The Auschwitz Report. 94 min. In German & Polish w/English subtitles. Samuel Goldwyn. 2021. DVD UPC 850028052211. $19.95.

In this film based on an actual occurrence, two Slovakian Jews—Alfred Wetzler (Noel Czuczor) and Walter Rosenberg (Peter Ondrejicka)—escape from a concentration camp to bring a detailed account of underreported Nazi atrocities to the outside world, via an incredulous Red Cross representative (John Hannah). Making especially effective use of point-of-view camerawork, filmmaker Peter Bebjak brings to light a little-known chapter in the history of the Holocaust, with a harrowing, stark depiction of valor. VERDICT More than history buffs will respond to this drama.

Belfast. b/w & color. 97 min. Focus Features, dist. by Universal. 2021. DVD UPC 191329215036. $22.99; Blu-ray UPC 191329215043. $34.98. Rated: PG-13.

In this film set during the Troubles, in late-1960s Northern Ireland, nine-year-old Buddy (Jude Hill) deals with an often-absent father (Jamie Dornan); receives plentiful attention from his mother (Catriona Balfe) and grandparents (Judi Dench, Ciarán Hinds); and, as a Protestant, tries to win the affections of a Catholic girl. Writer-director Kenneth Branagh digs deep for this poignant remembrance of his childhood in a working-class neighborhood before his family moved to England. VERDICT A must-have movie, apt to vie for awards.

The Dry. 117 min. IFC Films, dist. by RLJ Entertainment. 2021. DVD UPC 014381141634. $27.99; Blu-ray UPC 014381141641. $28.99. Rated: R.

After leaving his hometown 20 years earlier, Melbourne cop Aaron Falk (Eric Bana) returns to his drought-plagued rural roots for the funeral of a murdered childhood buddy. While helping local police solve the crime, Falk recalls—seen in extensive flashbacks—an old memory of a teen girl’s drowning, which many townsfolk still blame on him. In this film adapted from Jane Harper’s best-selling novel, director Robert Connolly effectively focuses on character and environment in excavating the dark secrets of a cloistered burg. VERDICT Mystery fans will revel in the atmosphere.

I’m Your Man. 108 min. In German w/English subtitles. Decal-Bleeker. 2021. DVD UPC 843501037010. $15.99; Blu-ray UPC 843501036846. $22.99. Rated: R.

An archaeologist (Maren Eggert) is offered an amazingly lifelike humanoid (Dan Stevens) for a trial period by the manufacturer’s rep (Sandra Hüller) to see if he’d make a suitable mate. While the robot intuitively adapts to his partner’s perceived needs via an algorithm, the programming is actually too perfect—making him less appealing than a more realistic, albeit flawed, significant other. Cowriter-director Maria Schrader offers a delightfully humorous, reflective, and touching romantic comedy. VERDICT For avid rom-com aficionados.

Only the Animals. 117 min. In French & Nushi w/English subtitles. Cohen. 2019. DVD UPC 738329257149. $19.99; Blu-ray UPC 738329257156. $29.99.

In an intriguing exploration of the “six degrees of separation” theory, a handful of characters—a couple of farmers, a straying wife, an infatuated waitress, and a cyber-scammer—all play a role in the death of Evelyne Ducat (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi). Desperation in the search for love is the driving force in director Dominik Moll’s nonlinear drama, where the concept that “chance is stronger than anything” provides the guiding principle in its five-act structure, seen from each character’s viewpoint. VERDICT Collections favoring international films should include this pick.