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Ever since the end credits rolled on Zal Batmanglij's debut feature Sound of My Voice, I have been anticipating just what his next cinematic endeavor would offer. Upon seeing his first, I was immediately drawn to he and co-writer/actress Brit Marling's brilliant simpatico and their shared affinity for storytelling that's both beautifully poetic yet intelligently thought-provoking. And as two of the most interesting and wholly inspiring voices in independent cinema, the two have once again struck audiences with their new film, eco-thriller The East, which opened to rave reviews last week. 

Oh, "the rhythm of the weekend, with its birth, its planned gaieties, and its announced end, followed the rhythm of life and was a substitute for it." Yes, and as tomorrow marks another first Friday of summer, we're reminded that although the weather may be shaping up and boy does the beach sure look tempting, there's still plenty of good reason to hide in the cozy comfort of a darkened theater. And this weekend, cinemas all around the city are showing everything from rare prints to classics, sure to please everyone's cinematic palette. Whether you and your film-focused lover intend on spending the weekend at Film Forum for an Ozu fest for two or your heart's set on running down to Landmark Sunshine at midnight to celebrate True Romance, there's a huge and exciting range of films to choose from over the next few days. So I've rounded up the best of what's playing in New York for you to peruse before kicking off your weekend of play. Enjoy.

Now that you've recovered from your Memorial Day festivities, it's already time for the weekend once again. And although we look to reach some tropical temperatures in the next few days, don't go running to the beach just get. There's the entire rest of your summer to do that, so why not spend the afternoon in the cool breeze of a cinema? Or, if your'e really not that misanthropic, find yourself someone to attend one of the fantastic late night screenings happening around the city this weekend. With the brilliant and bizarre classics from Alejandro Jodorowsky, the Coen Brothers, and Orson Welles, to some of the best premieres of the season with Zal Batmanglij's The East and Jordan Vogt-Roberts' The Kings of Summer, there's certainly something to satisfy everyone's cinematic appetite. I've rounded up the best of what's playing in the city this weekend, so peruse our list, grab yourself some snacks, and enjoy.

Following his initial reading of Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling's brilliantly-crafted eco-thriller The East, actor Alexander Skarsgard had a simple message for his agent. "I don't care what else is coming up out there," Skarsgård said. "I want to work with these people." It wasn't only a testament to their thought-provoking and thrilling script, it was a reaction to the energy that Zal and Brit possess about their work, a voracious appetite for storytelling and a passion for making films that truly mean something and speak to the world we live in. 

Last year, when speaking to writer and actor Brit Marling about Sound of My Voice, we got to talking about the films that have informed us creatively and the longing to expose everyday life in an abstract way. "Like that moment in Three Colors: Blue when she’s dragging her knuckles across that stone wall or in Red when the bubble gum ad becomes like the metaphysical portal into how she nearly dies and meets the love of her life. A fucking bubble gum ad! I love that pairing," she said. "I think our generation has that desire. You see it in music now, too; there’s a kind of earnestness and deep desire for something romantic and honest, but also the possibility for something magical in the mundane. We’re all hoping there’s more to all of this that meets the eye, and I hope that’s true." And with her latest film, The East—which she stars in and co-wrote with the film's director, the wonderfully talented Zal Batmanglij, they've once again have collaborated to create something both thrilling and emotional, relevant to our current generation and questions that plague our society.

Last week, we talked about the need for films that not only show us where we're at as a society and where we're going, but how it feels. Alongside that, came new stills for Zal Batmanglij's upcoming eco-thriller The East, a film that speaks to the confounding nature of our generation with a voice that's refreshing and unique. Brimming with kinetic energy and emotion Batmanglij's sophomore feature was co-written with Brit Marling, the two exploring similar territory as their first film Sound of My Voice—investigation of identity, the allure of charismatic leaders, and questions of personal belief—but now tackling those questions on a larger scale. And with The East, Batmanglij has proven himself a filmmaker to be excited about, whose career feels important to our current independent cinematic climate with the desire to tell authentic stories that reflect what it means to exist in today. 

Now more than ever, we need films that speak to where we're at and where we're going, exposing now only how it is, but how it feels. As culture assimilates to what's happening in our society, the art and entertainment we consume shouldn't be purely escapism to dull our anxiety, but a reflection of what it's like to exist in a time when no one quite knows where to hang their beliefs. "I feel tremendously lucky to be a filmmaker in this decade but it’s also daunting because nobody knows what the fuck is going on. We live in a strange, strange time," said director Zal Batmanglij, whose new film The East speaks the discontent of our generation and how we're dealing with the issues that permeate our society. But rather than haranguing you, The East invites you in with its intriguing thrill yet feels and feels as immediate as it does emotionally stirring.

This spring, we'll see sophomore film debuts from myriad directors whose first features set the hooks in our film fancies and intrigued us as to what they would have up their sleeves next. For some, it's taken half a decade or more for their second films to come to fruition and for others their successful first features carved the path for a speedy and welcome return. Between Shane Carruth's shockingly brilliant Upstream Color, Antonio Campos' hauntingly visceral Simon Killer, Zal Batmanglij's audacious thriller The East, and a handful more, there are plenty of new films to look forward to from directors to get excited about. However, the second film is tricky territory.

This year the film portion of the South by Southwest Conference had thirteen entrees that premiered at Sundance and a number of studio-funded projects destined for wide release, meant primarily to bolster the star power attending the daily and nightly Paramount theater premieres. This is not a bad thing—rather, it’s a testament to how vital the SXSW Film Conference has become to the film scene in general, a diverse conflagration of anything and everything within the strata of a theatrical experience. However, it doesn’t make breaking new, below-the-radar films any easier, especially with a bigger schedule—the much-anticipated premiere of the The East comes on the final night of the conference, after this will be published—and more theaters scattered around town.

"Your beliefs are always coming into question; it's a hallmark of our time; it's very hard to believe fully in something," said director Zal Batmanglij, who in the last year has emerged as one of the most exciting and innovative voices in a new wave of American film. With a style that blends both intimate drama with high-concept thrill, his evocative debut Sound of My Voice—a film that mixed science fiction, psychological drama, and ethnographic study—left us eagerly awaiting just what he would have in store for us next. And to our delight, we didn't have to wait long. His sophomore feature The East premiered this January at Sundance to a warm reception and, thanks to Fox Searchlight, his wholly important eco-thriller will be hitting theaters this May.