Film Recommendations for Fan of Time/Space Smart Horror/Thriller Movies
December 12, 2018 3:20 PM Subscribe
HUGE fan of movies/shows like The Endless, Black Mirror, Primer, Coherence, etc. and want to make sure I'm not missing out on any great films or new directors to follow. Streamable is much appreciated. What would be on your must-see list for movies similar to these?
Moon is really good. And, to a lesser extent, the director's second film Source Code.
posted by tacodave at 3:50 PM on December 12, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by tacodave at 3:50 PM on December 12, 2018 [5 favorites]
Seconding Moon, but I wanted to mention that Kevin Spacey is in the film, but only as a voice - you don't ever see him. So depending on your feelings regarding watching movies with him in it, you can decide accordingly.
posted by acidnova at 3:56 PM on December 12, 2018
posted by acidnova at 3:56 PM on December 12, 2018
I liked ARQ and Radius both of which were on netflix.
They are at the Primer end of the production value spectrum, but were solid sci-fi stories.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:56 PM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
They are at the Primer end of the production value spectrum, but were solid sci-fi stories.
posted by OHenryPacey at 4:56 PM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]
Strongly seconding Triangle and Timecrimes.
I assume you’ve seen 12 Monkeys by now? There’s a TV show if it too but I don’t know how it was.
Looper was good. I have a soft spot for Cube 2: Hypercube, though I hesitate to say it’s good or smart—it’s just wild.
The Doctor Who episodes “Blink” and “Hell Bent” would scratch your itch.
posted by ejs at 5:50 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
I assume you’ve seen 12 Monkeys by now? There’s a TV show if it too but I don’t know how it was.
Looper was good. I have a soft spot for Cube 2: Hypercube, though I hesitate to say it’s good or smart—it’s just wild.
The Doctor Who episodes “Blink” and “Hell Bent” would scratch your itch.
posted by ejs at 5:50 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
2nding Triangle. Counterpart and Nightflyers for tv.
Annihilation
Enemy
The Lobster
Solaris
Mirror
La Jetee
Another Earth
10 Cloverfield Lane
posted by xammerboy at 6:04 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
Annihilation
Enemy
The Lobster
Solaris
Mirror
La Jetee
Another Earth
10 Cloverfield Lane
posted by xammerboy at 6:04 PM on December 12, 2018 [1 favorite]
I haven't seen Sorry to Bother You yet, but it sounds about right.
posted by xammerboy at 6:07 PM on December 12, 2018
posted by xammerboy at 6:07 PM on December 12, 2018
Arrival. On Netflix now. Firefly. Moon is excellent.
posted by Enid Lareg at 6:58 PM on December 12, 2018
posted by Enid Lareg at 6:58 PM on December 12, 2018
Yup, Sorry to Bother You is great. It reminded me a little of Black Mirror, the vibe was very similar.
posted by DTMFA at 7:32 PM on December 12, 2018
posted by DTMFA at 7:32 PM on December 12, 2018
Dimensions (I saw this at the same film festival where I saw an early premiere of Coherence!)
Upstream Color, the other film from Primer's creators
Another Earth is recommended often, but I haven't seen it
Donnie Darko, if you haven't seen it yet. (NOT the Director's Cut! It takes all the fun out of figuring it out.)
Does Pontypool maybe fit? It's smart-weird-creepy.
And yes, 100% Annihilation and Sorry To Bother You. In both cases, the trailer and hype around the films don't come close to hinting at what they're actually like. So if all you know about them is from their trailers you may be thinking "Uh these aren't quite what I'm looking for". Try 'em anyway.
posted by rhiannonstone at 12:13 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Upstream Color, the other film from Primer's creators
Another Earth is recommended often, but I haven't seen it
Donnie Darko, if you haven't seen it yet. (NOT the Director's Cut! It takes all the fun out of figuring it out.)
Does Pontypool maybe fit? It's smart-weird-creepy.
And yes, 100% Annihilation and Sorry To Bother You. In both cases, the trailer and hype around the films don't come close to hinting at what they're actually like. So if all you know about them is from their trailers you may be thinking "Uh these aren't quite what I'm looking for". Try 'em anyway.
posted by rhiannonstone at 12:13 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I’m here to recommend my favorite film of 2018, Bad Times at the El Royale.
No link because I do NOT want you to view a trailer or even look at the cast list. Just watch and let it unfold. Parts will be slow, savor what you are watching. Let it wash over you.
It seems clear from what recent award show noms that Cynthia Erivo (who was also in Widows, a film I don’t recommend) will not get an Oscar nod for her lead performance in Bad Times, but she deserves it. With that win she’s an EGOT. Oscar is coming for her, Bad Times is AMAZING. Get on the train early.
THE FAVORITE is also pretty great.
posted by jbenben at 12:45 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
No link because I do NOT want you to view a trailer or even look at the cast list. Just watch and let it unfold. Parts will be slow, savor what you are watching. Let it wash over you.
It seems clear from what recent award show noms that Cynthia Erivo (who was also in Widows, a film I don’t recommend) will not get an Oscar nod for her lead performance in Bad Times, but she deserves it. With that win she’s an EGOT. Oscar is coming for her, Bad Times is AMAZING. Get on the train early.
THE FAVORITE is also pretty great.
posted by jbenben at 12:45 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
Cloud Atlas and Run, Lola Run.
If you want an audio book or novel that scrathes this itch, the author David Mitchell, who wrote the source material for Cloud Atlas, also wrote The Bone Clocks that is FIRMLY in this wheelhouse. It’s amazing. You’ll enjoy the read/listen more if you’ ve seen Children of Men.
posted by jbenben at 1:03 AM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]
If you want an audio book or novel that scrathes this itch, the author David Mitchell, who wrote the source material for Cloud Atlas, also wrote The Bone Clocks that is FIRMLY in this wheelhouse. It’s amazing. You’ll enjoy the read/listen more if you’ ve seen Children of Men.
posted by jbenben at 1:03 AM on December 13, 2018 [3 favorites]
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 6:24 AM on December 13, 2018
posted by Pig Tail Orchestra at 6:24 AM on December 13, 2018
Let me second La Jetee. TCM shows it relatively often. It's also on YouTube I believe.
posted by wittgenstein at 7:05 AM on December 13, 2018
posted by wittgenstein at 7:05 AM on December 13, 2018
Movies:
Stoker
The Cell
Under the Skin
(really old, 1985, but:) The Quiet Earth
The Box
Stalker, of course
The Fountain
Series:
The Returned
First season of True Detective?
posted by Bron at 7:31 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
Stoker
The Cell
Under the Skin
(really old, 1985, but:) The Quiet Earth
The Box
Stalker, of course
The Fountain
Series:
The Returned
First season of True Detective?
posted by Bron at 7:31 AM on December 13, 2018 [1 favorite]
It looks like bubble gum compared to these other suggestions, but I found Edge of Tomorrow really compelling. It has the billing of a typical action movie, but the pathos that slowly emerges from the circumstances was really dark, IMO.
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 9:28 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 9:28 AM on December 13, 2018 [2 favorites]
I enjoyed The Endless, too, and look forward to seeing Moorhead and Benson's previous movies "Spring" from 2014 and especially "Resolution" from 2012. Remember the characters in The Endless, the two guys who were in the cabin where they went to help one of them detox from drugs? "Resolution" is about their story. I suspect there's also some explanation, in that movie, of the abandoned trailer in The Endless.
This particular subgenre of horror, the ones with Lovecraftian influences, are generally known as "Cosmic Horror," and that may be a useful search term.
You may enjoy "Phase IV" a movie from the 1970s directed by Saul Bass. It starts out as fairly hard SF involving scientists studying an apparently advanced ant colony, but by the end it sets out in an entirely strange direction. Since it's directed by Saul Bass, best known for his opening titles in other people's movies, it's a visual masterpiece.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:21 AM on December 13, 2018
This particular subgenre of horror, the ones with Lovecraftian influences, are generally known as "Cosmic Horror," and that may be a useful search term.
You may enjoy "Phase IV" a movie from the 1970s directed by Saul Bass. It starts out as fairly hard SF involving scientists studying an apparently advanced ant colony, but by the end it sets out in an entirely strange direction. Since it's directed by Saul Bass, best known for his opening titles in other people's movies, it's a visual masterpiece.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:21 AM on December 13, 2018
I'd second many of the suggestions already made, but here are a few I didn't see.
All on Netflix US:
The Invitation
The Ritual
The Witch (I'm not 100% sure this fits exactly what you are looking for, but it is smart horror)
Not on Netflix US:
Monsters
posted by imabanana at 4:00 PM on December 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
All on Netflix US:
The Invitation
The Ritual
The Witch (I'm not 100% sure this fits exactly what you are looking for, but it is smart horror)
Not on Netflix US:
Monsters
posted by imabanana at 4:00 PM on December 16, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Okay, of these suggestions - I've already seen (and loved):
MOON
THE INVITATION
THE WITCH
THE CELL
RUN, LOLA, RUN
HARRY P AND THE P OF A
BRAZIL
DONNIE DARKO
SOLARIS
all Cloverfield-related films
I've read the Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas. The Cloud Atlas movie was horrendous and the Bone Clocks novel was atrocious.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 4:16 PM on December 17, 2018
MOON
THE INVITATION
THE WITCH
THE CELL
RUN, LOLA, RUN
HARRY P AND THE P OF A
BRAZIL
DONNIE DARKO
SOLARIS
all Cloverfield-related films
I've read the Bone Clocks and Cloud Atlas. The Cloud Atlas movie was horrendous and the Bone Clocks novel was atrocious.
posted by Lipstick Thespian at 4:16 PM on December 17, 2018
It looks like bubble gum compared to these other suggestions, but I found Edge of Tomorrow really compelling. It has the billing of a typical action movie, but the pathos that slowly emerges from the circumstances was really dark, IMO.
Agreed - and if we're considering slightly bubblegumish things with Tom Cruise in them, I found Oblivion to be a surprisingly engaging film, and it's visually gorgeous. Apparently it was originally conceived as a graphic novel by the creator but was never published; it has what seems like quite a unique feel to it as a result. It's on Netflix.
posted by automatronic at 3:57 PM on December 18, 2018
Agreed - and if we're considering slightly bubblegumish things with Tom Cruise in them, I found Oblivion to be a surprisingly engaging film, and it's visually gorgeous. Apparently it was originally conceived as a graphic novel by the creator but was never published; it has what seems like quite a unique feel to it as a result. It's on Netflix.
posted by automatronic at 3:57 PM on December 18, 2018
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posted by so fucking future at 3:31 PM on December 12, 2018 [2 favorites]