Here are a few of the exciting films that Albuquerque’s Guild Cinema will screen during the remainder of this month.
Over the past 93 years, horror maverick Tod Browning’s 1932 classic “Freaks” has built a reputation as one of the most notorious films of all time. Set in a run-down traveling circus, the film follows a group of disabled carnival workers who must contend with abuse and exploitation from their employers, the ableism of their able-bodied coworkers, and the cruel jeers of circus attendees.
Considered too disturbing upon its release, the film only exists in a truncated, 64-minute version, with Browning’s original cut considered lost, according to the Criterion Collection. Over the decades, “Freaks” developed a cult following, and can be seen as a pioneering work in the representation of disabled people on screen. Truly the original midnight movie, the Guild will present “Freaks” at 10:30 p.m. on Jan. 18.
From Jan. 24-27 at 8 p.m., one of the year’s most talked-about films can be seen at the Guild. “Babygirl,” starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson, has been generating considerable buzz online since production began, with fans of the erotic thriller commending the film for renewing interest in the once-dominant subgenre.
As per usual, Kidman delivers a raw and gutsy performance, which earned her the Volpi Cup for Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival in September. “Babygirl” was directed by Halina Reijn, who previously helmed the 2022 horror comedy “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Both films were released by the independent distribution company A24.
Every year, the Library of Congress selects 25 films that are deemed to be “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” for inclusion in the National Film Registry. One of the films inducted in 2024 was “Powwow Highway.” Released in 1989 by director Jonathan Wacks, “Powwow Highway” is a road movie/buddy comedy about two Cheyenne men from Montana, Buddy and Philbert, who embark on a road trip to Santa Fe to bail Buddy’s sister out of jail.
Starring Gary Farmer, who has acted in beloved works such as “Smoke Signals” and “Reservation Dogs,” Wacks’s film is a milestone in Indigenous cinema, kicking off the wave of independent Indigenous films that were made in the 1990s. The Guild will screen “Powwow Highway” in honor of its induction into the National Film Registry, and as a part of the theater’s recurring Indigenous Cinema series. The film can be seen on Jan. 25 at 1 p.m.
Jan. 28-29 at 3:30, 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., the Guild will show “Lyd,” a documentary about the titular Palestinian city, which was directed by Rami Younis and Sarah Ema Friedland. Referred to in the film as “the city that connected Palestine to the world,” Lyd is depicted as a city that is rich with thousands of years of history, which the documentary traces from ancient times to the present day.
“Lyd” shows the effects of the Nakba — the Arabic word for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians — in vivid detail. In a strikingly unique artistic choice, the documentarians imagine what Lyd would look like in a liberated Palestine, which further highlights the damage that has been done to Palestinian history and culture.
Esteemed Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar’s first English-language feature film “The Room Next Door” can be seen Jan. 31-Feb. 3 at 3:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore, the film depicts the relationship between two friends from youth who reconnect under unusual circumstances. At the Venice Film Festival, “The Room Next Door” was awarded the Golden Lion, the festival’s top prize.
Almodóvar, who is in his fifth decade of filmmaking, has developed his own intricate visual and narrative cinematic language — one that is instantly recognizable for fans of his work. He tells the stories of women and Queer people with a reverence for classic Hollywood melodramas, which can be seen in his extravagant set designs and glossy color palettes, as well as his frequent allusions to other literary and cinematic works. His first feature-length film in English marks a milestone in the career of one of the world’s most renowned filmmakers.
A complete list of the Guild’s upcoming showings can be found on its website.
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Elijah Ritch is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
