Usually, it helps to know what a film is about before sitting down to enjoy it. Knowing its premise or the general plot can help fans understand what the writers, actors, and directors are all trying to get across in their storytelling. There are some unique movies, however, that deviate from this formula.
Knowing too much about some movies can hurt the viewing experience, and asking a simple question, like what the movie is about can even lead to a rabbit hole that spoils the entire thing. Going into some choice movies without foreknowledge can be hit or miss, but when it’s a hit, it hits big.
9 Enemy’s Symbolism Requires A Second Watch
Jake Gyllenhaal and Denis Villeneuve’s first collaboration before their more popular Prisoners is the mind-bending adaptation of the Jose Saramago novel, The Double, which was renamed Enemy for the film version.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays a history professor named Adam Bell who lives a quiet life with his girlfriend, Mary, played by Mélanie Laurent. One day, he watches a film that has an actor he finds to look eerily similar to himself and it starts a chain of confusing, dangerous events. Enemy is eerie and tense thanks to Villeneuve’s directorial style that translates across the rest of his filmography, though unlike most of his other films, this one leans more into the symbolic and surrealist.
8 Raw Is Julia Ducournau’s First Film, And Full Of Surprises
This French film is Julia Ducournau’s feature debut and received critical acclaim upon its release. Raw is considered a “coming of age horror drama” which lends to a host of different themes.
Raw follows a young woman named Justine (Garance Miller) as she begins veterinary school; the same one her older sister and parents attended. It seems normal at first, though soon, hazing rituals and the social dynamics of the school aren’t what they appear to be. Like Ducournau’s other work, Raw dives into intense body horror and gore that was controversial for some, but there are twists and turns in this film that result in an incredibly entertaining watch.
Darren Aronofsky’s 2017 film, mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem is known for how divided critics are on it. The main characters are only known as Mother (Lawrence) and Him (Bardem) and there are no distinguishing features about their location outside of their home.
The film descends into an anxiety-ridden denouement that is personified by Lawrence’s performance and one scene at the tail-end of the film that always leaves viewers stunned. The message of the film is prevalent from beginning to end and easy to identify, which makes it a perfect example of a movie to start watching with no previous context.
6 Black Bear Gets Weirder With Each New Part
Written and directed by Lawrence Michael Levine, Black Bear is told in three parts, each one more mind-bending and anxiety-inducing than the last. The film stars Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon who all provide excellent performances in this tense dark comedy-drama.
The film opens with Allison (Plaza), a young writer and director who is staying at the lake house of Gabe (Abbott) and Blair (Gadon), a married couple, as she searches for inspiration. Tension rises almost immediately and the plot continues to spiral as the film splits into three parts, providing an intense and shocking viewing experience that works best the less viewers know about it going in.
5 The Death Of Dick Long Has A Shocking Twist
The Death of Dick Long was directed by Daniel Scheinert, half of the famous directing duo DANIELS, known for their films Swiss Army Man and Everything Everywhere All at Once. The movie begins when three friends, Dick (Daniel Scheinert), Zeke (Michael Abbott Jr.), and Earl (Andre Hyland) spend a night hanging out together until Dick sustains injuries left unexplained to the audience. Zeke and Andre drop him off at an emergency room where Dick is revealed to have died the next day. The rest of the film unravels the mystery of Dick’s death, resulting in a shocking twist.
4 Tusk Is Tough To Watch A Second Time
From Kevin Smith’s distinctive filmography is the disturbing horror-comedy film Tusk starring Justin Long and Michael Parks. The film is based on a story from Smith’s podcast, which he then wrote into the full-length script.
The movie follows a podcaster (Long) who travels to Canada for an interview for his show, and while there meets an eccentric but reclusive sailor (Parks). His trip to Canada quickly goes sideways after agreeing to stay with the sailor, who turns out to have ulterior motives. Viewers who can see this film for the first time unspoiled can experience one of the most surprising turns in a movie in recent memory.
3 Titane Has A Unique, Surprising Plot
Titane is Julia Ducournau’s second film after making a name for herself with Raw. The film won her the prestigious Palme d’Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. It’s known for its body horror and unconventional plot, which deserves to be unraveled as viewers experience it for the first time.
The film stars Agathe Rouselle as the protagonist, Alexia, who has been applauded for her intense and dynamic performance. She begins the film as a showgirl, but the character’s journey throughout the story goes through several emotional and physical transformations that can be, at times, shocking.
2 The Killing Of A Sacred Deer Is Inspired By A Greek Tragedy
Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his unique style and The Killing of a Sacred Deer exemplifies Lanthimos’ work to a tee. The cast gives chilling performances in this 2017 film loosely inspired by an ancient Greek tragedy.
The Killing of a Sacred Deer stars Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Barry Keoghan in his most unnerving role to date. It follows Farrell as a cardiothoracic surgeon who is friends with Keoghan’s character, linked via past events that are initially unclear to the audience. The story takes time to become clear as bizarre events begin happening, and viewers should go into this film without any context to the premise or the second half of the story.
1 Fresh Flips Genres In Its Second Act
This psychological thriller is the directorial debut from Mimi Cave which stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan. Fresh opens with Noa (Edgar-Jones), a woman navigating the world of dating when she meets Steve (Stan). The pair have immediate chemistry and to Noa, Steve is incredibly charming and unlike the other men she’s tried to date in the past.
The film quickly turns on its head, and it’s best enjoyed when viewers know very little about the premise or what the second and third acts entail. The acting in the film from Edgar-Jones and Stan has been met with critical acclaim and follows the tonal shift to a tee, and catches the audience off guard just as the movie needs it to.
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