Laura Poitras was just planning the third installment in a trilogy on government snooping in the wake of 9/11 when she got an email from someone saying he wants to blow the whistle on the NSA. She traveled to Hong Kong to meet the guy. The result is an Oscar-winning piece of documentary filmmaking that plays like a thriller.

One early question says it all. “What’s your name, anyway?” “Edward Snowden. Call me Ed.” This remarkably intimate and profoundly chilling movie is required viewing for (1) those who think Snowden’s a hero, (2) a traitor, (3) haven’t decided, and (4) anyone who owns a phone. Japanese title: Citizenfour Snowden no Bakuro (114 min)