Quiet and mysterious, this eye-catching Argentinean film concerns the release from prison of an older gentleman (Argeninto Vargas) who killed his brothers. Filmmaker Lisandro Alonso, described as a “poet and master” of Argentinean cinema by Variety, exhibits a sure hand as he depicts our antihero’s somber but determined journey to meet his adult daughter. Los Muertos’ strongest suit is its unpredictability—even near the very end, it’s difficult to predict what Vargas’ character will do when he reaches his destination.

Shelf Talk: A good deal of Latin-American cinema is available to consumers on DVD, but Los Muertos is a special title that deserves a push to more adventurous arthouse aficionados. The film’s slow pace and visual beauty link it to the work of Russian filmmakers, such as Aleksandr Sokurov and Andrei Tarkovsky, who require a patient viewer looking for sensual yet cerebral fare.