What do you get if you cross a short story from the 17th century, that girl from Babylon AD, and every camera-friendly horse in France? The correct answer could either be ‘The Princess of Montpensier‘, ‘139 minutes you’ll never get back’ or, if you’re actually quite into horses, ‘the best thing ever’. We’re not that into horses, tbh.

“Hello, I’m unpredictable French actor, director and general firebrand Xavier Beauvois; you may remember me from angsty 90s films overflowing with AIDS such as Don’t Forget You’re Going to Die. Oh, you don’t? No matter. Anyway, what I’d like to do now is make a film based on the true story of a momentous encounter between fundamentalist Islamists and the Trappist community of a small monastery in Algeria. I’m confident that it will be serene and nearly perfect.” He wasn’t wrong, you know.