize with or even celebrate the decision to deport, complicating the emotions and politics of the reenactment in genuinely interesting ways. A powerful, important documentary.

07. Asako I & II dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Unwieldy and annoying English title aside (especially considering all the possible translations of Netemo Sametemo), Asako seems on the surface like nothing more than a cheap TV romance. It hits many of the same beats and adopts much of the visual style associated with this vein of visual media, particularly in the music video-esque, almost-supernatural meet-cute that opens the film. But hidden beneath these affectations is a shockingly cold un-romance, a story with an inevitable bad end that you’re tricked into thinking might not come to pass. By employing so many stylistic and even verbal cliches, Hamaguchi reveals how these internalized these storytelling devices are, and how they not only can’t prepare us for the complications of actual relationships, but even shift our expectations away from reality. It’s an absolute gut-punch of a film, covered in a seductively sweet carapace. 

06. Sweet Country dir. Warwick Thornton

In a fairly large shift from his previous Samson and Delilah, Thornton has put together one of the best and most unusual Westerns in recent years. Featuring great, earthy performances from its nonprofessional cast (plus a bit of Sam Neill and Bryan Brown for good measure) and a weird, almost Malicky flash-forward structure, the film explores a not-widely-depicted history of exploitation of indigenous Australians. It’s a sad film, showing a fairly exciting lead-up to a somewhat deflating moment of unjust violence - but of course, many of the best Westerns aren’t about good triumphing, either. It’s the film on this list that most grew on me over the course of the year, having not impressed me at first but then blowing me away on a second viewing. 

05. Leave No Trace dir. Debra Granik

For all the buzz surrounding Winter’s Bone - a film that still holds up after so many years - it’s a bit surprising that it took Granik eight years to put out a follow-up, but I guess it’s worth the wait. Unlike Bone, Leave No Trace is a kind, gentle film, leaving behind the edgy Ozarkian drama of its predecessor for a similar but more forgiving setting of woodland communities in the Pacific Northwest. It initially seduces you with Ben Foster’s outdoorsy survivalist lifestyle, cut off by seemingly uncaring state officials, but gradually revealing, through the second thoughts of his daughter (Thomasin McKenzie, in a shall we say Lawrencian turn), the downsides and flawed motivations for their lifestyle choice. It’s a quiet and thoughtful film, melancholy and optimistic in equal measure. Makes one hope Granik can get another project off the ground sooner. 

04. Roma dir. Alfonso Cuarón

I mean, what else can we say about Roma? It’s about as good as claimed, beautifully shot, framed, written, acted, whatever. It’s at its best, sort of ironically, when Cuarón breaks up the quiet personal drama for some of his characteristic action-y set pieces (a Children of Men-esque protest sequence and the climax on the beach are particularly memorable), but he also shows his talent in handling relatively uneventful family scenes, using the layout of the house to facilitate some surprisingly interesting camera movements. I’m happy that Cuarón, who could easily transition into a more boring prestige Hollywood filmmaker if he so chose, is using his industry clout to pull together neat little films like this. 

03. The Old Man & the Gun dir. David Lowery

What a completely pleasant film. A film that walks a dangerous tightrope - one of nostalgia, roguish charm, and incessant aw-shucks optimism - that can easily fall into twee, navel-gazing hell, but that miraculously pulls it off, resulting in a genuinely spirit-lifting character study of an almost folkloric figure. Robert Redford’s good in this, but of course he is - that’s the whole point. Perhaps more appropriate to say that this film is good for Robert Redford, that it rises to the occasion of celebrating his career in full and pulls it off without appearing trite or disposable. As good a (reportedly) final outing as anyone could ask for.

02. I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians dir. Radu Jude

A nearly three-hour, densely conversational, nakedly didactic examination of the historical effects and contemporary sources of fascism and ethnic nationalism that somehow flies right by. Radu Jude, a relative latecomer to Romanian cinema’s rise to international prominence, makes a strong argument for being his country’s best and most important filmmaker, taking on complicated, controversial, and infrequently discussed subject matter about Romania’s troubled past. If you can get past Barbarians’ sort of user-unfriendly exterior (Iona Iacob opens the film by introducing herself and explaining her character, which tells you the sort of thing you’re getting into), it should prove to be a remarkably stimulating and even fiendishly funny ride. 

01. Shoplifters dir. Hirokazu Koreeda

If you’ve spent the ten years since Still Walking wondering what exactly Koreeda is trying to do anymore, then this is your answer. He’s spent most of the last decade pumping out the same nonconventional family drama over and over again (everything from I Wish to After the Storm, at least) so he could hone his skills like a weapon and create the perfect, ultimate version. With a pitch-perfect cast (Koreeda regulars Lily Franky and Kirin Kiki are the standouts, but Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, and the two child actors more than hold their own), and probably the perfect expression of the chosen family, spots and all, that has consumed much of Koreeda’s career, Shoplifters is one of its director’s career-best films, showcasing all of his talent for depicting delicate, intimate moments and bringing smart, complex ideas to seemingly straightforward premises. The most exciting Palme d’Or winner in years and easily the best film of 2018.