The 15 rare movies you should see today
Throughout history, the manifestation of art has been a very important constant in the evolution of cultures and societies.
Through the different arts the human being is able to express emotions, thoughts, beliefs and points of view in a creative way that from a rational point of view would cost to make understand.
One of the most recent artistic forms that allow such a thing is the cinema. Called also the seventh art, through it allows the expression through both the vision and the hearing of the conscious and the unconscious, to reflect on the proposed ideas and expand horizons, sometimes in a bizarre way. That is why we are doing today the collection of some rare, little known or strange films.
- Related article: "10 films about Psychology and mental disorders"
Extravagant and rare movies
Rare movies are an escape from the conventions on how to make movies that help us think outside of our mental frameworks that we are accustomed to using.
Either because of its contents or its formal aspects, the original and strange films can be a real cultural shock between our way of understanding things and that of the creators of the work. Below you can see a selection of these movies
1. The wild planet (Laloux, R.)
It is a peculiar film directed by René Laloux, which presents many allegories and messages sometimes somewhat uncomfortable . In this science fiction film we are presented to the Draag as a dominant race of beings on the planet Ygam, physically and with technology far superior to the race that serves them as slaves or pets, the human beings called Oms in the film.
In this film humanity is reflected as an inferior race persecuted and under threat, being frequent the persecution of the wild humans. However, one of the pet Om, Terr, manages to escape from his masters along with hearing aid that transmits and contains the knowledge of the Draag.
This film shows a certain criticism towards the position of superiority of the human being with respect to other species . It reflects intolerance, discrimination and abuse of power. It also refers to the fear of the unknown and the struggle between science / knowledge and superstition (the hearing aid with the knowledge of the Draag causes rejection of some Oms), as well as the search for coexistence and peace between the different races. / species / peoples.
2. The witch (Eggers, R.)
This relatively recent film (released in 2015) tells us about a Christian marriage with five children at the time around the year 1630. The family is excommunicated and finally ends up living in a forest that the tradition indicates is controlled by evil . Over time a series of strange phenomena begin to happen, including among them the disappearance of one of the children, what seems to be a possession in another or the infertility of the earth giving bad harvests. Over time, the tension in the family causes the teenage daughter to be held responsible, accusing her of witchcraft.
The film reflects the fear of the unknown and the effect of terror, anxiety and anguish in people on elements such as affection, reason and loyalty. It also shows the way in which fear of the supernatural and magical thinking can distort even the affective bonds of the family.
3. The naked lunch (Cronenberg, D.)
Regarding "The naked lunch", this movie can also be considered as strange or strange . It shows the insect exterminator William Lee, who suffers from a series of hallucinations allegedly due to the effect of exposure to the insecticide, which in his company they think is addicted. Before this he asks for help from his doctor, who prescribes a blocker called "black meat". Later he involuntarily kills his wife, after which Lee flees to the Interzone, where such strange things happen as his typewriter comes to life.
As you can see in the film, it is a vision of the effects of the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs and the addiction to these . Also, reference is made to the resistance to accept homosexuality itself, visible in numerous moments of the film.
4. Marquis (Xhonneux, H.)
In this film the history of the famous Marquis de Sade is explained , in France before the French Revolution. The story is based on the writings and the life of the Marquis, starting during his imprisonment in the Bastille, where each cell is occupied by different characters of the works of the controversial author.Apart from the argument, this film is also rare for its scenery (using elements such as teleñecos), symbology (during much of the film the marquis holds conversations with his reproductive apparatus) and costumes. For example, in this production all the actors wear masks of animals that reflect their position or personality, finding a high level of symbolism.
It is one of the rare films that, through its aesthetics, reflects the struggle of reason against instinct, sexuality and its repression and exacerbation, betrayal and hypocrisy . It is also one of the films that most attempt to dignify the figure of the Marquis de Sade, reflecting sensitivity, desire for freedom and defense of the right to one's life in the character.
5. Dogville (von Trier, L.)
This rare film production developed in the United States during the Great Depression . In it the protagonist, Grace, takes refuge in the town that gives name to the film of the persecution of the Mafia. Grace tries to help her neighbors in order to earn their trust, which ends up getting. However, over time the villagers will demand more and more as compensation for offering refuge, abusing the honesty of the woman.
The film reflects the greed and abuse of the needy, the use of others and the actions of people in situations of despair and betrayal.
6. Eraserhead (Lynch, D.)
Another of the rare films presented in this article is Eraserhead . This black and white film revolves around the character Henry Spencer, who has a son with his ex-partner. The child in question is born with deformities, taking care of the couple first and then being in charge of the protagonist.
The film refers to the flight into the interior, the need to escape from problems, the difficulty of living a quiet life in the face of the difficulties present in the environment. Exalts the monstrous side of humanity, the need for freedom and acceptance of the negative facets of life and of the self, guilt and the instincts of death and suicide.
7. Canine (Lanthimos, Y.)
This work tells us about a marriage with three children who have never left home , being the one with the members of the family the only influence in their lives, with the exception of a security employee. The children have never seen the outside, being the farm where they live surrounded by a fence. His life is under the dominion of his father, his education being limited and having serious defects of understanding of reality.
The name of the film comes from the promise of the parents that children can go outside when they lose a fang. No one else has contact with them, with the exception of a security employee of the father, Cristina, who will be taken so that the son can have sex. But nevertheless, the contact with the security employee implies an opening to the real world , which implies a series of repercussions for the beliefs of young people.
The work shows the effect of a rigid education, tyranny and deprivation of stimuli, recalling in many aspects some cases of wild children.
8. Waking Life (Linklater, R.)
This film is about a man in a constant state of lucid dream, after being hit by a car . After this event, the character establishes an internal dialogue reflecting on the meaning of life, talking to different individuals in their dreams while trying to wake up even when they wonder if they will actually be dead.
It reflects the world of dreams, the unconscious and the exploration of thought and diverse philosophical currents.
9. Upstream Color (Carruth, S.)
This film tells the story of two young people, Kriss and Jeff , that fall in love due to the effects of a worm with the property of linking beings. This worm in question is placed and later extracted by other characters, being the character called the "composer" who creates a bond between people by manipulating the worms and then implant in pigs in their possession in order to visualize the lives of its original carriers.
The film establishes a critique of the sociopolitical control of the individual, the indoctrination and the intellectual block. It is possible to make a parallel with the self-censorship of the superego proposed by psychoanalysis.
10. You, me and everyone else (July, M.)
The film takes us to see how two characters fall in love, showing us the doubts , frustrations and passions, while one of them focuses on the life events that happen to their children, having to face situations of danger such as grooming.
The film, although not as extravagant as others of the previous ones, it is a valid reflection of the unsatisfied hidden desires , frustration, the dangers of relationships through networks such as grooming, caring for children and experimentation in the sentimental field (in the case of the eldest son).
11. Holy Motors (Carax, L.)
A strange film that is, in itself, a constant reference to the cinema itself. In it, the protagonist is playing different characters in real life, acting as they would in a fictional world.
12. Paprika, detective of dreams (Kon, S.)
One of the great references of the Japanese animation taken to the cinema is, also, one of the rarest movies in all the senses. In this the oneiric atmosphere and the visual quality work they mix to offer a unique experience based on the incredible imagination of its director, Satoshi Kon.
13. The taste of tea (Ishii, K.)
A mixture of traditionalist stories from Japan and most surreal situations . Experimental cinema that never abandons its tender and optimistic spirit.
14. Swiss Army Man (Kwan, D. and Scheinert, D.)
Daniel Radcliffe in his strangest role to date : a corpse that, little by little, comes back to life while teaching a man to live again. As it does? Using "special functions" of your body, as if it were a Swiss army knife.
15. Der Bunker (Chryssos, N.)
A student decides to go live with a strange family to be the guardian of their child. The problem is not only that the child behaves in a very strange way; is that that family lives in a bunker.
There are many other examples of bizarre cinema!
The present list reflects some of the rare, little understood or strange films that exist, but we know that there are many more. Origin, Shutter Island, Black Swan ... If you know of some strange or little known movie, we cordially invite you to share it with us .
