Styx

Maybe the defining ethical quagmire of our time is the refugee crisis, and the question of what we, as humans, owe in terms of aid and resources to those attempting to flee dangerous circumstances. These issues are powerfully explored in Styx, which is ominously titled after the mythical river that separates us from hell. It begins with Rike, a German doctor enjoying a solo sailing holiday off the Spanish coast. When she encounters a slowly sinking boat packed with African refugees, she immediately calls the Coast Guard, who assure her they’ll handle it and forbid her from interfering. But they don’t show, and Rike’s Hippocratic Oath is compelling her to help even though there are more refugees than could possibly fit on her sailboat. What should she do? There are no easy answers in Styx, which will haunt you long after its aching conclusion.