The American Friend (1977)

Noir with a soft heart — cool surface, uneasy pulse. The American Friend understands modern deals: everything comes with a clause, even kindness. Friendship becomes a risk you take anyway. We keep thinking about intimacy as suspense.

Director: Wim Wenders

Adjacent films on this list worth circling next: Kings of the Road (1976), High and Low (1963), Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972).