Weird, dark movies

[Mia.]

Mary Reilly - in my top 5.

 

[Lexicon]

I posted it recently, but, another Lars von Trier flick I enjoyed was Dancer In The Dark. It;s not scary, but it was certainly odd, morbid, and overall startlingly.. moving.

stream here:

http://stagevu.com/video/qrsnspzildjm

 

[raindancing]

I didn't look through the whole thread, but has anyone mentioned City of Lost Children? Is that dark enough What about Delicatessen?
Spirited Away actually gave me nightmares.

 

[INA]

I didn't look through the whole thread, but has anyone mentioned City of Lost Children? Is that dark enough What about Delicatessen?
Spirited Away actually gave me nightmares.

I considered Delicatessen, but the comic element swayed me from adding it. Spirited Away was even seemed even darker because it was animated- heightened because of the contrast with the themes/mood I am used to in animation media.

 

[Within]

Adding the director Adam Wingard here as well. He's done plently of dark/nihilistic movies, he's a real up and comer. My favorite if his would have to be 1000 year sleep, even if it's just a short one.

 

[Luv Deluxe]

On the subject of Lars von Trier - what about Melancholia? Every time I watch it, I love this film a little bit more.

 

[violaine]

Funny Games, (the Michael Haneke version), off the top of my head. And The Orphanage. I'm not into horror, so the movies I regard as dark are usually disturbing on an emotional level. (And by that measure, I found scenes from Inglorious Basterds and one scene from Saving Private Ryan to have resonated with me on an awfully disturbing level. Bleh).

Hmm, Nil by Mouth was yearggh, as was The War Zone. They're both older movies. Fish Tank was deflating as well. Dancer in the Dark... Prob anything by Lars Von Trier. And while it was sorta dark, I loved Welcome to the Dollhouse because it was funny too. Hmm... The Vanishing, (the remake and the original), rather disturbed me too.

Sorry if I'm repeating any past suggestions.

 

[violaine]

On the subject of Lars von Trier - what about Melancholia? Every time I watch it, I love this film a little bit more.

Really liked it. One of my favorite experiences is when someone weaves the personal and universal together. And it's a great movie to sit and absorb on one's own. I love clashing, or even slightly clanging, emotional notes. That's the best description I have for an element I liked about that movie. Almost made me wish I was there, which is odd. I've only seen it once. I'll have to watch it again, I'll bet it's great after a few passes.

 

[Luv Deluxe]

Funny Games, (the Michael Haneke version), off the top of my head.

Both versions are Haneke. Are you referring to the 1997 original?

And while it was sorta dark, I loved Welcome to the Dollhouse because it was funny too.

This has been on my to-see list forever. Have you seen Happiness (also Solondz)? Great movie.

Really liked it. One of my favorite experiences is when someone weaves the personal and universal together. And it's a great movie to sit and absorb on one's own. I love clashing, or even slightly clanging, emotional notes. That's the best description I have for an element I liked about that movie. Almost made me wish I was there, which is odd. I've only seen it once. I'll have to watch it again, I'll bet it's great after a few passes.

I agree, and it definitely got better for me after each viewing. Something I especially appreciate about the film is how, during part one, Justine really struggles to maintain the appearance of happiness, yet Claire becomes the more irrational sister during part two. When the external situation is befitting Justine's melancholic nature, something clicks into place and it fits. It suits her, and she becomes eerily calm compared to Claire. Love that.

 

[Trunks]

I like to watch horror movies, thriller, action, violence and so on. Just name it..
I never have any problem to watch these kind of movies.

 

[violaine]

Both versions are Haneke. Are you referring to the 1997 original?



This has been on my to-see list forever. Have you seen Happiness (also Solondz)? Great movie.



I agree, and it definitely got better for me after each viewing. Something I especially appreciate about the film is how, during part one, Justine really struggles to maintain the appearance of happiness, yet Claire becomes the more irrational sister during part two. When the external situation is befitting Justine's melancholic nature, something clicks into place and it fits. It suits her, and she becomes eerily calm compared to Claire. Love that.

Ooh, I was coming back to correct that, right you are. I meant the 2007 version of Funny Games... Haven't seen the original.

I haven't seen Happiness, I can't it find it whenever I go looking for it. >.<. I'm all set to go and see his new one, Dark Horse. I liked one of the featured press grabs promoting the movie: "No one stages a bad party like director Todd Solondz". Hah.

Yeah good point. That role reversal, for want of a better term, really made me ponder comfort as it relates to (cognitive) dissonance. Made me think about people I've known who are only happy when things are chaotic. I loved looking at everything through that little prism for a while. Definitely have to make some time to watch that again. I don't think I would have had I not come across your post. Yay. Also, it's just gorgeous and soothing to look at.

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I left out Requiem for a Dream. Though, that didn't really hit me very hard until I saw it a second time. And another one I saw which was a little twisted up was Little Children. I know I've seen some other really good films that fit the bill. Will have to ponder.

 

[Luv Deluxe]

Ooh, I was coming back to correct that, right you are. I meant the 2007 version of Funny Games... Haven't seen the original.

I haven't seen Happiness, I can't it find it whenever I go looking for it. >.<. I'm all set to go and see his new one, Dark Horse. I liked one of the featured press grabs promoting the movie: "No one stages a bad party like director Todd Solondz". Hah.

Yeah good point. That role reversal, for want of a better term, really made me ponder comfort as it relates to (cognitive) dissonance. Made me think about people I've known who are only happy when things are chaotic. I loved looking at everything through that little prism for a while. Definitely have to make some time to watch that again. I don't think I would have had I not come across your post. Yay. Also, it's just gorgeous and soothing to look at.

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I left out Requiem for a Dream. Though, that didn't really hit me very hard until I saw it a second time. And another one I saw which was a little twisted up was Little Children. I know I've seen some other really good films that fit the bill. Will have to ponder.

Haha! That's a great promotional blurb for Solondz. And I think it's true.

You mentioned Little Children - that's another film I quite enjoy, and its overall feeling is similar to that of Happiness.

I agree with you about Melancholia being gorgeous and soothing to look at, which is strange considering the subject matter. I think Lars von Trier described it as "a beautiful film about the end of the world." I've also heard it referred to as "a cinematic last supper," although I can't remember where I read that.

 

[violaine]

Haha! That's a great promotional blurb for Solondz. And I think it's true.

You mentioned Little Children - that's another film I quite enjoy, and its overall feeling is similar to that of Happiness.

I agree with you about Melancholia being gorgeous and soothing to look at, which is strange considering the subject matter. I think Lars von Trier described it as "a beautiful film about the end of the world." I've also heard it referred to as "a cinematic last supper," although I can't remember where I read that.

Ooh, that's a neat description... And yeah, so impressive that they were able to pull that off. <3 (That's def a way I'd want to feel at the end of my life. That or some state of pure bliss).

Haha, I laugh every time I think of that "bad party" line. I have to say, my hopes are high WRT Dark Horse. (Never a good thing :/ ).

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Another movie I loved was Let the Right One In. (The Swedish version). That was chock-full of Scandi appeal - cold and cozy at the same time. And another was a Russian film called The Return. That one is awesome. Hmm, Jindabyne is really good and so is Beautiful Kate. They're both Australian films. Really interesting subject matter.

I better stop there or I won't sleep tonight.

 

[Totenkindly]

I didn't mention Delicatessen either, which I found rather sweet despite any darkness; the center of the movie seems to be the relationship between the ex-clown and the butcher's daughter, and it was just very endearing to watch unfold. If the movie had taken a different tone, perhaps I would have felt unsettled.

Another movie I loved was Let the Right One In. (The Swedish version). That was chock-full of Scandi appeal - cold and cozy at the same time.

Good movie. I prefer it to the American adaptation. And yes, it's a "cold" movie, but maybe that's why I found it interesting in comparison to American "hotter" cinematic excesses, it was an experience to watch. It just felt more authentic to me. I liked how everything was stripped down to just the story and the acting -- not much extra drama added with music and whatever else.

I left out Requiem for a Dream. Though, that didn't really hit me very hard until I saw it a second time.

I've only seen it once, but it still resonates years later. I'm scared to encounter it again, I'm not sure where it will leave me. I guess it seemed more straightforward depictions of the abuses of drugs, so I didn't really know if it fit here; but in terms of my emotional response to it, I was definitely unsettled.

Along in those lines, Pan's Labyrinth was a different kind of movie than many of those listed here; I found it full of tragic beauty; but some of the tragic parts are bad enough to leave one ill. (The torture session, the scene with the farmer and his son being interrogated, the sew-up, etc.) One of the movie's strengths is that, despite some "fantastical" elements of the plotline, the worst forms of evil in the movie come through the agency of human beings, rather than through the supernatural; and perhaps that makes it even more powerful.

 

[CrystalViolet]

Maybe not quite on the level, but how about 12 Monkeys.

 

[violaine]

[MENTION=7]Jennifer[/MENTION] - I completely agree about the different versions of Let the Right One In. I think that my lead up into a movie really affects my experience. I saw the Swedish version of LTROI just by chance one day, (it felt like discovering a wonderful gem). Utterly charmed. <3

Agree about Requiem for a Dream too. My goodness, there's a point you get to in that movie where the walls close in and everything is just devolving so relentlessly. (Actually, if I were ever going to use a movie as an educational tool to try to get any kids I may have to learn to look before they leap... That one would be it. Though not while they're still tweens or anything like that, hah).

And with you on Pan's Labyrinth too. What a fantastic movie that was. It's that weaving together of two really different perspectives and maintaining coherency all the way through. So impressive. Have you seen The Orphanage? I tend to think of those movies in tandem. Possibly because they both disturbed me on a similar level. Pan's is the far superior movie... They really don't have all that much in common actually. (Haha, you'd prob want to throttle me if we saw movies together ;-) but I bet we'd also have a ball seeing as we both seem to love movies).

I never saw Delicatessen, will definitely have to now.

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I thought Intacto was pretty neat. Though def one where I may have been entranced by a particular quirk and missed something that would take others out of the story. Not a disturbing movie, but definitely darkly quirky.

 

[violet_crown]

Good movie. I prefer it to the American adaptation. And yes, it's a "cold" movie, but maybe that's why I found it interesting in comparison to American "hotter" cinematic excesses, it was an experience to watch. It just felt more authentic to me. I liked how everything was stripped down to just the story and the acting -- not much extra drama added with music and whatever else.

I preferred the original as well. The best part of that film is it's subtlety, its fridge horror appeal, which virtually evaporates in the US version. It annoyed me that they felt they had to spell everything out for American audiences.

 

[Totenkindly]

I preferred the original as well. The best part of that film is it's subtlety, its fridge horror appeal, which virtually evaporates in the US version. It annoyed me that they felt they had to spell everything out for American audiences.

yes, that's the thing... they feel like they have to lead the American audience around by the nose, it seems. The one thing I did like about the American version was the opening, I think it was an out-of-order sequence shot, but it made sense to me and added a little complexity to the narrative flow. The rest, however, just seemed kind of flat to me.

In the book, Oskar himself is kind of a psychopath kid -- he seems lacking of empathy for others and so the vampire and the psychopath kid make quite the pair, there's something in each other that each of them can understand. The Swedish version preserved that aspect of Oskar's personality, the "coldness" /detachment he exudes. The American version did not convey that, really.

I also don't remember either movie presenting the truth about the vampire's gender; there are passages that cover it (such as when she became undead), I guess they just decided not to go there or explore how that would play out.

Anyway, i think it was one of the first times when I chose to watch a foreign movie with subtitles because I really wanted to see it and it wasn't an Asian martial arts movie of some sort. The experience opened the door to me exploring other foreign films and being okay with using subtitles.

 

[CzeCze]

I just watched Antichrist (2009, Lars von Trier), & it was the most unsettling thing I've seen in a while. I may have nightmares.

I saw it because it was supposed to be...um...what's that word...offensive? provocative? blah blah blah? Also it had Charlotte Gainsbourg in it. I fast forwarded most of it because it was so boring. So the atmosphere couldn't seep in. It reminded me of art films. Literally art films that they play on impossibly thin plasma screens at the Hirshhorn and MoMa. The special effects were super slo mo super high fidelity that was literally like a film installation I saw in a museum (exact same effect). So a lot of the 'wow' factor was gone for me.

You'd probably like Japanese horror flicks, they make no sense and are all about atmosphere and creep factor. Uzumaki is a good one for you, based on the horror manga. You might also like early Brian de Palma flicks like 'Body Double' that entire movie oozes with unintentional 80s 'wrongness' and sleaze in addition to the bizarre factor he purposely engineered in. You might also like the Korean horror film "Tale of Two Sisters" which was redone in the states. 'Bleeding House' is another low-budget 80s/90s horror film that you might like. "Pontypoon" is a horror movie that is actually quite clever and atmospheric. "Isolation" is a horror movie about COWS, that's right COWS, on a remote Irish farm.

There are so many types of 'weird' and 'dark' not sure what exactly would be your cup of tea...will have to think of more...I've seen lots of bad movies (and some good ones) that you might like...

 

[Thalassa]

Hmm I'm a huge horror fan but I can give you some suggestions for non-horror.

The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things is pretty fucking creepy and disturbing.

4 is a Russian film that is more like a dark independent drama.

Chopper and The Wrestler are both disturbing to me, though they aren't horror at all.

So is Party Monster with Macauley Caulkin. Really. It's fucked up yo.

If you want horror suggestions, just let me know.

P.S. I think Ringu is creepier than The Ring.

Anything by David Lynch, lol.

Oh and a Mexican film called El Topo.