Café Film, 2003
starring: Sándor Csányi, Eszter Balla and Zoltán Mucsi
director: Nimród Antal

the plot: Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi) is a ticket taker in the Budapest subway system, someone who walks through the trains and makes sure that all the commuters have their tickets. This world is more exciting than one might think, as rival teams of ticket takers face off against each other in the rough, dark underground tunnels. This world takes an even darker turn when someone starts killing people by pushing them in front of trains. As Bulcsú tries to find the killer, the story twists and turns, and the modern-day Hungary doesn’t seem so far from the old Hungary of stories and folklore.

why it’s good: While the world of subway ticket-takers might easily sound like to dullest imaginable premise for a movie, in the hands of director Nimród Antal this becomes a fascinating dive into a special subculture, and the ticket takers seem more like gangs than government employees. The movie is filmed entirely in the Budapest subway system on a shoestring budget with a Hungarian cast and crew, yet “Kontroll” is nonetheless cinematically polished from end to end. The peculiarities of the subway system give it a specificity of place which is exotic partly because it is so clearly not one of Hollywood’s worlds, while the snippets of Hungarian folklore woven into the story make this most workaday of settings seem otherworldly. The story strikes a perfect balance of mystery and velocity, with heart pumping foot chases through the tunnels set to a fantastic musical score.

why you should own it: It’s unfortunate that Antal’s later films, “Vacancy,’ “Armored” and “Predators” were so lackluster, because as things stand now, “Kontroll” is by far his best movie, and one which rewards many rewatchings. It was his first movie, and the only one made outside the Hollywood system, which speak volumes as to how upside-down that system is. Setting that aside, “Kontroll” stands on its own as a dark and wonderful modern fable. —Dave Karlotski