There are months when our favorite films have nothing in common, but this time around, our picks feel like they came from the same festival screening block. First off, we have Thunder Road, a Sundance-winning one-take that broke our hearts and cracked us up. For me—and many others—it changed the meaning of a Bruce Springsteen song forever. We also have Home Suite Home, a comedy about a cynical hotel critic who spends his life finding flaws in each hotel he visits. Finally, we have Bär, a deeply affecting film about the filmmaker’s grandfather—framed as a voiceover-driven slideshow. The catch? In each photo, the Grandfather has been replaced by a bear.

Some people spend their summers enjoying cold beers at hot barbecues, but for me, July has always been the perfect time to watch films in dimly lit, air-conditioned rooms, and these three films hit me so hard that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to random people on the street. They are all powerful, feature great technical craft and are filled with rich characters, but most importantly, they are wholly original—the perfect antidote to sequel season. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.