Looking for strange or off-beat modern films

Sorry if this was too vague, and perhaps I should have left the, I think, remarkable Under the Skin off the list to focus more on films of a dystopian black comedy bent, which would include films such as A Clockwork Orange, Brazil, Delicatessen, and A Boy and His Dog.

Recommendations from any era would be appreciated, and feel free to mention any films that you think would appeal to someone who is into any such films. I focused on modern originally since I have seen so many films from earlier times, and so I thought I'd be rather less likely to be familiar with ones from the past decade or so.

^ Zardoz would be pleased. It's far too manly for some people. ;)




Edited by Logan - January 09 2019 at 12:52

Thanks, TCat. I also love the Coen Brothers and probably will get down to "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" today, which I've had lined up on Netflix since it became available. I started watching another the Signal at some time (a 2014 sci-fi one), but the 2007 horror one of which thou speaketh looks interesting. By the way, one of my favourite actual zombie films is The Girl With All the Gifts, and for a zombie TV series, I've often plugged Charlie Brooker's Dead Set (Big Brother meets zombies).

Ramble alert:

Hopefully if you ever catch them they will appeal. Both used to be on Netflix Canada, but "The Girl With All the Gifts" isn't there anymore. The Korean "Train to Busan: is, and that's good. "The Host" is a really good Korean monster movie with humour still on Netflix. Perhaps my absolute favourite zombie TV show has been the British "In the Flesh", which sadly was cancelled before series three. And in sort of Zombie-Related, I adore Les Revenants.

I thought of another quite modern one just now that I think would have been worth mentioning: The Japanese trilogy, 20th Century Boys. Mind you, I've never met anyone who knows it or likes it (I caught the first two on the plane when flying to Japan).

I'm into a wide variety of film, but I do like off beat ones such as Coen Brothers ones, Todd Solandz, David Cronenberg, Terry Gilliam, Jeunet et Caro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier ones, and films like Donnie Darko (which I find Black Mirror's Bandersnatch very reminiscent of in part) and films like Mr. Nobody, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, Synecdoche, New York, Oldboy (Korean), The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy etc, and stuff like Zardoz of course, of which my avatar scares some people.

Side-side Note:

It's been cool getting to know what kinds of films people like here -- I expect that I lean towards Art House films and quirky things more than most here, but I like to think of myself as open minded and willing to try a wide variety of things. It's to be expected at a music forum, but I do sometimes wish that we had more film, TV and novels discussion and deep dives here into such subjects, though I usually have a few people to rap about such stuff with. Some of us should get together, via skype or whatever, and make some podcasts.

^^^ Southbound looks good.

^^ I've seen Putney Swope, very different than what I was expecting originally, but a good film for sure (I like satirical films). Another classic that would fit generally is Doctor Strangelove, and Woody Allen's Sleeper for that matter.

I've finally seen "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" and liked it very much.

I'm into a wide variety of film -- I had a serious Art House cinema phase, but sci-fi/horror/fantasy is kind of my comfort food. Being off-beat, or just plain off myself, I am very into off beat ones such as Coen Brothers ones, Todd Solandz, David Cronenberg (and his son's film Antiviral) Terry Gilliam, Jeunet et Caro, David Lynch, Lars von Trier ones, and films like Donnie Darko (which I find Black Mirror's Bandersnatch very reminiscent of in part) and films like Mr. Nobody, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind, Synecdoche, New York, Oldboy (Korean), The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy etc, and stuff like Zardoz of course, of which my avatar scares some people. And films like Battle Royale and Quentin Tarantino films (I really love Kill Bill). There is so much great for me stuff over the decades, but I am finding it harder to find movies that feel "fresh" to me. I've watched so much over the years....

Just finished what I hope is only the first season of several seasons to come of Perpetual Grace Ltd.  What a whacky, crazy, fun, tense and well acted series.  It would do no good to explain it, you just have to see it.  It is so far out there, yet it all makes sense.  Highly recommended, but most people probably won't get it.

Logan wrote: A few of the last decade or so that immediately spring to mind are: The Lobster (also loved Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth and enjoyed The Killing of a Sacred Deer very much). The Bothersome Man: Under the Skin: High-Rise:

^^ Love Dogtooth, will look for The Castle of Purity.

^ Will look into Drømmeslottet and Veiviseren.

TCat wrote: Honestly (and this will get me hate mail for sure) I am sick of all the super hero movies.  I would rather find a great TV series like The Haunting of Hill House or Hannibal than go to the movies anymore.   There was a time when I couldn't stand to watch TV, but things have done a complete 180 for me (or 360 or wtf-ever) As far as newer movies, I usually only look for the ones that seem to be original, quirky, or done by filmmakers that I appreciate just like Logan said.

There have been some superhero movies and shows that I've really enjoyed, but mostly I avoid them. As an offbeat superpowers show, I loved an English one called Misfits. And I enjoyed The Umbrella Academy (which features someone from Misfits). In film, I liked various graphic novel inspired ones. There's too much of it around now for my interests, and I rarely go to the cinema anymore (last time I did it was because my son wanted to see an Avengers film). I found it quite boring.

TCat wrote: What does a grifter, an astronaut, Walker Texas Ranger, Lens Crafters, an ice cream truck, magic and killing a man with a shoe have in common?  Perpetual Grace Ltd. Just finished what I hope is only the first season of several seasons to come of Perpetual Grace Ltd.  What a whacky, crazy, fun, tense and well acted series.  It would do no good to explain it, you just have to see it.  It is so far out there, yet it all makes sense.  Highly recommended, but most people probably won't get it.

That definitely looks interesting to me; I just have to find a way to see it. Some of my favourite modern series have been Fargo, Les Revenants (The Returned), Westworld, Äkta människor (Real Humans), Black Mirror, Utopia, Inside No. 9, Kingdom (gorgeous cinematography in this Korean historical fiction zombie series), The Bridge, Dead Set, Misfits, In the Flesh and Stranger Things. I need something fresh. I have been watching Peaky Blinders on Netflix. One I'm looking forward to is The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

I mostly watch things on Netflix Canada, but I find it hard to find something that really interests me most of the time (seen some good documentary series on it, a fave being Wild Wild Country).

I definitely tend to enjoy quirky things, black comedies, unusual dramas and have long had something of an art-house bent. Where I used to live we had cinemas that played really thought-provoking and interesting films, and libraries that had huge numbers of interesting videos and DVDs from around the world. For a while I subscribed to something called Hollywood Suite, which showed many superb films, but I stopped subscribing to the service because I'd already seen so very many of them. That said, it was nice to revisit many old favourites on it such as Delicatessen and Time Bandits.