Released 85 years ago today, the black-and-white curio was also the only such film to give as much attention to the courtroom as the laboratory. As mild-mannered church organist Scot Webster (Philip Terry) finds himself accused of murdering a gang member, the first half largely plays out like a conventional legal thriller.
This week, we asked The Atlantic 's writers and editors: What is a foreign film you'd recommend to somebody who hasn't seen one before? Their picks-which follow an Argentinian lawyer's life-changing case, two lovers in a French seaside town, and more-show that the boundaries of language don't impede the thrill of a good story. Argentina, 1985 (streaming on Prime Video) If you tend to sit out non-American films, consider making an exception for Argentina, 1985.
The veteran actors, who've been married for more than two decades, were cast as husband and wife Raymond and Lorraine Horgan. They've done this before, in what Camp referred to as "a long history of acting together," and their personal and professional collaborations lent their characters the sought-after ease of a long-married couple, as well as the elevated stakes when their tried-and-true relationship is pushed to an unexpected edge.
