Summary

surrealistic movies like A24’sDream Scenario , star Nicolas Cage , canmake their audience finger just as confused and out of placeas their champion . Perhaps the most big staple fibre of surrealist motion picture is how the genre invite its viewing audience to snub their preconceived notions of what does and does n’t make sense in favour of get the story in its purest form . As such , many ofthe good moviesin the genre tend to be look across upon release , often receiving complaints of being nonsensical but develop strong - albeit small , dedicated followings days afterwards .

Dream Scenariostars Nicolas Cageas a simple phratry man name Paul Matthews whose mundane life is suddenly extirpate after he mysteriously starts appearing in 1000000 of citizenry ’s dreams . Dream Scenariooffers a challenging and unique view of the insatiate desire for fame and aid , while also play up some of the trappings that follow with the pursuit . Although a colored clowning , Dream Scenariooffers some authentically insightful perspectives regarding one ’s hunger for attention , and in a social media - reign world , provide a handful of heavy themes for its audience to pontificate about . Whether new or old , there are plenty of phantasmagorical movies likeDream Scenariothat dispute watcher .

10El Topo (1970)

Streaming on Apple TV

El Topois a Mexican acid Western about El Topo and his son , as the two travelling through a immense desert in hunt of enlightenment . Perhaps one of the photographic film ’s most notable aspect is its visuals , as its use of color anddisorienting redaction makes it nearly impossible to decipher what is and is n’t genuine . consider one of the most controversial movies of all time because of its pictorial depictions of violence and sex , El Topowas trash upon release as critics feltEl Topowas amateurish at best . However , it ’s been reassess in a more favorable illumination by modern audiences , largely because of its secure surrealist mental imagery .

9Mandy (2018)

Streaming on Tubi

Cast

star Nicolas Cage , Mandytells the fib of Red Miller , a logger who embark on a quest for revenge after his girlfriend is murdered by a cult as part of one of their rituals . Considered one of thebest art - household film , Mandysees Cage’sRed share in the use of psychedelicsto cope with his going . Taking thing a gradation further , he also spends a good chunk of the film under the influence of said drugs , as he single - handedly takes out the cultist one by one . Mandyis illustrious for how it combines color and the score to create a dream - like state of being for both Red and the hearing .

8Donnie Darko (2001)

Streaming on Peacock

Donnie Darkois focus on around the strange happenings that fall out after a teen named Donnie sleepwalks out of his house and has an menacing encounter with an humanlike rabbit named Frank . Notable for its unlined spinal fusion of science fiction and coming - of - age dramatic play , Donnie Darkois considered by many to be one of themost confusing thrillersever made , and discussion besiege its story and plot have continued over twenty years later . While thesci - fi elements and seemingly senseless plottingcontinue to mystify viewer , its take on teenage angst and views on nostalgia have contributed to its status as one of the best surreal movies .

7Being John Malkovich (1999)

Being John Malkovichfollows a struggling puppeteer key out Craig who , after accepting a irregular Book of Job as a clerk , stumbles upon a portal that leads to the head of the critically acclaimed actor , John Malkovich . A married man , Craig uses this newfound control over the worker to pursue his romantic feeling for other woman . Being John Malkovichis filled with intense imagery of Malkovich clones throughout the moving-picture show , and Spike Jonze ’s counselling put up some truly unique position on lone and introverted man . Being John Malkovichalso benefits from the performances of its lead , Malkovich in particular , as his meta performance as a confused actor vibrate with the equally confused audience .

6Sorry To Bother You (2018)

Streaming on Amazon Prime

Sorry to Bother Youis an afro surrealist dark comedy that check a young inglorious humans using a " clean voice " to be successful at his corporate job . After have to choose between hold his facade for financial gain or hazard it all support his activist booster ' labor ten-strike , thing take a twist for the truly laughable . Viewed as one of thebest afro surrealist movies , Sorry to Bother Youstarts as a fairly tame comedy beforespiraling into a dark and wriggle narration about integrity and avaritia . The anti - capitalist satire is also notable for its homages to surrealist Gallic director Michel Gondry , which help in up the outlandishness .

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5Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindsees a couplet volitionally undergo an experimental procedure to have their memories of each other erase after a breakup . Also draw as a scientific discipline - fiction romantic comedy , the surrealism really shines in Gondry ’s direction of the photographic film ’s many dreaming - similar scenes . Furthermore , the moving picture ’s trust on tellingJoel and Clementine ’s relationship out of chronological orderdisorients the audience by deliberately earn it harder to decipher which events are real . The film is an emotional rollercoaster the ilk of which are seldom discover in rom - coms , and its surrealism sure as shooting make it the most unique .

4Dead Man (1995)

Streaming on Max

Dead Manfollows the story of a man named William Blake and his attempts to fly townsfolk after murdering a gentleman’s gentleman inside a motel room . While attempting to escape the law , William foregather a strange yet charismatic Aboriginal man who takes William on a profound quest that highlight both the beauty and frailty of life . They run across many strange character throughout their journeying , and the film ’s black - and - white-hot picture taking and dark soundtrack give the moving picture another bed of surrealism . However , the film ’s twirl of William also getting shot in the film ’s beginning is what makesDead Manstand out .

Once this is revealed to viewers in the motion-picture show ’s coming , it recontextualizes everything seen before in a astonishingly sweet and effective mode . Many of the enquiry that the mysterious man involve William throughout their journeying center around his feeling about life , death , and the possibility of an afterlife . Upon first viewing , the question seem like an curious way to get to know someone , but after the surprisal ending , it leaves its audience withprofound thing to consider about their mortality . peradventure one of the most singular depictions of death depicted in movie , Dead Man ’s surrealism is rivaled by very few .

3Perfect Blue (1997)

Streaming on AMC+

Satoshi Kon’sPerfect Blueis an animated film adapted from the 1991 Yoshikazu Takeuchi novel , and it sees a former popular pop singer , Mima , attempting to navigate a career in acting . However , an obsessed devotee ’s stalking behaviour and the rigorous necessary that worker in Japan must see to be successful take a serious cost on Mima ’s mental health . Perfect Blueis one of the most influential films of its genre , as its beautiful animation and haunt soundtrack compound the tension as Mima steady err into insanity . Furthermore , Perfect Bluequickly veers from surrealism to repulsion as her declining health blur the line between her and her pop headliner part .

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Perfect Blueoffers viewers a lot of thing to debate regarding the nature of entertainer and lover ' parasocial relationship with them . By doing this , the film go past but being creepy or surreal in that it humanizes otherwise deified entertainer , and shows a side of their generally overweening lives rarely talk over in other films . Perfect Blue ’s storytelling and characters have impacted the phantasmagorical picture musical genre by concentrate on subjects most watcher are acutely aware of and making them reassess their family relationship with a popular physical body . to boot , Perfect Bluehas influenced other popular film revolve about around fixation , likeBlack SwanandThe Neon Demon .

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2The Truman Show (1998)

Streaming on Paramount+

The Truman Showfollows the life of Truman Burbank and the oddly perfect nature of it . unbeknown to Truman , he was selected at parentage to have every detail of his life sentence record and expose to audience as if it were a realness TV show , and any attempt at him breaking detached from this simulated reality is scotch by the show ’s executive . However , through sheer decision , will , and notion in himself , Truman eventually breaks free from the Truman Showand enters the real world by the pic ’s conclusion . The film aid launch Jim Carrey as a spectacular actor , but it also stimulate thinking regarding existentialism .

While thereal mean ofThe Truman Showhas see many interpretations , it ’s largely fit upon that the film isan excellent examination of the fascination of other hoi polloi ’s lives . The bizarre premise is one of the most admired in the surreal picture show genre because of how unique and insightful it is . Released in 1998,The Truman Show ’s plot of ground would fit perfectly in a modern context , as it has become more ordinarily accepted for people to advertise their life story day by day in the form of societal media posts . Supported by inviolable public presentation , The Truman Showis one of the most remarkable picture show design to plague thought .

1Mulholland Drive (2001)

Streaming on Hulu

Mulholland Drivecenters around an optimistic immature actor ’s aspirations of becoming the next big star in Hollywood , and the deepness she ’s willing to sink to to achieve her goal . A story about obsession , Mulholland Driveis renowned for its anxiety - fill scene , spooky soundtrack , off - kilter humor , confusing plot of ground , and dreamy filming , all of which are director David Lynch ’s trademarks , but also for being one of thebest motion-picture show unfastened to interpretation . The motion picture ’s seriousness and commitment to Lynch ’s flair are some of the strongest reasons why the flick is genuinely receptive to version and not a cop - out or cheesy gimmick .

No two hoi polloi will leaveMulholland Drivefeeling the same way about it or its plot , thus making it a truly noteworthy viewing experience . A commonly concord upon interpretation is that the film is acautionary tale aboutobsession and its impact on a person ’s genial health , but there are other pundits of it being a modern - daytime neo - noir about fame . Irrespective ofMulholland Drive ’s straight meaning , the film is a masterclass in how to confuse , challenge , and entertain witness , thus take to its influence over the literary genre at large . That said , it is by nature quite dissimilar fromDream Scenarioin terms of feel .

Denzel-Washington’s-Best-The-Equalizer-2-Scene-Revealed-The-Real-Robert-McCall

How Rachel Zegler’s

Jim Carrey in The Truman Show, Mima in Perfect Blue, and Nicolas Cage in Dream Scenario

The Gunslinger/El Topo reaches for his revolver while advancing through the desert on a hot day in El Topo

Red Miller covered in blood and viscera while inside a cultist’s compound in Mandy

Cast Placeholder Image

Headshot Of Bill Duke

Headshot Of Linus Roache

Headshot Of Nicolas Cage In The 77th Cannes Film Festival ‘The Surfer’ Premiere

Headshot Of Jake Gyllenhaal

Headshot of Holmes Osborne

Headshot OF Maggie Gyllenhaal

Headshot Of Daveigh Chase

A sea of people with John Malkovich’s face look on from the Being John Malkovich poster

Headshot Of Omari Hardwick

Headshot Of Steven Yeun IN The 35th Annual Producers Guild Awards

Headshot Of Tessa Thompson In The V&A Summer Party 2024

Clementine holds a coffee cup and looks sad while Joel lies down and sleeps in bed in bed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Headshot of Kate Winslet

Headshot Of Jim Carrey In The North America Rights

Headshot Of Elijah Wood

Headshot Of Kirsten Dunst

William Blake aiming a revolver at the camera in Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man

Jim Carrey as Truman Burbank standing in front of the exit door to his reality series in The Truman Show’s ending.

Headshot Of Ed Harris

Headshot Of Natascha McElhone

Headshot Of Laura Linney

Naomi Watts as Betty Elms/Diane Selwyn looking over her shoulder in fear in Mulholland Drive

Headshot Of Laura Elena Harring

Headshot Of Mark Pellegrino In The NBC Universal Press Tour All-Star Party

Headshot Of Justin Theroux