delve 2016The year in film

Joy, we kid you not, is about a woman who invented a mop. So here are 18 inventions by women that changed the world.

Eight killers in one room. But who isn’t who they say they are? Here’s the latest research on the best (and worst) ways to spot a liar.

The Revenant is a story of a man driven by vengeance. Here are 5 people who took revenge to a whole new level.

Whatever you see in this movie about a woman who's trained to kill, it won’t top these 5 crazy assassination plots that actually worked.

Spotlight is the true story of how Boston journalists exposed massive pedophilia within the Catholic Church. Take a look at the best investigative journalism of 2015.

You won’t see a better Icelandic tragi-comedy about sheep this year. Ever wondered what happens if you don’t shear a sheep for five years?

Pack your bags: you’re going to want to visit Pantelleria, the unique Sicilian setting for A Bigger Splash. Discover why Italy’s unique volcanic island is hard to resist.

Cannibalism lies at this Western’s heart of darkness. So take a look at 7 animals that eat their own kind. (Or don’t, if you’re reading this at lunchtime...)

Inspired by the horrifying Fritzl case, Room sees a mother and her son trapped in single room. So what does isolation really do to you?

The eponymous mum has undergone reconstructive surgery. For a less permanent makeover, let artist Alma Hasser reconfigure your face via cosmic surgery.

The film’s cast are stop-frame animated puppets, with the story unfolding in a hotel. Check out (or perhaps into?) the Japanese hotel run by robots.

The eponymous tower is a monument to 70s brutalism. If you prefer shinier designs, here are 8 steel buildings that are stunning examples of modern architecture.

Four tarnished priests inhabit a desolate island. For a more pleasant exile, try Sweden’s arboreal mirror cube, or another of these remote escapes.

The story unfolds via an unbroken 138-minute-long shot. For a smaller slice of single-take triumph, try Brandon Semenuk and his joyous bike skills.

Dheepan is a former Tamil Tiger fighter who escapes to Paris. Learn more in this 2-minute history of Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan rebels who invented the suicide vest.

This is a tense, troubling thriller about drone warfare. Want to know how many children have been killed by US drone strikes? The answer will shock you.

A father and son drive through the night, pursued by FBI agents. Why? It’s a mystery... Here are 6 famous unsolved mysteries (that have actually been solved).

Among many things, Son of Saul is a story of survival. Here are 8 things the world’s most extraordinary survivors can teach us.

Two groups of superheroes, both convinced of their righteousness. Look at this optical illusion to learn why people see the world so differently (and how to collaborate better).

Yes, not one but two - two!! - exclamation marks in that title. You use too many of them, right? This handy flow chart helps you decide when to use a ‘screamer’.

This is a documentary about life, death and dogs… Of course, dogs make you healthy and happy. But did you know dogs can smell cancer with 90% accuracy? The NHS does...

Love and Friendship is based on Jane Austen’s little-read novella. Never read one of her books? Here’s how to choose the Jane Austen novel that’s perfect for you.

This black-comedy thriller’s skimpy plot is about California’s poisonous air. How deadly is the air pollution where you live? And what can you do?

The film’s protagonist is based on the world’s last great explorer. Read about the “Indiana Jones of botany” who helped pioneer the psychedelics of the ‘60s.

Toby Jones plays a mad king who grows a giant flea. Proving that nightmares do come true, the world’s largest insect has just been found in China.

New York politician Anthony Weiner was his own worst enemy. Don’t be a Weiner. Here’s how to stop self-sabotaging yourself, explained by a psychotherapist.

Some fools doubted that an all-female Ghostbusters could be funny. Yet, as baffled researchers keep discovering, why don’t men like funny women?

The Big Friendly Giant has huuuuge ears. As we know, human ears never stop getting bigger either. But do you know the real reason why your ears and nose keep growing as you age?

You remember Dory, right? She’s the amnesiac fish who… um, wait… no, it’s gone. Learn how to train your brain to remember everything, by the former US memory champion.

The Suicide Squad are a dirty-half-dozen supervillains who must become superheroes. So here are 6 real people who turned a life of crime into a legitimate career.

Norway’s first ever disaster movie unfolds in a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here are 20 epic photos that show why you need to visit the Norwegian Fjords.

Julieta’s story begins with a passionate encounter between strangers on a night train. Here are Europe’s 8 most eye-opening sleeper-train journeys (including one right here in Britain).

Isabelle Huppert plays Nathalie, a middle-aged philosophy professor who’s happiest when surrounded by her books. Here are 32 awesome bookshelves that will make book-lovers weep with joy.

In this superb drama, banks rob from people… forcing people to rob banks. But does crime pay? These amazing stats reveal how robbing banks is only as lucrative as working in a coffee shop.

Our young misfit hero, Ricky, has a fondness for writing haiku. Check out the wonderful Times Haiku, which finds serendipitous poetry hidden in New York Times articles.

Little Men sees two young friends become the casualties of class warfare. What 21st-century social class are you? Find out with the BBC’s Great British Class Calculator.

Few people know Newton Knight, Free State of Jones’ true-life hero. So here are 6 heroes you’ve never heard of (who probably saved your life).

Bob and Terry are cops. Corrupt cops. They love busting drug dealers… and snorting their cocaine. Here are 30 vintage cocaine ads from back when drugs were m'kay.

American Honey sees wild teens on a roadtrip to... wherever. So here’s the ultimate US road trip (according to the data scientist who found Wally).

Forced to job-hunt against doctor’s instructions, 59-year-old Daniel Blake struggles to write a CV on computers he’s never used. Some inspiration: 27 beautiful CV designs that you’ll want to steal.

This smash-hit zombie horror takes place on Korea’s 190mph high-speed train. Feel the need for speed? Here are the 10 fastest trains on Earth that you can travel on.

Tom Ford’s twisting follow-up to A Single Man takes several swipes at the L.A. art scene. Brush up on the most controversial artworks of the 21st century.

The arrival (hey!) of a huge UFO sparks global panic. Are aliens trying to talk to us? Here’s the actual scale SETI uses to analyse extra-terrestrial signals.

This dazzling Japanese animation stars a pair of teens - one male, one female - who wake up in each other’s bodies. Here’s how technology can simulate the experience of switching gender.

Adam Driver plays a bus driver called Paterson, who drives a bus in Paterson, New Jersey. This video explores whether your name determines your future, with some unpleasant revelations.

Our teenage heroine has a spiky friendship with her cynical teacher. Here are five horribly misguided attempts at creative teaching.

Edward Snowden’s revelations started a global debate about online surveillance. This comprehensive site helps you control your data traces and see how you’re being tracked.

A gang of plucky rebels aim to steal the Death Star plans. Here, scientists explain the technical feasibility of how to build a Death Star.