Beyond the obviously incredible, layered and sophisticated filmmaking craft, there is something spiritual woven through this film that really laid its claws into me. I haven’t stopped thinking about it, or more importantly feeling it, since I first saw it.

Discovering this film felt wildly eye-opening. I remember being absolutely stunned by how varied and playful the filmmaking was, especially in a story with such grave and intense subject matter. Watching it felt liberating. It taught me that exceptional filmmaking could subvert, and sometimes entirely disregard, convention while remaining completely cohesive and whole.

I genuinely don’t know how these guys do it. Their films enter specific subcultures with such detail and intimacy that you assume they must come from those worlds themselves, until you realise how many completely different worlds they have inhabited this convincingly. It is actually a little sickening how good they are at it. It feels like a magic trick. Queens in particular leaves me with this vast appreciation for life itself, which is no small feat for a music video.

I mean! I still don’t know how to begin talking about this film. It was one of the clearest reminders I’ve had of the power of visual storytelling to make the unseen feel completely real, building a world in the viewer’s mind that extends beyond our understanding, our reach and even our earthly senses.

A truly incredible South African film. It is raw, quiet, merciless and somehow delicate, looking at repression, desire and Afrikaner masculinity with endless nuance. It felt as though it pioneered a new space for South African cinema, which was deeply inspiring to me.

This film creates a mood that is almost impossible to put your finger on, but really stays with you. I remember reaching a point where I stopped trying to predict this film and simply surrendered to it. It crosses into the supernatural without announcing or explaining itself, yet every strange turn feels completely natural. I had absolutely no idea where it was taking me, but I remained completely inside its world. Oh, and the score, damn!

This series somehow sustains the charm, emotional intimacy and tenderness of an independent film across its entire length, while carrying complex characters, a gripping plot and an incredible dramatic atmosphere. I remember being amazed that television could feel this delicate without ever losing its grip.

Beyond the breathtaking visuals, it creates meaning through everything it chooses to withhold. By design, it leaves so many blanks for you to fill in as the viewer. That absence is exactly what gives it its poignancy. I find it such a clear and useful reminder that what you omit when making a film can be just as important as what you include. Just wild.

This is some of the most incredible atmosphere and tension-building I have ever seen. A masterpiece, and for me, the gold standard of what television can be.