The East

MUST SEE: Zal Batmanglij's The East (US, 2013) - Having rattled off an ingenious story of cult subterfuge in his low-budget 2011 debut, "Sound of My Voice," writer-director Zal Batmanglij plays with some of the same ideas on a broader, more polished canvas in "The East." The second picture in a fascinating collaboration with producer-writer-star Brit Marling, this clever, involving spy drama builds to a terrific level of intrigue before losing some steam in its second half. Still, the appreciable growth in filmmaking confidence here should translate into a fine return on Fox Searchlight's investment, and generate good word-of-mouth buzz among smart thrill-seekers. 2013SUN. RATING: 8