Mainstream cinema remains preoccupied with the exigencies of history on film, recent or distant. In many ways, these encounters with true stories are one of the few assured remnants of cinema made for adult audiences – the prestige cinema in action. Three encounters with history from the last quarter of the year, have been lingering in my mind, albeit for varying reasons: “Amsterdam”, “The Good Nurse” and “Till”. The three films could not be more different from each other, and it’s unlikely they’ll feature in year-end roundups for most critics and curators when 2022 officially ends but before that onslaught of year-end accolades, and before the last few major 2022 releases, let’s consider these recent interrogations of historical crimes, offering a range of perspectives on where contemporary film is at present.
