1. Kids (1995)

   Dir. Larry Clark

   There's no film that has directly influenced me more than Larry Clark's "Kids".

   I must have been 16 or 17 when I first watched it and it spoke so directly to my life and the lives of my friends that it felt like the first cinematic reflection of a world that I knew. With "Kids" I got my first taste of what cinema could be. Something radical, confrontational and deeply personal. I feel like with this picture, I was given the permission to pick up a camera and scream at the audience in my own way.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

2. Breathless (1960)

   Dir. Jean-Luc Godard

   Still my favorite film of all time. Although not directly a film about lost youth, I feel that this film belongs here because of the brazen youthful energy of its creator and the stylish existential portrait it paints. Godard comes at this (his directorial debut) with so much passionate, the frames themselves feel young and electric, breaking rules and demanding to be felt. It's also one of the films that birthed the outlaw movement that was the French new wave (nouvelle vague) and paved the way for some many young urgent auteurs. So in a way, it feels like the quintessential, youth film as it gave way to many lost and beautiful filmmakers to follow.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

3. The Devil, Probably (1977)

   Dir. Robert Bresson

   This film is just pure nihilism in cinema, and I fucking love it for that. Bresson's portrait of lost youth in Paris feels like a piece of existential literature that somehow managed to turn itself into images. As some one that is very much influenced by books like Albert Camus' "L'etranger" this film was a welcome voyage into the void and a cinemaic counterpoint to literary existential philosophy. It's a very spacious film with an almost painfully slow rhythm that really felt fresh to me as a young cinephile. If bleakness and youthful futility was a film this would surely be it.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

4. The Dreamers (2003)

   Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci

   Another absolute favorite of mine. This film is as much a strange intimate love affair as it is a film about the destructive love of cinema. Bertolucci paint a stunning and eerily intimate portrait of a young American man's affair with two young, privileged Parisian siblings that is both endearing and repulsive at the same time. I love how contained this picture is but how rich it is in its emotional scope. It's also such a fantastic homage to great cinema and to obsessive cinephilia that it will always speak so loudly to my heart.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

5. The 400 Blows (1959)

   Dir. François Truffaut

   François Truffaut's semi-autobiographical directorial debut "Les Quatre Cents Coups" is a tiny film with a tremendous heart. Another Nouvelle Vague essential it is the triumphant first work of a great. It speaks to me of the crippling alienation one feels in youth, where not even one's own parents can be trusted. Theres so much adolescent angst and rebellion in this film that I deeply relate to and so it feels like a filmmaker showing his heart as my own.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

6. Ken Park (2002)

   Dir. Larry Clark, Edward Lachman

   Had to double down on the Larry Clark films cause to me he is an often-underrated youth film pioneer. Just like "Kids", Clark paints a shockingly honest portrait of teenage lust, angst and nihilistic depression that is both jarring and confrontational but somehow never feels gratuitous to me. As someone who drew up in the skater subculture of the 2000's the film is deeply personal, and the characters feel lived in and strikingly organic. It's also got some moments (no spoilers) that are so dark and sinister they felt triumphant to me as a teen. This film is just Larry doing his thing and given zero fucks. The opening was also greatly influential for me, I remember watching it the first time and thinking "Holy fuck, you can do that?!" ... then I went and did just that with my own debut.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

7. Gummo (1997)

   Dir. Harmony Korine

   Harmony Korine's experimental debut gives you everything you would expect from the young screenwriter behind "Kids". It's a deeply textured fever dream of poor smalltown youth that is both deeply disturbing and beautifully poetic at the same time. It feels like a work filmed at the end of the road of a joyless life and has so much raw honesty in its frames that it feels undeniably human.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

8. Stand by Me (1986)

   Dir. Rob Reiner

   Damn, I remember seeing this for the first time on a VHS my father had hidden somewhere when I was like 8. It's a wonderful depiction of youthful and the sanctity of friendships that speaks to me in so many ways. It feels like a road movie for kids without cars as well as a realistic adventure a group of boys would go on. Man , it's hard to speak about these films without giving to much away. But I will say that this is a real heart wrencher that allows for moments of joy and levity that makes it a complete experience.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

9. Permanent Vacation (1980)

   Dir. Jim Jarmusch

   The existential debut of filmmaker Jim Jarmusch and a cornerstone of the American No-wave cinema movement. Shot on a low-budget with none actors, this feel feels like time travelling back to the gritty unkept streets of a dying New York city in the 80's. Just like A Bout De Souffle, this film is as much about the youthful energy and pulpable urgency of its filmmaker as it is about American youth with no purpose. I have always been attracted to stories of adolescent angst and this film delivers that empty, searching feeling that really resonates with me. The stripped back production gives it this picture a grim that so wonderfully compliments the narrative and makes the film feel voyeuristic.

   Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

10. Mysterious Skin (2004)

    Dir. Gregg Araki

    A truly mesmerizing piece of 2000's American indie. The "Mysterious Skin" is an awe-inspiring portrait of two young men bound together by the trauma of childhood trying desperately to reconcile a confusing and painful past with an uncertain present. Wonderfully filmed and performed with a truly brave and memorable performance by a young Joseph Gordan-Levitt. It's a tender film that has to be on this list and one that all lovers of character driven indie gems should spin at least once.

    Entry from: Sibs Shongwe-La Mer’s list of Films About Beautifully Lost Youth

11. Small Axe (2020)

    Dir. Steve McQueen

    TV series or not, Lover's Rock possesses a power most films lack: the power to turn a dark room bright. Screening this back in February brought on so many emotions with it. A sense of belonging, and the assertion that I fucking love being black (can we swear?).

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

12. The Last Year of Darkness (2023)

    Dir. Ben Mullinkosson

    A queer rave documentary that is not as much a documentary as it is an experience designed for all five senses. Prepare to sweat, then cry by the end of it.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

13. Eephus (2024)

    Dir. Carson Lund

    Do you like baseball? I don't. Not really. Yet, somehow, Eephus makes me care about it, and all that's going on behind each swing and scoresheet: those mumbling ongoings of brotherly communion.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

14. Three Colours: Red (1994)

    Dir. Krzysztof Kieślowski

    The third entry in the "Three Colours" trilogy reaffirms the existence of the soul, and the idea that something great -- God, The Universe, souls before us, what have you -- is keenly watching over us. They always are.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

15. Early Summer (1951)

    Dir. Yasujirō Ozu

    Well, you've made me cry now.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

16. In Order Not to Be Here (2002)

    Dir. Deborah Stratman

    In the worst way possible, you will not feel alone watching this. Surveillance systems, suburban anxiety, police brutality and the 21st century's manifestation of the panopticon talk together in this short paranoia piece.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

17. Life, and Nothing More… (1992)

    Dir. Abbas Kiarostami

    The resilience the people of the Koker village show in the aftermath of tragedy is only as undaunted as their sense of joy.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

18. Linda Linda Linda (2005)

    Dir. Nobuhiro Yamashita

    I was overjoyed screening this last year. We shared anecdotes of our own childhoods while praising how "Linda Linda Linda" captured that foggy, indellible flavour our lives all held at one point. At some point.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

19. Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina, May 1940 (1940)

    Dir. Zora Neale Hurston

    Anthropologist Zora Neale Thurston, best known for her work in print, cannot be discussed fully without watching her documentary work.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

20. Nightshift (1981)

    Dir. Robina Rose

    Set in one night, 'Nightshift''s (literal) revolving door of characters will have you shying and giggling at how odd and oddly beautiful we are as a sum.

    It's also gorgeous to look at.

    Entry from: Tino Hluyo’s list of Movies That Feel Like Being in a Room With Strangers

21. This Is England (2006)

    Dir. Shane Meadows

    I watched this the year it came out and it set a ton of aesthetic and story telling standards for me. Gritty, grungy, shaky. An absolutely iconic and timeless archive footage intro compiled of clips from the Thatcher era flashing over a Toots and the Mytals soundtrack immerse you from the get go. Bare in mind I was 15 when this came out, so we can call it formative media. All I can really say is watch it, Shane Meadows knows what's up.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

22. Hobo with a Shotgun (2011)

    Dir. Jason Eisener

    Ignore the 66% on Rotten Tomatoes and watch it. You'll never watch anything like this in your life and stylistically its so very much in its own lane you might just love it. High Saturation point hyper violence. God it's good.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

23. The Godfather (1972)

    Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

    Francis Ford cooked. A career stand out performance from Al Pacino and a late masterclass from Marlon Brando. James Caan redefining the tough guy. Diane Keaton redefining the mob wife. Every frame full, every frame purposeful, every frame beautiful. Vito with his grandson in his tomato garden stands out to me as one of the most beautiful moments in the entire 2h 55minute runtime. Such a rich film visually and in its narrative, infinitely more than just a classic a gangster flick.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

24. The Thing (1982)

    Dir. John Carpenter

    Horror's are some of the most beautifully shot films in my opinion. Something about 16mm film gives the classics a deep, sultry look that can't be replicated today. Surprisingly though Carpenter chose to shoot The Thing on 35mm film, and we are better for it in this use case. The practical effects deserve it, every detail crisp, immersive, skin tingling. I don't have too many words for these notes because honestly irl I would just say it's beautiful, watch it, but for the unending oppressiveness, feeling like you're right in there with the creature and the feelings that that provokes really feels like enough reason to watch quite possibly one of the best Horror movies of all time.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

25. Fury (2014)

    Dir. David Ayer

    I have a love hate relationship with war movies. While I appreciate the historical aspects, they also feel like propaganda. Fury is no different however, it's so visceral it has to make this list. More visceral for me than Saving Private Ryan and the other lot of American made War Classics. The anti tank gun battle is terrifying, sound design put the fear of god in me and I watched this at home, alone on full blast. Tracers flying, rounds ricochetting and whistling, pure adrenaline.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

26. Heat (1995)

    Dir. Michael Mann

    Not much to say here besides the fact that two artists have made paintings that can't hold a candle to the scene they're referencing. Nuff said.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

27. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

    Dir. Tobe Hooper

    Another runner for the best horror movie ever made. Unendingly oppressive, dark but not murky. Everything happening on screen is crystal clear for better or worse. The 16mm film makes it grainy and grungy, saturated colour and deep, dark blacks. I have few words for how beautiful such a fucked up movie is, but there's something about the first one, the progenitor for everything that came after it that cannot be replicated.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

28. They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

    Dir. Juel Taylor

    No thoughts, my favourite film of 2023, and god is it beautiful in every single way.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

29. Sinners (2025)

    Dir. Ryan Coogler

    Just the cinematic tricks employed in this deserve so much credit. But between that, the almost unrealistically super wide shots, the aspect ratio changes, I could go on for days about all the technical aspects of this movie but at the end of the day all of that culminated in story telling and visual decadence that made me feel big feelings throughout.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

30. Salem's Lot (1979)

    Dir. Tobe Hooper

    Not quite a movie but a tv show that exists as a film where all the episodes have been cut into a long play version, this might be the most beautiful horror ever made. Everything is so crisp, true to life and you feel like the creatures at the window could fly out of the screen into your room if you decide to allow them in. The glowing eye's now seen in Sinners and the tv show Midnight Mass come from this but I haven't seen a vampire movie this unsettling since.

    Entry from: Callan Grecia’s list of Films That Embrace Imperfection As Their Defining Beauty

31. Saving Face (2004)

    Dir. Alice Wu

    Saving Face has that cute and heartwarming charm that the best romcoms possess, but it's grounded and honest in a way that feels much rarer. It's a delightful film

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

32. Nitrate Kisses (1992)

    Dir. Barbara Hammer

    I've never seen intimacy between older people presented as tenderly as in Nitrate Kisses. One particular sex scene here is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in all of cinema.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

33. Anything's Possible (2022)

    Dir. Billy Porter

    Every now and then I'll see women online wishing for a film where a straight trans woman has a normal relationship with a guy. This is that! Anything's Possible is a by-the-numbers romcom starring a trans woman. It's by far the most cookie cutter film on this list, but the current landscape of trans cinema doesn't really have a ton of straightforward, easy watches like this. More people should be aware of it.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

34. Stress Positions (2024)

    Dir. Theda Hammel

    I'm obsessed with these messy characters and the peculiar atmosphere. It's a slice of life piece that manages to feel mystical despite never leaving reality.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

35. So Pretty (2019)

    Dir. Jessica Dunn Rovinelli

    This is a film seeped in tenderness. It presents a beautiful world, the simplicity of which suggests we could create lives like this in our own world.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

36. Weird Kisses (2025)

    Dir. Billie Elizabeth

    During the world premiere of Weird Kisses, I thought, "I've always wanted to watch a film that feels like this".

    It might be a little silly to add a film I directed to this type of list, but I'm incredibly proud of the work our team put into it. It's available on YouTube now, and I'm so excited to have it out in the world!

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

37. Show Me Love (1998)

    Dir. Lukas Moodysson

    I could watch this movie a million times and not get tired of it. It's so honest, and so sweet. What a joy!

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

38. Pride (2014)

    Dir. Matthew Warchus

    One of my fave displays of solidarity in cinema!

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

39. The Watermelon Woman (1996)

    Dir. Cheryl Dunye

    There's a ton of great things about this film, but I'm specifically listing it here because it has one of my favourite sex scenes ever.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

40. Chicks Forever (2023)

    Dir. Miszka Medynska

    This is quickly becoming one of my favourite films about friendship. Connecting with another human being is such a special thing.

    Entry from: Billie Elizabeth’s list of Films That Trace Queer Lives On Screen

41. Close (2022)

    Dir. Lukas Dhont

    Heartbreaking, I cried to this one. I also wrote a short, bad poem about it:

    I steal glances at the seat next to me, the seat of you
    Hoping to catch any remnants of your shell
    A silence so loud it echoes as though it were heard in a deep chasm
    A tender smile lost, the warm breeze of summer no longer gentle
    Colours are less vivid, and the flowers have dried and lost all their petals
    Grief-stricken, I am consumed by your memory
    You were my tower of ivory, and I, yours

    It's a film that's triggered great discourse with some parties arguing that it is emotionally manipulative (it REALLY tugs at your heartstrings) and other parties arguing for its tenderness and honesty. I happen to be a part of the latter. It's rooted in reality for a lot of queer kids. Longing to live your truth but being too young to truly appreciate what that entails and so you sacrifice a lot of yourself. A meditation on masculinity, suppressed emotions, and grief.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

42. The Age of Innocence (1993)

    Dir. Martin Scorsese

    A fun fact about this one is that it is one of two films where the great Martin Scorsese and the equally great Daniel Day-Lewis have partnered up and it's considered one of the great auteur's "lesser" works.

    Truly, this is one of the only films that masterfully depict the deadly pair of ache and yearning. Trembling hands, half opened letters, candles, the unbearable poetry of a glove removed, stolen glances through opera goggles, fractured voices at the mere utterance of your lover's name; all of these things contribute to a story about forbidden love captured so beautifully and tenderly while packing the most earth-shattering punch.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

43. Queer (2024)

    Dir. Luca Guadagnino

    Luca Guadagnino has mastered the art of capturing and communicating the sensualities of life, of intimacy, be it physical, emotional, or spiritual. This beautiful, beautiful film is a meditation on tangible loneliness, depression, desperation, and longing. There is one particular scene where Lee (Daniel Craig) and Allerton (Drew Starkey) are sleeping with their backs turned to one another and the former extends his arm to try and reach and touch the latter and doesn't quite reach him. What a beautifully heartbreaking metaphor for yearning for someone, for a connection with someone and ultimately falling short, never quite reaching them.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

44. Aftersun (2022)

    Dir. Charlotte Wells

    Longing to be okay. Longing to feel adequate for the sun of your life. Desperately fighting a losing battle with your brain, carrying an eternally broken heart. One of them ones.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

45. Oslo, August 31st (2011)

    Dir. Joachim Trier

    I promised myself I'd never watch this again. You'll see why. Honest and sincere and a cure for happiness. Longing to be 'okay' and to belong in a society that has done nothing but condemn you. Longing for forgiveness and for acceptance. A deeply heartbreaking character study.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

46. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

    Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

    "I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine."

    Perhaps the most beautiful film on this list. A meditation on how love can be transformative. The film maybe isn't overtly about longing (sorry, I know I'm cheating) but it made me long to find someone that would accept me with everything that's "wrong" with me and all my quirks and oddities and it made me long to be more brave. And I think that's beautiful.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

47. Past Lives (2023)

    Dir. Celine Song

    Celine Song's heartbreaking feature debut cemented itself in the hall of fame of films that understand longing all too well. How can two people be destined to be together and fated to be together and still not meant to be? A tale of impossible love and the longing for missed opportunities. Beautiful and tender and quiet and deeply emotional. You will cry, and that's okay.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

48. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

    Dir. Céline Sciamma

    "Do all lovers feel they're inventing something?"

    I have to preface this with the fact that, visually, this is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every single frame is akin to a painting; which is fitting because art plays a crucial role in the film, essentially becoming its own character.

    This is a 2 hour long poem. Again, a tale of forbidden love that has no fairytale ending because such is life. So deeply honest, and beautifully hypnotic. Stolen glances, the ache of trying to brand the image of your lover in your brain, impossible yearning, heartbreaking farewells.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

49. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

    Dir. Ang Lee

    "Sometimes I miss you so much I can hardly stand it"

    Another film about forbidden (queer) love. Are we sensing a pattern here? Tragically beautiful and heartachingly emotional. A tale of a love that could never be. A meditation on love, longing, and loss. It will leave you feeling empty and distraught.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

50. Paris, Texas (1984)

    Dir. Wim Wenders

    "I wanted to see him so bad that I didn't even dare imagine him anymore"

    So patient and regretful. A story on repressing painful memories and living while drowning in shame because that is far easier than speaking about those memories. A meditation on crippling sorrow and yearning for a reconnection with your most loved ones. A sorrowful dance between love and loss. A poem of regret, forgiveness, and moving on. Devastatingly beautiful. A symphony of agony and heartbreak.

    Entry from: Lwando Hurley’s list of Cinema That Understands Longing Too Well

51. Rancho Notorious (1952)

    Dir. Fritz Lang

    Equal parts erotic and sordid. A ballad of a troubled man. I find that late works by great directors like Lang, Walsh, and Chaplin tend to have more character than their earlier canonized works. Lang's final Western perversely indulges in artifice. It is feverishly tense and stunning to look at. Rancho Notorious feels like it deviates entirely from any notion of film as a recording art to writhe in complete, sublime fabrication. Marlene Dietrich is amazing in this film.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

52. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)

    Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

    The most disturbing aspect of Pasolini's final masterpiece is its emphasis on the allure of depravity to its subjects, and Pasolini himself. It is the most frank film ever made about corruption because it refuses to validate or reward its audience for watching an anti-fascist film. If we do not dare to kill fascists then evil will thrive unabated. Here, degeneracy is girded by immaculate form, much like how the rich and powerful delight in brutality while surrounded by opulence.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

53. Uski Roti (1970)

    Dir. Mani Kaul

    Mani Kaul's debut feature film tests the limits of minimalism. An evocation of a miserable marriage is depicted through a distant cinematographic gaze that oversteps realism and lands right into a mesmeric head trip. Comparisons to Bresson are valid but one difference I notice between this film and Bresson's work is that Bresson's films mine significance and meaning from minimalism whereas nothingness is the driving force behind Uski Roti. I have not seen a film more committed to the sensation of ennui than this one.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

54. Last Chants for a Slow Dance (1977)

    Dir. Jon Jost

    A killer whose motive is his own recalcitrance. Jost's experimental technique captures an essence of wayward living that feels honest and true. It is an essential film for any young filmmaker who feels frustratingly constricted by the "rules" of filmmaking. Despite the experimental approach, it is also a great text on how to block actors.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

55. Nickel Boys (2024)

    Dir. RaMell Ross

    American cinema has been boring for several years now. Miss me with that A24 and Neon crap and all of the other bullshit that nerds fawn over. This is the real deal. The bold first-person perspective not only provides astonishing visual moments but paves the way for an ending that is bewildering and then breathtaking once you realize what is going on. Ross and Fray truly stand out in a time when filmmakers purport to be edgy and daring but are merely rehashing decisions on form and storytelling from the 20th century.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

56. Cloud (2024)

    Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa

    This is a wild late capitalism horror thriller. To watch Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cloud is to circle a drain that will plummet you to hell. Kurosawa's stark, foreboding compositions capture the deterioration of the scamming protagonist's sense of security as well as the waning humaneness of his victims who decide to go after him. The extended action sequence that takes up most of the second hour is a cold and harrowing distillation of the collective psychosis experienced by a species that is enthralled by high-speed communication, consumer electronics and computers. It seems to posit that humanity will not be ushered to its destruction through some great force of nature, but rather through our malaise and indifference. The tonal shifts in this film are world-shattering. My favourite film of this current decade.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

57. Distant Voices, Still Lives (1988)

    Dir. Terence Davies

    In his debut feature, Terence Davies blends his pensive approach to montage with his winsome musical sensibility to craft a film that replicates the experience of poring over an old family photo album. Through a sequence of dreamy, non-linear vignettes, the film accomplishes a profound and singular diegesis. This film offers visceral and raw glimpses of family life that cling to your soul. What I like about Davies' films as a whole is that they are heavy on cultural specificity but are within emotional reach to anyone who watches them. He was the most soulful director.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

58. Death by Hanging (1968)

    Dir. Nagisa Ōshima

    In Death by Hanging, Oshima makes a startling case for how Brecht's distancing effect can be used to address sensitive issues in film. It fulfils a complicated and intellectually demanding premise that starts with a Korean man sentenced to death in Japan, for rape and murder. He survives the hanging and the authorities are at a loss for what to do next. The film, much like Brecht's work, operates on a strictly conscious level and invokes queries by veering away from artifice as a comfortable refuge and opting to posit it as a weapon to distract from purposelessness. It is a heavy philosophical debate rendered as a dark comedy.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

59. Germany Year 90 Nine Zero (1991)

    Dir. Jean-Luc Godard

    Godard's docu-fiction social collage about the fall of communism in East Germany. The definitive road movie. A westward journey marked by mourning and a gnawing sense of doubt in the future of Europe. An underrated gem in Godard's filmography and it's emotionally direct, unlike many of his films. Littered with allusions, symbols, and references that I'm not nearly well-read enough to parse fully but I am moved by the sorrowful tone of this film and its evocation of ideas that tie back to hauntology. With this elegy, it feels like Godard is gesturing toward a new milieu where the free market is ill-equipped to override the ideas of the past, specifically Nazism.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

60. The Mothers' House (2006)

    Dir. François Verster

    A Frederick Wiseman-esque documentary about an adolescent coloured girl living with her family in Bonteheuwel. It is a stark and raw document of township life. Francois Verster's fly-on-the-wall approach captures moments that I don't know if I'm supposed to see. It feels intrusive at points, but its power is undeniable. As we watch Miche grow, we experience the reality of coming of age in an impoverished upbringing through her. My only issue with this film is that it feels slight due to its short length but local filmmakers can learn a lot from watching this. It feels more authentic and valuable than any other film made in this country (that I've seen).
    I wish more South African fiction films embraced the quotidian.

    Entry from: Mandilakhe’s list of Films That Changed My Brain Chemistry (But I Can’t Explain Why)

61. Greener Grass (2019)

    Dir. Dawn Luebbe, Jocelyn DeBoer

    I don't follow many rules while watching, or making films, but something I strongly believe is that watching a film without knowing anything about it, greatly enhances your experience! Watching this one for the first time, following this little rule is truly unforgettable (for some positively and for others not so much...). I always say that if you watch Greener Grass (2019) and really like it, you and I will be great friends.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

62. The Ugly Stepsister (2025)

    Dir. Emilie Blichfeldt

    I wish I had made this film!! There's something so magical for me about retelling such memorable stories from my childhood, like Cinderella, in a horror universe. I believe it's because I connected with the world of horror at a young age. Where horror tales told at summer camp are mixed with memories of my first tooth falling out and the taste of blood that comes with it..

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

63. The Loved Ones (2009)

    Dir. Sean Byrne

    I remember the exact moment when I saw a scene from this film where blood and glitter mixed together on the floor. I think I even paused the screen and thought 'How brilliant is this?!' It's a very pink, very sparkly horror film, right up my alley.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

64. Rabbits (2002)

    Dir. David Lynch

    Rabbits, bunnies are pretty much connected with passage of time. Such as in films like "Donnie Darko (2001)", my short "Cherry on Top" (2024) or tales like "Alice in the Wonderland". And this Lynch's short-film, really challenges time it self, bringing this horror atmosphere only he could do.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

65. Suspiria (1977)

    Dir. Dario Argento

    I love how bright neon the blood in this film is! I remember debating whether i would go to that direction in the making of "Cherry on Top (2024)", but while creating with the art department we though the contrast between a very dark "real" blood, with all the pink bright aesthetics of the characters and scenario would be a better choice! I think the bright neon blood in "Suspiria (1977)" works nice in the same way, giving contrast with the whole dark witchy mood.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

66. Gummo (1997)

    Dir. Harmony Korine

    Pink bunny ears! Pink bunny ears! I have a game with a friend of mine that every time he enters my bedroom, he tries to count how many bunny related figures I own. By now I think is about 40...five of them are Gummo related items. I have a connection with this film, how Harmony Korine chooses to glue all the sticky pieces, and horrifying human nature parts of this story.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

67. House (1977)

    Dir. Nobuhiko Obayashi

    I'm obsessed with how this film feels like parts of a scrapbook you made as a child crawled out of the pages to kill you. I love a good horror film centered around girlhood, its challenges and metaphors . Especially with such beautiful attention to details like this one has.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

68. Carrie (1976)

    Dir. Brian De Palma

    Her princesses crown dripping blood, the hazy dreamy sparkles that field the camera lends shining with fire and glitter...Is a beautiful catastrophe, caring the weight of leaving childhood, and entering womanhood.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

69. Pink Flamingos (1972)

    Dir. John Waters

    John Waters! The king of filth! Watching this film with a group friends is such an experience, highly recommend. When I think of "Pink Flamingos" (1972) I think of Divine and her sharp eyebrows, the sparkling blue eyeshadow, her long red dress that guide us to pure chaos.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

70. The Favourite (2018)

    Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

    I choose this film to be apart of the list because of the highly important representation of bunnies to the metaphors sounding purity and fertility in this Yorgos Lanthimos work! I'm a big fan of this film, it carries such an atmospheric presence, and don't even get me started about the costumes, characterisation and impeccable work of the art department! So good.

    Entry from: Laura Reis’s list of Films Where Horror Metaphorically Wears Glitter And Bunny Ears

71. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

    Dir. Jim Jarmusch

    Jarmusch's decision to enlist RZA as the composer for the soundtrack and score was ingenious. Who's more capable of producing the music for a film about a samurai based in New York?

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

72. The Limits of Control (2009)

    Dir. Jim Jarmusch

    When it comes to sound in cinema and attention to detail in this regard, no one does it better than Jarmusch in my opinion. This film is backed sparingly by a sparsely moulded score that touches on everything from Western to Ambient, courtesy of Japanese experimental rock outfit, Boris. "Farewell" (off the album Pink) is utilised in such an impactful manner. It always comes to mind when I think of some of the best closing credits music I've personally come across be it film or television.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

73. Night Owl (1993)

    Dir. Jeffrey Arsenault

    This film follows the various exploits of a vampire who resides in New York's East Village. Story, dialogue and acting aren't this film's strong points. This film thrives in it's cinematography (further supplemented by the use of black & white film) and the choice of music. Sonically, this film is driven by late 80's/early 90's house and industrial post punk.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

74. Inland Empire (2006)

    Dir. David Lynch

    Lynch is known for his mastery of cultivating an uneasiness in his films with his use of dialogue and sound. This is no different in Inland Empire. "Ghost of Love" appears to be a marriage between Western Folk and a seedy interpretation of the Delta Blues. Lynch's vocal performance also contains streaks of inspiration from Nina Simone, a very powerful record/soundtrack.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

75. Dead Man (1995)

    Dir. Jim Jarmusch

    A Western soundtrack meticulously tailored by Neil Young to create a hand in glove effect with this film.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

76. Perfect Blue (1997)

    Dir. Satoshi Kon

    Masahiro Ikumi is the man behind the music for this one. His ambient scores create a mood that elevate the eeriness of this Satoshi Kon classic.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

77. Tenkiller (2022)

    Dir. Jeremy Choate, Kara Choate

    Tenkiller is an alright B-film in the realms of acting and narrative. I still would recommend it to those who haven't seen it. The soundtrack, on the other hand (composed by Oklahoma City's own Chat Pile) could easily contend or match up with any of the projects in their highly praised discography. Given the release date of the film, it's likely that it was produced around the same time as their most essential body of work to date, "God's Country".

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

78. Killa Season (2006)

    Dir. Cam'ron

    "Get 'em Daddy (Remix)" is the one record on the OST that I feel truly captures the essence of the entire film. Cam's verse is equally humorous as it is venom-filled. You can clearly tell the man is on a mission for vengeance as he carefully constructs a verse utilising the classic Dipset rhyme scheme over what could be described as a "final boss" theme song/anthem.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

79. Buffalo '66 (1998)

    Dir. Vincent Gallo

    10/10 film. Everything from the narrative, dialogue, pacing & duration, and lastly the cinematography make this film a must watch for those who haven't seen it yet in my opinion. Gallo being a legitimate musician also aids the auditory aspects of the film. "A Wet Cleaner", the title of a stand out score in the film, enhances Gallo's on screen performance in a scene where raw emotion and pain seep through and are primed to capture the viewer's attention.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

80. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

    Dir. Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

    Listing this one for sentimental reasons. This was my favourite film as a kid in the late 90's/early 00's. Frollo's performance of "Hellfire" may be the single most pivotal moment in my love for film soundtracks and scores.

    Entry from: KB Sedibe’s list of Films With Soundtracks You Can Live Inside

81. Shorts (2009)

    Dir. Robert Rodriguez

    Introduce your kids to non-linear hyperlink cinema, and reintroduce whimsy into the hearts of your adults with this film.
    Shorts (2009) has so many moving parts, but every aspect of the movie from story to cinematography to music is guilelessly dedicated to having fun. Rodriguez (dir.) has a reputation for making movies that feel like they were made by kids, and you feel it in Shorts (2009) as well. Its wacky, ridiculous, witty in its telling of serious and earnest messages that you might miss if you're not paying attention.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

82. The Nowhere Inn (2020)

    Dir. Bill Benz

    it’s a mockumentary comedy / psychoanalytical thriller about St. Vincent’s constructed persona vs her day to day self. It begins as a documentary but devolves into chaotic, surreal, and disorienting sequences. As the character’s senses of self begin to unravel ; the world of the film itself — its props, aesthetic, and cinematic structure — becomes manic, dreamlike and absurd.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

83. Deshotten 1.0 (2009)

    Dir. Arthur Jafa, Malik Hassan Sayeed

    You know when you unfold and fold a piece of paper so much that it rips apart? Now lets say it ripped apart into multiple pieces and you can't figure out what piece goes where. That's what I got from Deshotten 1.0 (2009). What happens when trauma tears our our memory apart? What happens when we relive the memory continuously unfolding and refolding it.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

84. Paris Je T'aime (2006)

    Dir. Sylvain Chomet, Tom Tykwer, Gurinder Chadha, Richard LaGravenese, Isabel Coixet, Nobuhiro Suwa, Frédéric Auburtin, Alfonso Cuarón, Gérard Depardieu, Walter Salles, Christopher Doyle, Wes Craven, Daniela Thomas, Vincenzo Natali, Oliver Schmitz, Gus Van Sant, Olivier Assayas, Alexander Payne, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Bruno Podalydès

    We have been sucked dry of the romantics. Stop the nonchalant pandemic!

    If we collectively agree to be as earnestly curious about the various conditions of love and show it, like these filmmakers did. These streets might just get more passionate.

    There are 18 short stories with around 20 different directors/writers combined beautifully through of setting: the districts of Paris. This is by far the most varied emotionally than any other City of Love series.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

85. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

    Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp

    So small, but yet so big.

    The film collects, videos, interviews daily rituals to document grief. I'm more interested in the emotional fragmentation than the technical loose pieces. I've seen grief depicted as either linear, inaccurate so that it could be understandable Or non-linear, intense and accurate. There's an interesting thing this film does but adding an adorableness factor, that I'm not sure I can explain yet. Tenderness works with the absurdity. Small mundane things are understated signs of much more grandiose emotions.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

86. My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (2016)

    Dir. Dash Shaw

    Visually, sick! It feels like someone hacked into the old Cartoon Network or MTV Animation servers and stitched together all their strangest, most beloved, never-aired passion projects.
    And the sound design! They layer conversations & background noise it feels so real — like you’re eavesdropping in the room with the characters.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

87. Into the Woods (2011)

    Dir. Robert Delamere

    Several fairy tales intertwined with extracting the dark reflection of human nature - too good.

    The way this theatrical production is upheld in the cinematic documentation. We zoom in and out of a massive vertical, wood-and-branch-built stage — like looking through the windows of a house — shifting between the bigger picture and each character’s story. The props are scrappy, layered, and wildly imaginative. And the narrator is little boy in a suit and tie with a Spider-Man backpack.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

88. Dammi (2023)

    Dir. Yann Demange

    I thought I would relate or understand being in a similar position as the main character. But, this short film was most enjoyable when I watched it without trying to interpret anything. Just looking at how pretty the colours and shots were. Listening to voices Riz Ahmed and Souheila Yacoub's beautiful voices. Appreciating how beautiful the words were maybe catching something that was meaningful to me once in a while.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

89. The Hangover (2009)

    Dir. Todd Phillips

    Sometimes a night out is only as good as piecing it back together the next morning, with your loved ones. And that's pretty grand and heart warming.

    It was a toss up between this and Dude Where's my Car. But both didn't really age as well. I enjoyed them more in memory, which is fitting.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

90. Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)

    Dir. Jim Jarmusch

    Jim Jarmusch choose to make the feature film of 11 shorts, each of people having a conversation over coffee and cigarettes. Because when people are having coffee and cigarettes that's when their at their least performative. I was stunned to find this out because in todays day coffee and cigarettes are the symbol of pretentious intellectual postures. I'm curious. Would I have read some of these scenes differently, if i had watched the film before coffee and a cig was seen as performative.

    Also Jim Murray chugs filter coffee from the jug Infront of two members of the Wu Tang Clan.

    Entry from: Nokukhanya Sibanda’s list of Stories Told in Loose Pieces

91. Night Is Short, Walk On Girl (2017)

    Dir. Masaaki Yuasa

    The truest example that animation is a medium that is expressive, absurd, logic-defying and most of all: fun!

    We can go through millions of journeys but PLEASE let us have fun.
    Animation is my biggest inspiration and Masaaki Yuasa breaks boundaries of our imagination for spectacle through animation.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

92. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

    Dir. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan

    Absurdism is here for the 2020s!

    An intense emotional narrrative with explosive absurdist humour and comedy. It’s an inspiration for how we can use non-realistic styles get emotional and internal responses that connect with audiences. It is a masterpiece of sensory engagement

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

93. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

    Dir. Charlie Kaufman

    The absurdist mastermind that is Charlie Kaufman. It’s sweet, how much we change and how little we learn.

    Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s incredible performance shows the collision between the artist’s way of meaning making and the absurdity of flowing time.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

94. OPAL (2020)

    Dir. Jack Stauber

    ESCAPE! The hope that comes from escape!
    Our need to relieve our confusion and our hopes for better. A better place or something to achieve.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

95. Whiplash (2014)

    Dir. Damien Chazelle

    We are all always wanting more and more. There can never be enough. Let it overtake you! Consume you!

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

96. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

    Dir. Joel Crawford

    Sometimes running away is running to something better.
    Puss goes through an urgent journey towards himself as a way of running away from Death.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

97. Poor Things (2023)

    Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

    We are all going through this life for the first time. The absurdity, difficulty, beauty, frustration, intrigue and overwhelming nature of living life for the first time.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

98. The Lighthouse (2019)

    Dir. Robert Eggers

    This is what ‘Unsatisfactory.’ would look like if it wasn’t a comedy.
    It is a pull toward The Ligt, Light is elusive and scary, it’s everything we want!

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

99. Asteroid City (2023)

    Dir. Wes Anderson

    I often feel like films about theatre is about me. The black and white scenes felt personal, which are about believing in a play and telling a story. No matter what. It doesn’t matter if you understand, it only matters to say what needs to be said.

    Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

100. Taste of Cherry (1997)

     Dir. Abbas Kiarostami

     Its beauty is in waiting. Waiting to keep change, waiting to find someone to do you a favour, waiting for pain to end.

     Entry from: Luke Ness’s list of Films of The Absurd Journey Toward Meaning

101. Touki Bouki (1973)

     Dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty

     Operatic and explosive depiction of a world that feels haptic and layered.
     "It's easy, anytime you want to see the light, just close your eyes." - Djibril Diop Mambéty

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

102. Y Tu Mamá También (2001)

     Dir. Alfonso Cuarón

     Feels like a memory recalled with tenderness and observationalism at the same time. Apparently Emmanuel Lubezki used mostly natural light for the cinematography.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

103. Christiane F. (1981)

     Dir. Uli Edel

     Visceral and gut-wrenching. There's an urban legend that Uli Edel found a real bag of heroin while filming in a public toilet, and wanted to sell it to finance the film. Don't do drugs kids.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

104. Our Little Sister (2015)

     Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda

     Such a gentle and calming film. Full of kindness and love. Apparently Suzu Hirose practiced soccer for over a year to prepare for the role.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

105. Gridlock'd (1997)

     Dir. Vondie Curtis-Hall

     Stylish depiction of addiction and bureaucracy with amazing performances from Tupac Shakur and Tim Roth. One of those films that draws you in with excitement and sneaks up behind you with a powerful message.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

106. Yaaba (1989)

     Dir. Idrissa Ouedraogo

     This movie will bring you to tears. Evokes emotion with subtlety and a minimalist, transcendental style. R.I.P Idrissa Ouédraogo

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

107. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)

     Dir. Agnès Varda

     Agnès Varda combines the energetic editing of her new wave contemporaries with her own signature calmness.
     "If we opened people up, we'd find landscapes." - Agnès Varda

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

108. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

     Dir. Sam Raimi

     Potentially the greatest superhero movie ever made and possibly the best dance sequence in cinema history?

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

109. The Holy Mountain (1973)

     Dir. Alejandro Jodorowsky

     Watch this shit. They say that Alejandro Jodorowky didn't sleep for one week under the guidance of a monk in order to prepare for the shoot.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

110. Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)

     Dir. Nabwana IGG

     Nabwana IGG channels all the raw power, joy, fun and excitement that cinema has to offer. This movie feels completely boundless and uninhibited despite being made for just 85 dollars.

     Entry from: Scott Paton-Levin’s list of Movies With Plots Held Together By Chaos And Consequence

111. Porco Rosso (1992)

     Dir. Hayao Miyazaki

     The undisputed (to me) GOAT of Ghibli. Like a Japanese sweet your gran brings back from Italy, if your gran was also the coolest pig on earth with a tragic backstory.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

112. Pedal (2001)

     Dir. Peter Sutherland

     The grimiest, sweatiest, ugliest, greasiest doc you could see all year. Even if you watched this on an IMAX screen it would still feel like a YouTube video you found in the middle of the night. Watch next time before you order food in.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

113. Goodbye Jerome! (2021)

     Dir. Gabrielle Selnet, Adam Sillard, Chloé Farr

     Come on! It’s a heartbreaking animated short film about a Frenchman looking for his partner in heaven! It’s like 8 minutes long! You could’ve watched it by now!

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

114. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     There’s very little I can say about this one that you don’t know already: it’s beautifully written, it’s beautifully shot, it’s a great time. What I would say is that you need to LISTEN to this movie: it’s got one of the best synth-led soundtracks I’ve ever heard.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

115. Interface (2021)

     Dir. Justin Tomchuk

     Like a corrupted creepypasta forum-site come to life. Best to watch contextless. There’s a VHS rip of it on YouTube!

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

116. PlayTime (1967)

     Dir. Jacques Tati

     You watch this film and suddenly you can never make fun of your grandparents for not understanding the world ever again. This thing reminds you that everything is weird, obtuse and silly and that you should never forget this.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

117. Hello My Beautiful Creatures (2024)

     Dir. Eric Bernhagen, Joel Haver

     This is a film made on a budget of nada by a YouTuber which has no other work in stop-motion. I watch this when I need reminding that normal people can make simple things and that they can be excellent because they made them.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

118. Speed Racer (2008)

     Dir. Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski

     This shit is like what your nephew dreams about in his racecar bed each night. It’s liberatingly camp, unapologetically colourful, and has a monkey fight a monopolist.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

119. MTV’s Downtown: Behind The Scenes (2000)

     What’s better for making you nostalgic for a time and place you never lived in and for fit/animation inspiration than a late-90s TV show that got cancelled before season 1 finished? Every character in this thing feels so alive that you worry they’ll ask you for help fixing their terrible self-afflicted situation. You can find the whole thing on YouTube; it’s one of the best animated shows ever made.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

120. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

     Dir. Paul Schrader

     Hate to be that guy but you need to watch, read, listen to and look at more things from Japan. Start here then listen to all of Masayoshi Takanaka.

     Entry from: Justin Keep’s list of Films That Look Like Collage

121. It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012)

     Dir. Don Hertzfeldt

     This is a portrait of the human condition. This archetype of the modern individual named Bill is a deeply complex character hiding behind the simple visual style of a stickman. This film captures Memory, Mortality and Meaning in a humorous manner, highlighting the absurdity of everyday life.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

122. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2021)

     Dir. Dean Fleischer Camp

     Marcel is a symbol for resilience, curiosity and empathy. His charm does not lie only in his adorable appearance and whimsical nature but also in his emotional depth and complexity. It's a cute film that explores loneliness, identity and a need for connection in a chaotic world.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

123. Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

     Dir. Eiichi Yamamoto

     This movie explores the concept of A Woman Reborn, literally and metaphorically. Bella's character is one of curiosity and defiance. She challenges the figures around her and persists on her journey towards emotional autonomy, acquisition of knowledge and sexual liberation.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

124. I Am Not a Witch (2017)

     Dir. Rungano Nyoni

     Shula in this film embodies silent resistance. Silence is both the strength and weakness of young Shula. This film explores themes centred around misogyny, exploitation and the imposition of identity.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

125. No Country for Old Men (2007)

     Dir. Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

     In a world obsessed with beauty, beauty can be dehumanising. Malema pays the price of being seen but never truly known. This film explores misogynistic, collective cruelty and the power that the perception of others can have over you.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

126. Possum (2018)

     Dir. Matthew Holness

     Possum explores how corrosive the effects of childhood abuse and unresolved trauma can be in a disgustingly beautiful and creepy way.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

127. Poor Things (2023)

     Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

     A coming of age film about the impact of authoritarianism and war and the complex journey of developing identity as an Iranian girl growing up during and after the Islamic Revolution.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

128. Detachment (2011)

     Dir. Tony Kaye

     Bleak and void of colour. An existential film that explores emotional detachment and systemic failure through the vessel of a substitute teacher.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

129. Malena (2000)

     Dir. Giuseppe Tornatore

     Sadness as Strength. This film follows Jeanne's journey from a peasant woman to a mystical figure of power and transcendence. Jeanne's character offers a radical portrayal of feminine rage and serves as a critique of patriarchal violence. She is more than just a character, she is an archetype that awakens at the effort to erase a woman's power.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

130. Persepolis (2007)

     Dir. Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud

     Anton Chigurh acts as an embodiment of fate and moral ambiguity. He
     operates unlike most villains depicted in media, through mechanical violence and an enigmatic philosophy. Human life is presented as fragile, fate as unavoidable and inevitable and morality as subjective. His character serves as an accurate depiction of psychopathy.

     Entry from: Nicole Sindicich’s list of Movies with Characters She'd Write a Thesis About

131. Suspiria (2018)

     Dir. Luca Guadagnino

     The sexual tension between Susie and the feminine liberation is... arousing and bloody.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

132. Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

     Dir. Rose Glass

     They did kiss, many times and did more, and still it was not enough. I dedicate this one to all the lesbians who read mafia boss kidnap Wattpad stories under their covers when they were 12.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

133. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)

     Dir. Jamie Babbit

     Ugh, it's just so sweet!

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

134. Pearl (2022)

     Dir. Ti West

     I honestly wanted her to kiss a mirror. She deserves it.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

135. Rye Lane (2023)

     Dir. Raine Allen-Miller

     Ah god, why GOD WHY! A moment of silence, please.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

136. Sinners (2025)

     Dir. Ryan Coogler

     I was having a threesome with fear and sexual tension while watching this film.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

137. Queen & Slim (2019)

     Dir. Melina Matsoukas

     THIS. JUST KISS!!

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

138. Phantom Thread (2017)

     Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

     Real romance is being someone's muse, rise and demise.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

139. Pride & Prejudice (2005)

     Dir. Joe Wright

     The Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen one!!!!!!!!

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

140. Anna Karenina (2012)

     Dir. Joe Wright

     She is a REAL romantic.

     Entry from: Ruth Dube’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Scream “Just Kiss Already” at the Screen

141. American Fiction (2023)

     Dir. Cord Jefferson

     This is another visually interesting one. The way that characters’ ideas and thoughts come to life in a dreamlike way is so interesting and feels like those half-asleep late night conversations with loved ones.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

142. The Holdovers (2023)

     Dir. Alexander Payne

     Three strangers stuck together over the holidays, forced to be vulnerable with one another in ways they’d never imagined, building beautiful bonds over time. Reminiscent of the early conversations with someone that you know will change your life forever.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

143. The Worst Person in the World (2021)

     Dir. Joachim Trier

     I just think the dream-like cinematic style and the “after dark” setting feel like those sometimes babbly, half-drunk conversations you have with some of your nearest and dearest after a night out.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

144. Perfect Days (2023)

     Dir. Wim Wenders

     About 33 minutes into the film is when our central character has any real dialogue. Its beauty lies in its silences and its subtleties, which is why I’ve chosen it for this category. It makes me think about how some of my favourite conversations with my closest friends have been when we’re talking about the most mundane things, just existing with one another for a moment or two and enjoying the simplicity of just that.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

145. Love the One You Love (2014)

     Dir. Jenna Cato Bass

     I appreciate this as a locally made film. I watched this for one of my film courses and though I don’t remember too much about it, I do recall the visual storytelling taking precedent over the dialogue. It tackles political ideas and reflection in a sometimes incoherent, hazy way. I feel like I’ve had many such hazy and incoherent conversations about these topics with close friends at the end of a long day.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

146. Fallen Angels (1995)

     Dir. Wong Kar-Wai

     The film presents is with extremely flawed characters, but we are by no means made to hate nor like them. They just exist and as such, are all the more relatable. Sometimes you’ll be talking to your friend, and you’ll understand that they aren’t perfect, and you’ll still choose to love them, flaws and all, and that they are doing the same for you. I think that’s so romantic.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

147. Akira (1988)

     Dir. Katsuhiro Otomo

     Visually, this is just stunning. I think animators are probably the best of us all to be able to do what they do. I think this is another one I’ve chosen because of its late-night, cityscape setting.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

148. Before Sunrise (1995)

     Dir. Richard Linklater

     This one might be cheating as it literally is one long conversation between two people who are slowly falling for one another, but I think it depicts conversation very naturally and in a way that’s quite universal between all sorts of relationships beyond just the romantic. The awkwardnesses, the silences, the moments when you latch onto a topic that you both could talk about for hours.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

149. She's Gotta Have It (1986)

     Dir. Spike Lee

     I think a lot of Spike Lee films feel like a stream of consciousness conversation brought to life visually, and ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ is one of my favourite examples of that featuring a beautiful, unambiguously black female lead!

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

150. Drive My Car (2021)

     Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi

     I think this film beautifully explores the desire to reveal oneself to someone else, even if that someone is a relative stranger. All friendships start with a willingness to confess parts of yourself to a stranger that you think is worth sharing that with, and just continuing to do that as your bond grows stronger.

     Entry from: Lerato Botha’s list of Movies That Feel Like Late-Night Conversations with Your Closest Friend

151. Titane (2021)

     Dir. Julia Ducournau

     This film is a riot. With its sleek editing, visceral cinematography and provocative narrative this film coalesces into a jaw-dropping finale that I am yet to recover from. It is required viewing for all those who claim to be 'human'.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

152. The Zone of Interest (2023)

     Dir. Jonathan Glazer

     This film is the closest thing we have to pure evil on screen. It seeks to unravel and decant the darkest and coldest parts of ourselves with unflinching honesty. This film pushes the bounds of the audiovisual format that leaves us with no easy answers, just slimy and uncomfortable questions. This is especially relevant in this contemporary moment when so many live comfortably amongst an ongoing genocide. FREE PALESTINE.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

153. The Tree of Life (2011)

     Dir. Terrence Malick

     This fractured and abstracted look into life in all its ups, downs and butterflies. This one is for those tired of human exceptionalism and need something that breaks free of the confines of our limited spiritual and chronological context.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

154. Cure (1997)

     Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa

     A hypnotising affair where the occult, psyche and true crime meet in a dazzling and elegant waltz. Each aspect is threatening to take over but relinquishing just in time. A true horror film that'll leave you staring at your own soul.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

155. Stalker (1979)

     Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

     What is your greatest desire? Why do you desire it? I don't know. I know nothing. That's ok. In this slow and methodical dissection of three men, as they submerge themselves in their determined search for divinity. You don't just watch this you experience it.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

156. Atlantics (2019)

     Dir. Mati Diop

     A story of young love in a cruel world where imperialism, neocolonialism and racism float overhead like spectres, threatening to take everything in their grasp. What can we hold onto? In a continent home to so much life, pain and trauma, this is a story meant for our eyes, ears and hearts.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

157. I Saw the TV Glow (2024)

     Dir. Jane Schoenbrun

     I must admit I did not understand this film. And that's ok. It is one of those rare films that carve a path that no film has taken before. And that is a really impressive feat. There is a reason it has gained such a cult following, especially amongst queer audiences. Particularly for its exploration of the trans experience and creating a safe space of representation and visibility for them. It is sure to leave an indelible mark on its audience.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

158. Under the Skin (2013)

     Dir. Jonathan Glazer

     Here reality and fiction are blurred as an alien tries to survive on Earth. However, in this film, the Earth becomes an alien planet in all its chaos, hostility and cruelty. It seeks to explore the question: Is there love in this damned universe after all?

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

159. Burning (2018)

     Dir. Lee Chang-dong

     The less you know about it going in, the better. It's an elegant medley of poise and detailed storytelling that is sure to keep you guessing. And double-guessing. And triple guessing. And...

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

160. Maelström (2000)

     Dir. Denis Villeneuve

     A tale told in the dark, cold Canadian winter, where love, time, life, death and memory swirl and collapse into one another. If you like Denis Villeneuve, this is where he started.

     Entry from: Kai Reynolds’s list of Movies that Make You Say “What Did I Just Watch?”, but in a Good Way

161. The Color Purple (1985)

     Dir. Steven Spielberg

     I had the pleasure of watching a stage production of The Color Purple before seeing the film and Celie's arc, especially in the film, still haunts me from time to time. 'Somebody Gonna Love You' and 'I'm Here' mark these two opposite sides of a spectrum of trauma and healing. 'Miss Celie's Blues' is my favourite song from movie (shoutout Quincy Jones). There's a line in that song that sings "I'm somethin', I hope you think that you're somethin' too", which has never left my body - it's still enough to make me cry.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

162. Fame (1980)

     Dir. Alan Parker

     I love Fame because of how it didn't follow the usual traditional musical film rulebook. Alan Parker's documentary-style approach, with the raw nature of the music made the film feel more authentic rather than theatrical. I first saw this film while I was also attending an art school, there were so many interesting parallels with my life at the time of watching. I even did one of the songs, 'Out Here on My Own', from the film as a music final exam piece in grade 9 or 10, which captures the isolating and heartbreaking nature of artistic ambition - which is still so relevant to me right now.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

163. Dreamgirls (2006)

     Dir. Bill Condon

     This might be a hot-take but this one is all about power, exploitation and desperation. I was probably about to turn 4 when this one came out and it was my first time seeing the dark side or rather truth of some music industry systems. An instant highlight for me is 'And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going'. Aside from the outstanding performance by Jennifer Hudson, there was something riveting about Effie's refusal to be erased - which unfortunately happened anyway. Another thank-God moment was 'Listen', watching Deena leave and break free from Curtis' control was unbelievably sweet, even though I couldn't stand the character (Deena).

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

164. Chicago (2002)

     Dir. Rob Marshall

     THIS IS PROBABLY TOP 2 BEST MUSICAL FILMS OF ALLL TIME! There's amazing critique of media and justice ('We Both Reached for the Gun' and 'Razzle Dazzle'), the use of lyrics as an unreliable narrative device and sharp satire (Cell Block Tango), how Roxie's musical numbers reflect her delusions of grandeur - marking an extension of her ego. Those are just three out of a billion reasons why this is honestly one of the best musical films of all time. A part that always plays in head is "Oh, I'm a star and the audience loves me and I love them and they love me for loving them and I love them for loving me and we love each other. And that's cause none of us got enough love in our childhoods and that's showbiz, kid!" because I found that to be soooo real. Who had 'enough' love in their childhoods and is in showbiz? I'll wait.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

165. Into the Woods (2014)

     Dir. Rob Marshall

     This movie came to me like a wild fever dream. There’s a lot going on, but the lyrics do such a great job establishing motivations and blending them seamlessly. Deceptively Disney-on-crack. “No One is Alone” still hits—it’s comforting, but also digs deep into moral ambiguity, unintended consequences, and how we define right and wrong.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

166. Hairspray (2007)

     Dir. Adam Shankman

     I think this was the first time I realized I might be into musicals. Also saw my first drag queen here. The music-as-protest energy? Iconic. It reminded me of how pop music can mask heavy themes like segregation and social injustice. This one really broke down how society operates in such a sincere and colorful way—but I fear it flew over most people’s heads.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

167. Rent (2005)

     Dir. Chris Columbus

     As a queer child, this was GOLDEN! The film’s backbone is lyrical storytelling—“Seasons of Love” perfectly frames its central question: How do we measure a life? “La Vie Bohème” is my personal favourite—celebrating rejection of societal norms in full bohemian glory. The biggest takeaway for me is the fear of dying without a legacy. It’s a theme carried with power in every lyric. FYI: the original stage production won a Pulitzer. A vital musical, at least to me.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

168. The Sound of Music (1965)

     Dir. Robert Wise

     Julie Andrews is life, obviously—but “Edelweiss” is the reason this made my list. It starts as a tender love song and quietly transforms into an act of resistance. That kind of lyrical power? Subversive and unforgettable.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

169. High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008)

     Dir. Kenny Ortega

     I know you're probably thinking "WTF?" but I need you think about 'Scream' and how that song beautifully captures the externalisation of Troy's anxiety about his future, which is something I'm sure we're all familiar with or 'I Want It All' where we see Sharpay shift from an outright antagonist to someone struggling with relevance and fading influence with the song capturing her desperation for fame and excess which contrasts her dreams with reality.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

170. Wicked (2024)

     Dir. Jon M. Chu

     This might be my favourite movie of all time. The lyrics alone chart Elphaba’s arc—from “The Wizard And I” to “I’m Not That Girl” to “Defying Gravity.” You hear the same voice evolve across three completely different emotional states. The societal commentary in “Dancing Through Life” is a whole essay in disguise. It critiques privilege so softly but clearly. I’m on a mission to watch this movie more times than I’ve seen my own face.

     Entry from: kyabo’s list of Musicals Where Lyrics Do the Heavy Lifting

171. Ice Age (2002)

     Dir. Chris Wedge

     Biggest tear jerker growing up, the way each of these characters break down their barriers and surrender to being a family was such a moving way to tell this story, growing up and even now I see a lot of myself in Sid

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

172. Over the Hedge (2006)

     Dir. Karey Kirkpatrick, Tim Johnson

     Dude, this film has so many environmental layers, but also a lot of emotional ones, the power of forgiveness and surrendering to being loved especially when you’ve never known what that was like ? Big win for 2006 for sure !

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

173. Cars (2006)

     Dir. John Lasseter

     This joint kinda makes you think like…what’s the point of being on top when you’re the only one up there? Like the value of having people around you who love you for who you are and not what you have is so important than winning an empty cup

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

174. Shrek (2001)

     Dir. Andrew Adamson, Vicky Jenson

     I read this theory about Shrek where the reason he lives alone in a swamp is because his dad tried to eat him as a youngin and he had to run away and start a life of his own, when he meets Donkey it kinda like he makes up the name “Shrek” on the spot because his parents never gave him a name, this movie is the pinnacle buddy film

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

175. Brother Bear (2003)

     Dir. Aaron Blaise, Robert Walker

     This film was lost in the grain of buddy animations because it did hold the same old troupes these movies have “Moody main character and his obnoxious companion” that formula was really prevalent in the buddy animation era, especially in this one, but I love Elliot also someone I see myself in

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

176. Lilo & Stitch (2002)

     Dir. Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois

     Such an underrated capsule that I don’t think anyone really acknowledges, this film really hits this theme on the head, like not only does he find the perfect family where he feels understood but turns out that very family is the one his future self created ?? Broooo WHAT ??

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

177. Meet the Robinsons (2007)

     Dir. Stephen J. Anderson

     I love this movie because it explores themes of Self-identification, how do you truly find meaning in the world when you don’t even know who you are and where you come from, I draw some parallels in my life to this film

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

178. Stuart Little (1999)

     Dir. Rob Minkoff

     A friend like Stuart Little is the type of friend that I wanted to be for my friends growing up, this film was the bench mark for how I wanted to express love, and helped me get over my fear of rats a little bit

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

179. Open Season (2006)

     Dir. Roger Allers, Jill Culton

     I watched this one recently and the big take away that was beautiful to me was that both Lilo & Stitch are severely misunderstood characters that end up balancing each other out, being cast off from either their homes or from their society, they find solace in each other, such a good tear jerker man

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

180. The Tigger Movie (2000)

     Dir. Jun Falkenstein

     The emotional turmoil one goes through with this film ? Forgiveness is a key aspect in this film that I really resonate with especially when it comes to forgiving yourself, also a beautiful brotherhood that spawned from such a painful tragedy is really what moves this film

     Entry from: Sedi’s list of Movies About Found Families

181. Mayor (2020)

     Dir. David Osit

     A beautiful movie where local government and federal governments collide. A documentary about the mayor of Ramallah, Palestine the week Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel. The mayor goes from stressing over naming local fountains and making it to each resident's home for family dinner (they love him!) to navigating a military invasion of his city.

     The Mayor is the man!

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

182. Pleasure (2021)

     Dir. Ninja Thyberg

     A movie about porn entirely cast with real sex workers and industry figures, along with a genius performance by first time actor Sofia Kappel. Ninja Thyberg is that girl fr and I hope she's got more work on the way. Mandatory viewing!

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

183. The Truffle Hunters (2020)

     Dir. Michael Dweck, Gregory Kershaw

     This an easy top 4 for me. It's the movie I wish people thought of when they hear about truffles instead of Pig, which I understand pleased its many viewers.

     The Truffle Hunters is a gorgeous, funny look into nature, aging, childlike wonder, and whether or not the exploiter can spiritually triumph over the exploited.
     One of the sweetest, prettiest movies I've ever seen.

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

184. Genius Loci (2020)

     Dir. Maya Merigeau

     I've watched this like 10 times. Maya Merigeau is one of the most compelling animation storytellers I've ever encountered. This the one short film on my list. I believe it won the Oscar that year.

     A story about a young french woman struggling with her brain during a challenging time.

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

185. Stalker (1979)

     Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

     I found myself judging one of the main characters most of the movie, as did the characters around him, until he broke down and delivered one of the most powerful monologues in film I've ever heard, about why he was doing what he was doing!

     And then I felt bad!

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

186. The Witch (2015)

     Dir. Robert Eggers

     Faith is hard! Depending on your faith and the year you were born it could be 10,000x as hard!

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

187. The Zone of Interest (2023)

     Dir. Jonathan Glazer

     You know what it is with this one man. Two movies in one, one of sight one of sound.

     My king Mica Levi scored this.

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

188. Daddy Longlegs (2009)

     Dir. Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie

     I watch Uncut Gems every year but I still think this is my favorite Safdie movie. This stars the director of Frownland as a dad struggling through his short period with his two sons before they're returned to their mother for the rest of the year.

     I love it. Introduced me to the song "Penguins" by Michael Hurley which I also love.

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

189. Some Kind of Heaven (2020)

     Dir. Lance Oppenheim

     I feel bad for almost every person in this film for different reasons, and I wish the majority of them well. Lance Oppenheim one of the best directors doing anything right now. I'lll eat up any new project he provides.

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

190. Frownland (2007)

     Dir. Ronald Bronstein

     A movie by the "third Safdie Brother" Ronnie Bronstein, about how cities are often loud, unforgiving mazes that force its vulnerable inhabitants to navigate. Score is fucking crazy (the case for all of these I'm realizing).

     Entry from: Frank Leone’s list of Movies That Generate Empathy

191. City of God (2002)

     Dir. Fernando Meirelles

     This is one of those films that hits hard but looks beautiful while doing it. It follows Rocket, a young photographer trying to escape the violence in Rio, and the way it captures crime, survival, and ambition feels so real you can’t look away.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

192. Triangle of Sadness (2022)

     Dir. Ruben Östlund

     I can never figure out why I love this movie so much but after the 5th watch I realized this is one of my favorites

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

193. Moonlight (2016)

     Dir. Barry Jenkins

     Being 14 when this movie came out, it really instilled an open minded way of viewing various kinds of people in me.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

194. Dìdi (弟弟) (2024)

     Dir. Sean Wang

     It feels as if I haven’t seen a good coming of age story in a long time. Not being so far removed from my adolescent years. This made me heavily reflect on my childhood; the friendships I had, don’t and still have, how my relationship is with my mom and how confusing and nerve wrecking forming romantic relationships were. This movie doesn’t romanticize childhood but displays it in its rawest form.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

195. Speak No Evil (2024)

     Dir. James Watkins

     Engaging movies like this deserve more attention, more love and appreciation.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

196. Talk to Me (2022)

     Dir. Michael Philippou, Danny Philippou

     Making good horror movies is a lost art. Nowadays they are just full of jump scares but this was an interesting take to the genre and I love and appreciate it.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

197. The Hunger Games (2012)

     Dir. Gary Ross

     This movie made me fall in love with going to the cinema to watch a movie

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

198. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)

     Dir. James Gunn

     That damn raccoon makes me cry every single time I watch this movie

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

199. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     Wes Anderson at his best in my opinion.

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

200. Babylon (2022)

     Dir. Damien Chazelle

     Good Thrillers are hard to come by. From the opening scene, I was at the edge of my seat. This movie knows how create and hold on to the anxiety they want their audience to feel. 

     Entry from: Fiso’s list of Movies That Make You Want to Run Away From Your Life

201. Belladonna of Sadness (1973)

     Dir. Eiichi Yamamoto

     A haunting blend of beauty and discomfort. Its dark and eerie themes of sexual abuse are unsettling, but the stunning hand-drawn visuals and colours captivate.
     While disturbing, the film sparks an important conversation around trauma and its impact, resonating with woman in a powerful, though difficult way.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

202. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)

     Dir. Edgar Wright

     Goofy characters, the combination of live action & animation, the shots, the colours, awkward dialogue. Will forever be one of my most favourite films. I love how you feel the aspects of the comic come through visuals!

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

203. Poor Things (2023)

     Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

     Bizarre. Weird. I have watched it 5 times and yet I cannot seem to understand what this film makes me feel.
     One thing I know for sure is I love the dog duck & duck goat.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

204. Paprika (2006)

     Dir. Satoshi Kon

     Some how the feelings and memories of a dream were conveyed and created through this film. No matter how many times I watch this, the unsettling scenes will have you simultaneously on the edge of your seat whilst wanting to hide away and peaking through your hands.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

205. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     Of course I love the aesthetics of another Wes Anderson film, but this story! These characters, the cast. There is so much to love and very little to dislike.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

206. The Substance (2024)

     Dir. Coralie Fargeat

     So Obscure, SO FUN!!! I felt as though I was in the mind of Coralie Fargeat. A beautiful execution and visualisation of body dysmorphia and heavy beauty standards that are forever impossible to reach. Margaret Qualley felt like the perfect example of a fantasy that follows body dysmorphia, until shit gets fucked up.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

207. Labyrinth (1986)

     Dir. Jim Henson

     Whimsical, beautiful and so fun!
     I love the imagination that went into this film.
     David Bowie was a creep though.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

208. Submarine (2010)

     Dir. Richard Ayoade

     Richard Ayoade was initially my favourite comedian, with his awkward presence and wittiness, but a few years ago became one of my favourite directors after seeing "Submarine"!
     I found the main character, Oliver Tates anxiety and teenage struggles relatable to where my mind was as a teenager - Unsure, angry, curious, falling into ideas that make you believe you may be relevant amongst your peers whilst simultaneously fighting to find your self.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

209. Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

     Dir. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan

     I love how strange and thought out this film is, so many layers. I was in awe of what I was seeing from sausage fingers to two rocks in a valley, I laughed, I gasped, I cried.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

210. The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

     Dir. Isao Takahata

     I LOVE WATER COLOURS!! This film feels so sincere, so gentle and slow. My comfort film! I sometimes feel like a princess that was born from the shoot of a bamboo stalk.

     Entry from: Amber Maaske’s list of Movies That Feel Like a Living Sketchbook

211. Climax (2018)

     Dir. Gaspar Noé

     The coolest dancing sequence in cinema and then fruity hot people traumatizing each other for 96 minutes. Must watch if you want to feel like you’re slowly dying (compliment)

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

212. Burning (2018)

     Dir. Lee Chang-dong

     In my eyes, Burning is that standout film that everyone needs to see. It continues to overwhelm me, how every choice in the production of this film lends itself to the intention of the story. From the metaphors within the dialogue, to it’s beautifully realistic approach to camera work. It’s my top pick.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

213. Whiplash (2014)

     Dir. Damien Chazelle

     The way this film harnesses tension and atmosphere through colour and sound, is proof that great creative direction can tell you more about the story than dialogue. (Dialogue is also really good though.)

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

214. Solange: When I Get Home (2019)

     Dir. Jacolby Satterwhite, Solange, Terence Nance, Alan Ferguson, Ray Tintori

     If there’s any single piece of work that’s influenced my taste and changed the way I process my own ideas, it’s When I Get Home from Solange Knowles. I remember clear as day how visceral and utterly mind-blowing this was for me at 14 when it originally debuted. How something could be so abstract and broken down yet hit such specific motifs.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

215. Block B (2008)

     Dir. Chris Chong Chan Fui

     From my friend and mentor, Chris Chong Chang Fui; BLOCK B is such a thoughtful perspective on people, on a BIG scale, whilst simultaneously feeling intensely personal. I deeply admire his ability to riff off of aesthetics from his own identity/upbringing and balance them with complex (literal and metaphorical) ideas.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

216. Tangerine (2015)

     Dir. Sean Baker

     When I began to work with cameras as a kid, I was of the opinion that the more advanced your gear was; the better your project could be. This movie told me and the entire film industry to shut the fuck up. If you have an original perspective and make things with the right creative intentions, it’ll have more soul than any multi million dollar production.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

217. Amélie (2001)

     Dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet

     This is my nostalgia pick. Even today I still believe the way this film is structured is the most engaging way to tell a narrative story. Every French person I know hates this movie, and I don’t care.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

218. Paris Is Burning (1990)

     Dir. Jennie Livingston

     All my first films were documentaries, and creatively it was probably my darkest times. Because documentaries are incredibly difficult to make engaging, honest and unique. I shy away from this genre because of how stereotypically boring it is, but Paris is Burning could not be more different than that. I felt like I was fulfilling some sort of homosexual prophecy losing my virginity to this movie.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

219. The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     I’m hesitant to mention Wes Anderson because of his chokehold on film bros (derogatory). But you can’t deny how masterful and all encompassing his work truly is. And The French Dispatch feels like a shining example of that.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

220. mother! (2017)

     Dir. Darren Aronofsky

     Over the top in the most messed up way imaginable.

     Entry from: Mackai Sharp’s list of Experimental Films That Push Visual Boundaries.

221. La Strada (1954)

     Dir. Federico Fellini

     Italian neo (magical) realism. This film is about fate, God, the circus and Fools. It’s a beautiful blend of tragedy and Fellini’s characteristic hope in humanity and living. It’s a winding, poetic story that will make you laugh, cry and spiral. It mimics real life in this way.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

222. Happy as Lazzaro (2018)

     Dir. Alice Rohrwacher

     Perhaps my favourite movie of all time, this one is magical and heart breaking. It’s a time capsule, a reality check and a dream all at once.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

223. Slacker (1990)

     Dir. Richard Linklater

     A trigger or a cure for your existential crisis, this movie is the wind that blows you through Austin, Texas like a tumbleweed. Linklater captures brief connections between philosophising students, old men, conspiracy theorists, the hopeful and the hopeless. It’s about people and their thoughts, it’s like walking down the street.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

224. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World (2023)

     Dir. Radu Jude

     If ever you wanted a movie to make you feel like you were stuck in traffic with no aircon and a headache, this is it. This Romanian film follows a production assistant as she drives around town for her job and posts Instagram stories when she’s bored. It’s an insane collection of mundanity, internet mania and isolation.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

225. The Contestant (2023)

     Dir. Clair Titley

     A documentary about the “world’s first reality star”. This story is truly bizarre and follows Nasubi, a man who lived in a tiny room for 15 months filling out magazine competitions to win food, all the while his life was being broadcast to millions of people in Japan. If you’ve ever wondered why we use the eggplant emoji in the way we do, this movie randomly answers that question as well.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

226. The NeverEnding Story (1984)

     Dir. Wolfgang Petersen

     Peak 80s fantasy, oh it’s beautiful! The villain of this story is “The Nothing”, a destructive and all powerful force. There’s a big rock man, a brave young warrior, an enraptured bookworm, a furry dragon and a princess. What more could a movie need?

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

227. Five Broken Cameras (2011)

     Dir. Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi

     An intimate look at the real horrors of the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the unbreakable spirit of the Palestinians. Hopeful in moments but ultimately incredibly angering. If you want to be radicalised, watch this beautiful piece of art.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

228. Naked (1993)

     Dir. Mike Leigh

     This one will make you feel hopeless, or maybe just make you thank your lucky stars that you aren’t the main character or one of his multiple victims. It’s excellent and addictive to watch but it really makes you feel a bit ill by the end. Highly recommend.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

229. Melancholia (2011)

     Dir. Lars von Trier

     If you’ve ever worried that the moon would fall out the sky and come crashing down, don’t watch this movie. Accurate portrayal of exactly what anxiety and depression feel like in their most unreasonable moments, this is a scary movie.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

230. !Aitsa (2023)

     Dir. Dane Dodds

     A movie about ancient, indigenous knowledge, high tech science and the land which we call home. A South African documentary about the wonders of the unknown.

     Entry from: Kiara Braum’s list of Movies To Match Your Existential Crisis

231. The Turin Horse (2011)

     Dir. Béla Tarr

     Films that contain a considerable amount of silence and limited dialogue are like books in that there’s a lot of intimacy between the viewer (or reader) and the characters, and there is so much time spent in silent solitude. At times, I’ve felt like I am inside of this film in the same way that I would be inside of and engulfed by a really good book.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

232. Greed (1924)

     Dir. Erich von Stroheim

     Silent films are visual books.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

233. Theorem (1968)

     Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini

     Pier Paolo Pasolini created this film parallel to writing a book of the same story. I love both because neither is just a retelling or an adaptation of the other; they’re the same story told through two completely different mediums by the same creator. Pasolini said, “The book had been painted with one hand while with the other, he was working on a fresco—the film”

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

234. Mirror (1975)

     Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky

     I was really taken by this film the first time I watched it. It holds you so tightly. It’s so intimate and so personal. It’s slow and requires patience. It demands that we embrace the subtle angst that slow films evoke. It’s easily comparable to a Dostoevsky novel.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

235. Gummo (1997)

     Dir. Harmony Korine

     I love experimental film. Gummo is odd, it’s a weird film; it’s uncomfortable and dirty. But it’s also somehow intimate and, for lack of a better word, charming. It’s ugly and beautiful at the same time. While it is fiction, I’d say the way the story is told is closer to a memoir than it is to the traditional novel.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

236. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

     Dir. Sergei Parajanov

     The Colour of Pomegranates is whatever you want it to be, whatever you decide it is. Just as with a novel.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

237. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     Many, if not all, Wes Anderson films could easily be transformed and adapted into beautiful novels. This one especially.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

238. Yi Yi (2000)

     Dir. Edward Yang

     I love getting to know people in depth. Character-driven films let you engage with each character in the same way you would in a novel. Yi Yi is complex yet so simple at the same time.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

239. The Virgin Suicides (1999)

     Dir. Sofia Coppola

     The Virgin Suicides is a novel adaptation (written by Jeffrey Eugenides), still, I don’t know how Sofia Coppola does it.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

240. Trainspotting (1996)

     Dir. Danny Boyle

     So weird and more because of the characters than the story, which is perfect if you’re asking yourself how films and novels can be compared or how film adaptations of novels can be /almost/ perfectly achieved.

     Entry from: Moon Mokgoro’s list of Movies That Feel Like Novels

241. Zeroville (2019)

     Dir. James Franco

     I was soo in love with this movie when I was like 17, I was actually shook to find out that the common consensus was that it was considered a bad movie and did badly at box-office (budget - $6m; box office - $8,900), justified by them running out of money before they could market it. Regardless, one of James Franco's best performances and directorial.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

242. Synecdoche, New York (2008)

     Dir. Charlie Kaufman

     Charlie Kaufman's magnum opus, imo. I love how each of his films are contextualisations of his previous works—like how 'Adaptation (2002)' opens on the set of 'Being John Malkovich (1999)' and this film feels like an encapsulation of what writing Adaptation must have been like, with it following an autobiographical format, it makes sense that his life blurred into what he was writing in a way as disorientating as it was for the main character in this film, which follows a playwright, writing a multi-million dollar budget play based on his life which starts to blur his reality as his life falls apart. Brilliant piece of cinema to say the least—created on a budget of $20m but only grossing $4,472,798 at box office.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

243. Mr. Nobody (2009)

     Dir. Jaco Van Dormael

     This was the first proper 'mind bender' esque film I saw after the more Hollywood 'Now You See Me (2013)' type films but was apparently a massive box failure debuting at $1.6m in the first week of box office sales whilst being made on of a $47m budget. Creatively one of my favourite films and sat at no.1 of my favourite movie list throughout my teenage years.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

244. Bones and All (2022)

     Dir. Luca Guadagnino

     A cannibal love story right at the peak of Timothee's twink-era?! In love with his character as a 'man eating manic pixie dream boy', confused as to how this movie tanked. Budgeted at $20 million budget and only making $15.2 million at box office. Highkey one of my favourites of 2022

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

245. Megalopolis (2024)

     Dir. Francis Ford Coppola

     I think this movie was adorable lol honestly an honourable mention. An 84 year old Francis Ford Coppola, this self regarded magnum opus, that he'd apparently been writing and rewriting for like 40 years and put $120 million into making it, but grossed only $14.3 million worldwide. I think it was gorgeous, really enjoyed the casting and cinematography, but I think the plot lost itself somewhere over the 40 years. I'm not surprised people didn't like it this but that 20 minute standing ovation at the premiere was deff deserved,, idk—I think it's beautiful that he kept going and kept carving away at what he wanted until he got out this whimsical semi-political fever dream, I think it's very imaginative and I feel it's cute to see a man his age practicing imagination

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

246. Bamboozled (2000)

     Dir. Spike Lee

     Spike's films are often so unhinged and intersectional when it comes to exploring racial issues. This particularly was a jab to black men who exploit society's racism at the determent of black people and at the benefit of personal financial gain. Thought provoking watch, as per Spike Lee joint lol but yea, apparently it tanked, with a $10 million budget and earned $5 million at box office.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

247. Bottle Rocket (1996)

     Dir. Wes Anderson

     $5 million but grossed $500,000 at the U.S. box office when released in theaters

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

248. Gummo (1997)

     Dir. Harmony Korine

     The 1997 film Gummo had a budget of $1.3 million and made $116,799 at the box office. This movie is purely gut wrenching, a display of white trash America starring Chloe Sevigny. A super unsettling watch but oddly beautifully grotesque.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

249. Under the Silver Lake (2018)

     Dir. David Robert Mitchell

     The 2018 film Under the Silver Lake had a budget of $8.5 million and made $2,053,469 worldwide. In the United States, it made $46,083. Crazy for an A24 film this good—it's a slow burner mystery film that follows a stalker who notices the disappearance of women in California and as he investigates these cases, he accidently uncovers a cult.

     Entry from: Bahbahroo’s list of Movies That Failed Financially, Not Creatively

250. Oldboy (2003)

     Dir. Park Chan-wook

     I think this is less of a "movie to crash out to" and more "a movie to crash out with" cause wtf?

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

251. Beau Is Afraid (2023)

     Dir. Ari Aster

     I mean the entire movie is a crash out

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

252. Come and See (1985)

     Dir. Elem Klimov

     The Crash out induced by this film is real - it's not based around character or a made up story you sorta relate to, it's very intense and visceral. The title is perfect. Literally Come and See - feel and understand. This makes a lot of other war movies look like a stroll in the park. Lowkey not fair to have this in the list.

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

253. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

     Dir. Darren Aronofsky

     No

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

254. Past Lives (2023)

     Dir. Celine Song

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

255. Marriage Story (2019)

     Dir. Noah Baumbach

     I think if you are an extremely ambitious artist this gonna do something to you. It's a cautionary tale but if you fucked up enough you'll find this weirdly inspiring.

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

256. (500) Days of Summer (2009)

     Dir. Marc Webb

     The meme calling this a horror film sums it up. it's very divisive cause you never know who to back. Did he deserve it? Did she give him fair warning? Is she the devil?

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

257. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

     Dir. Michel Gondry

     This and Past lives are the same movie in different fonts - Past lives a little more terrifying tho

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

258. Black Swan (2010)

     Dir. Darren Aronofsky

     Dude...

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

259. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)

     Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu

     Nope

     Entry from: Shoka Sunflower’s list of Movies To Crash Out To*

Nothing on any list matches that. Yet.