Spoilers ahead: for the puzzle and the movies/games
This page reveals all categories and answers for this puzzle. It also discusses plot details, story endings, and other spoilers for some of the movies/games shown.
easy
Directed by Kelly Reichardt
Old Joy · Wendy and Lucy · Meek's Cutoff · First Cow
medium
Black-and-white films released since 2000
The White Ribbon · Ida · Cold War · Passing
hard
Performance and identity blur together
Persona · Mulholland Drive · Clouds of Sils Maria · Three Women
These films all get at the same unnerving feeling from different angles: the role starts taking over. Sometimes that role is professional, sometimes emotional, sometimes almost mystical, but the line between person and performance stops holding.
tricky
The title is a profession
The Driver · The Pianist · The Wrestler · The Hustler
Every title here is just a job. The pattern is plain, almost blunt, which is exactly why it hides so well until the board clears around it.