In Darkness

In Darkness: A Polish sewer worker (Robert Wieckiewicz) reluctantly helps Jews hide from the Nazis during the Holocaust. The people are forced into the sewers, where they live without daylight for over a year. Based on the true story of Leopold Socha and the people he helped to survive, the movie is a tough watch. But it’s a rewarding one, with Wieckiewicz delivering an absorbing performance, and director Agnieszka Holland doing an excellent job of capturing the claustrophobic conditions of the refugee situation. Nominated for a 2011 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, it’s a long movie—nearly two and a half hours—so block out a sufficient amount of time if you plan to watch it. Also, prepare to be emotionally exhausted.