Foxcatcher (dir. Bennett Miller).

This is a meticulously made, true life story about men and the purity of wrestling. Miller’s film is haunting in its storytelling of brothers, ambition, and sport. Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, and Steve Carell are a powerhouse trio of acting performances, all completely distinct and offering different degrees of viscerally frightening or compelling portraits. Its quiet intensity and explosive moments of real-life drama heighten the heavy thematic undertones. The film is mostly small and quiet with bursts of rage and strange violence as it uses athleticism to execute its universal ideals.