False Flag is another entry in Israel’s strong history of brilliant political thrillers made for TV—including Fauda (which we screened last year) and Prisoners of War (from which Homeland was adapted). It tells the surreal story of five ordinary Israeli citizens who wake up one morning and discover they’ve been implicated in the ruthless kidnapping of the Iranian defense minister, who was on a secret visit to Moscow. News bulletins around the world continually flash their names, passport photos, and even their silhouettes in video footage from the kidnapping. All five adamantly deny any involvement, but to no end, as the media frenzy turns their lives upside down and they quickly become the subjects of simultaneous curiosity, mockery, and admiration. Through extraordinary performances and a luminous script, False Flag affirms that a great TV series can tackle and explode the complexities of modern international politics like no other medium.

Tickets: $10 (members), $15 (nonmembers)