Premiering at Cannes, Ryan Gosling’s feature debut was one of the most talked-about films at the 2014 festival. Unfolding in the bankrupt US city of Detroit, Gosling paints a visually expressionistic portrait of single mother Christina Hendricks’ attempts to make ends meet and raise her children. But with villains like Bully (a terrifying Matt Smith) and Dave (Ben Mendelsohn) present, it’s not easy. This is tough, uncompromising filmmaking.