The logic of film marketing suggests that we want to know each and every aspect of a movie before we buy a ticket, but that doesn’t mean that’s the right way to watch each and every movie. days, which means that many of us do a lot of checking before we actually sit down to watch something. But trailers also convey the entire plot of a movie, even as the discourse on social media memorizes its smartest moments to death before you get the chance. to buy a price ticket (or open Netflix).
The debate over spoilers can get boring, of course, but some videos seem designed to be viewed with as little foreknowledge as possible. Some of them feature twisted endings, but rarely even knowing that the premise is a spoiler. (In the spirit of the article, forgive me if I don’t say much about the plots of those movies, and the trailers are only included for illustrative purposes. Yes, it’s a little weird; use your most productive judgment. )
In the opening minutes of this twisted thriller, Tess (Georgina Campbell) arrives at her Airbnb-style rental space in an uncrowded neighborhood, only to realize that Bill Skarsgård has booked her twice. , you’re pretty sure you know what kind of horror movie he got himself into. No!
Where to stream: Amazon
The Story of a Black Telemarketer Posing as White, Boots Riley’s first film, is presented first and foremost as a strictly social satire before veering into more biting, much more fucked-up territory.
Where to stream: Amazon
There have been countless “cabin in the woods” flavored horror videos, with any and all variations imaginable of the many related tropes, made for. . . Death; Sam Raimi was already parodying and subverting the genre with his Evil Dead movies in the 1980s. We know those videos and we know how they should work. Although at first it turns out that Cabin in the Woods is a deconstruction with a Scream flavor. of the subgenre, it soon proves to be something much more ambitious. Although the trailer makes it clear that something strange is happening, the biggest twists and turns are far from predictable.
Where to stream: Peacock, Amazon
Bong Joon-Ho’s fantastic, well-deserved Best Picture Oscar begins as a satire with dark humor, the kind of comedy about manners and social elegance that South Korean filmmakers do so well. It then nimbly shifts gears and spends the rest of its run heading into much darker territory.
Where to stream: Max, Amazon
The number one question other people ask about Django Unchained on Google is “Is Django Unchained traditionally accurate?”Which suggests that fewer people have noticed a Quentin Tarantino movie than one might think. Every Tarantino film in the last decade has been set in some sort of old-fashioned, real-life context and then thrown the story out the window in some pretty satisfying ways. as it happens here. Record your deep dive into the web after you watch it.
Where to stream: Starz, Amazon
The first and third Cloverfield videos are sci-fi action shows, and the only thing I can say about 10 Cloverfield Lane is that it’s not. A woman (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) has a twist of fate in the car and is rescued through an old boy (John Goodguy), but stored may not be the right word. I’ve said enough.
Where to stream: Amazon
Even protagonist Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) arrives in Oldboy with no idea what’s going on. Bad and confusing things happen to him, he has no idea why, and his next quest for revenge (and answers. . . But mostly revenge) goes to places that are practically wild.
Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon
The film that put Christopher Nolan on the map was, in fact, a stunning original in 2000, and it still retains much of its power to surprise (and confuse) two decades later. If you can see it without knowing the principle, do so immediately. .
Where to stream: Peacock, Freevee, Amazon Prime
Another of the mind-bending Nolan brothers, The Prestige, takes a story animated by real-life wizards at war and executes its own sleight of hand, deftly mixing genres and taking a left turn from its initial traps.
Where to stream: Amazon
Come see Robert Pattinson with an old-fashioned mustache, expect gallery-worthy cinematography, subversion of the cinematic techniques of the time, creepy acting through Willem Dafoe, and plot development.
Where to stream: Max, Amazon
One of the darkest comedies of recent memory, Ruben Östlund’s unexpected Oscar frontrunner feels like at least three videos in one, with narratives that take sharp right turns at unforeseen moments, taking pictures of greed and capitalism until the very end. It’s best to take a look at taking it inside and on an empty stomach.
Where to stream: Hulu, Amazon
Beau Is Afraid’s haunting dream may not be for everyone, but there’s no point in trying to figure out if it will work for you without diving right into it — and indeed, if you’ve seen director Ari Aster’s film. Hereditary and Midsommar movies, you can understand why you need to know as little as possible (it was my favorite movie of 2023, but at least as many people hated it as they enjoyed it).
Where to stream: Paramount, Amazon
Elements of film noir are firmly in place in Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Dennis Lehane’s novel, right down to Leonardo DiCaprio’s rumpled suit and Boston accent of the time. Then the tone changes temporarily, leaving us guessing exactly what kind of movie we’re in.
Where to stream: Amazon
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s delirious edition of Hans Christian Anderson’s legend doesn’t yet seem like a romantic fairytale fantasy.
Where to stream: Max, Tubi, Freevee, Amazon Prime
Director Molly Hewitt’s colorful deyet film didn’t cause much of a stir, but it’s actually destined for cult status. The positive movie about sex and the king is about a dominatrix who can handle the dead, and I’ll leave it at that. .
Where to stream: VHX TV
It doesn’t take long for Dark City to reveal itself as more than just the stylized neo-noir as it’s presented, but the plot twists and snappy blending of genres still make it surprising. The more no-nonsense director’s edit (available to rent via Prime Video) brings the global to life with a lot less hands-on activity, so it’s even better if you’re looking for surprises.
Where to stream: Tubi, Amazon
What can be unexpected in a low-budget dating drama set over dinner?And what’s going on with this comet?
Where to stream: Peacock, Tubi, Amazon Prime
Is this science fiction? Is it horror? I’m not saying. For enthusiasts of all things mind-blowing and mind-blowing, this works on almost any and all levels.
Where to stream: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, Crackle, Amazon Prime
The contours of Jordan Peele’s sequel to Get Out aren’t transparent until the final act, but the film never seems to be waiting for a big reveal or twist (though there are some). Surprises are everywhere.
Where to stream: Amazon
Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play the brothers who tend a rural horse ranch in California, who find themselves assaulted by. . . Something? Highly original, if puzzling, the tagline that calls it a “neo-Western sci-fi horror film” tells you everything you want to know.
Where to stream: Starz, Amazon
Larry Charles directs this stunning, raw, goofy musical written by stars Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp, who play two brothers separated at birth, but know it’s definitely not The Parent Trap. Long before the guys in the sewers gave that impression on the screen. If you want to be more convincing, the supporting cast includes Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Megan Thee Stallion.
Where to stream: Max, Amazon
One of our most engaging and incoherent filmmakers, M. Night Shyalaman pulled off the closest thing to a hit in years with Split, a horror mystery anchored through a brilliant (if problematic) performance by James McAvoy. While there are surprises up to the end, the director eschews his classic reliance on a rotating ending in favor of something more akin to a revolving beginning.
Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon
This vehicle through Elizabeth Taylor with her co-stars Katherine Hepburn and Clift might be a little more talkative than most of the other films here, but its impressive weirdness (borrowed from Tennessee Williams’ work) builds up over its runtime. In the end, one will wonder how it is possible that this was also achieved, with this cast, in 1959.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel, Amazon
In terms of genre, IMDb considers Big Trouble in Little China to be a martial arts fantasy action comedy (which feels like a western), and that’s probably more than enough to tell you if it’s for you. This is by far the most extraña. de the wonderful John Carpenter/Kurt Russell collaborations of the 1980s.
Where to stream: Amazon
As absurd as the film is, guided through a fabulous performance through Juliette Binoche, I’m not sure I could ruin Slack Bay if I wanted to. Like any film here, it defies even the most rigorous attempt at summarization.
Where to stream: Amazon
Finally: a universal monster reboot done right. He picks up on the premises of H. G. Wells (and James Whale’s 1933 film version) and, by changing his approach, creates something new and interesting.
Where to stream: Freevee, Amazon
I don’t give any guarantees, because it turns out to be a love/hate story. . . Its genuinely wacky twists are just that aspect of the ridiculous, and when combined with top horror exaggerations, it’s all a clever moment in cinema.
Where to stream: Max, Amazon
Although it was a little less unusual in 1997, when virtual effects were expensive and streaming facilities weren’t desperate for genre content, this kind of marine movie about alien fighting areas was still the kind of thing we’d noticed a million times. what we thought. Professional provocateur Paul Verhoeven obviously wasn’t interested in something so straightforward and opted for a film that satirizes the e-book it’s based on rather than adapting it.
Where to stream: Netflix, Amazon
It’s quite a bit lighter, as the werewolf-themed horror videos say, and that’s to its credit. It’s a pretty captivating (but macabre) mystery with impressive twists and turns.
Where to stream: Hulu, Shudder, Amazon
Kaboom probably isn’t the most productive of the titan of new queer cinema Gregg Araki, but in fact he is his funniest, most colorful and fast-paced. While having a bit of sex, an organization of academics is facing the possible end of the world.
Where to stream: AMC, Amazon
Do you like to see Naïs understand what is happening to them?This film offers the Nazis what happens to them in the most satisfying way.
Where to stream: Starz, Amazon
This ultra-low-budget indie film preceded and encouraged Night of the Living Dead, and its completely unique flavor and tone still impress today. Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss) emerges from a twist of automotive fate and falls into a spooky and completely mysterious world. Abandoned carnival, but you probably identify it by the title. Anything additional is a spoiler.
Where to stream: Max, AMC, The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Crackle, Shudder, Freevee, Amazon Prime
Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, who went on to direct Everything Everywhere All at Once, directed Swiss Arm Man almost in 2016, cementing their reputation as masters of emotionally appealing weirdness. . . And, thankfully, they didn’t doom their careers. If it’s not clear, this is also the movie in which Daniel Radcliffe proved that he really is in a position to step out of the shadow of Harry Potter.
Where to stream: Max, Amazon
One of those comedies almost forgotten, but in this case unfairly, forgotten from the Oscar for Best Picture, Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s very dark comedy surprises either for its taste as a director (which is the closest thing to a gimmick here). And along the way, the jokes pile up. Up. Iñárritu is known for his more overtly dramatic films (The Revenant, 21 Grams, etc. ), but here he devotes all that power to making Michael Keaton’s life a living hell. It features a functionality of Keaton, playing out his unique role in Batman.
Where to stream: Amazon
Many supernatural thrillers crave a deeper resonance, and many of them deal with pain. Few do it as skillfully as Nicholas Roeg’s classic, set in a charming but dark Venice and starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland doing their homework.
Where to stream: The Criterion Channel, Amazon
Cristin Milioti, Andy Samberg and J. K. Simmons star in this romantic comedy that temporarily resorts to science fiction: a clever example of a film with a plot that reaches more at the beginning than at the end and continues to amaze throughout the process.
Where to Stream: Hulu
I like to believe the faces of the non-arthouse crowd after I stumbled upon Annette while browsing Amazon Prime. “Oooh, Adam Driver! when they click play, they think they’re not at all ready for what French director Leos Carax and the alien musicians Sparks have done.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
An example of a movie with an effective trailer to make it seem a lot less clever than it is, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar just looks like a Kristen Wiig SNL comic strip taken to the extreme. It’s much stranger.
Where to stream: Amazon
Don’t let Serenity’s nonsense ruin you.
Where to stream: Tubi, Freevee
Extra Ordinary will pay homage to those crappy horror videos you used to hire from the video store that relied solely on weird box art. Except it’s literally old-fashioned. It starts out as a parody and gets weirder and weirder as you progress; Will Forte’s presence is a red herring and his secret weapon.
Where to stream: Tubi, AMC, Amazon
A foodie couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) have secured a coveted reservation at an exclusive place to eat on a remote island. They have delicious food, post rave reviews on social media, and leave home satisfied and full. JK.
Where to stream: Amazon
A prequel to X by Ti West co-written by star Mia Goth. You’d think you’d know what to expect if you’d noticed the first installment, which naturally shows how it all comes together. Not so much.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
Psycho has done its homework too well, and as a result, the number of moviegoers who have been surprised by its central twist is low. Still, if you’re only familiar with Psycho as a standout title, its surprises (and changes in perspective) are much more than showers. They’ve copied a lot, but they’ve never been able to wow their audience: that’s how it’s done. But, since you’ve probably figured this out, take a look at the oddly effective Psycho II, which does an almost similar effect. effective task of keeping your audience in limbo.
Where to stream: Amazon Prime
Former child star turned dog owner.