Movies

5 Lesser-Known ‘Refreshing’ Movies That Will Make You Love Cinema Again, Handpicked by Reddit

5 Lesser-Known ‘Refreshing’ Movies That Will Make You Love Cinema Again, Handpicked by Reddit
Image credit: Roadside Attractions, New Line Cinema, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Well Go USA Entertainment, Hulu

Tired of blockbusters and big studio movies? These projects are for you.

You have probably seen Christopher Nolan 's Inception more than once, discussed Ari Aster's Midsommar with friends, rewatched Ridley Scott 's Alien, and are now on the lookout for new discoveries, wondering where to find the gems of modern cinema.

In such cases, not the most talked about, but no less exciting projects come to the rescue.

1. The Fall, 2006

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Tarsem Singh, a master of striking productions that transport viewers into worlds that are unprecedented in their beauty and danger, made one of the most amazing films in 2006 that can be described as a "story within a story."

The main character ends up in a hospital where he meets a little girl who helps a man cope with pain. In exchange for morphine, he tells a made-up story about a group of adventurers led by the Black Bandit. As the narrator loses the will to live and love, his characters face more and more trials, until one day the fates of the author and the characters become intertwined.

2. The Cell, 2000

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Before The Fall, Tarsem Singh directed The Cell, a detective thriller about a psychologist who penetrates the subconscious of a comatose psychopathic maniac to find the location of his latest victim.

His depiction of the subconscious is one of the most striking demonstrations of the virtual world – colorful, surreal, living by its own rules, creepy and very attractive at the same time. Singh works masterfully with practical effects and throws dozens of eye-catching images that you will never forget.

3. Grosse Pointe Blank, 1997

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Even professional assassins know how to love, at least when they are played by John Cusack. In George Armitage's romantic crime comedy, Martin, a hit man, returns to his hometown of Grosse Pointe, to complete his next assignment and attend a high school graduation party.

At the same time, Martin reconnects with the ex-girlfriend he ditched at prom. Debi, however, has no idea what her old lover's new profession is.

4. The Endless, 2017

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The Endless is a film that, along with Synchronic and Resolution, is part of the cinematic universe that directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead built before they began making the series for Marvel. However, The Endless can be watched in isolation from the filmmakers' other works.

In addition to its intriguing, mysterious atmosphere, the film is also notable for the fact that it was actually made by two people: Benson and Moorhead not only serve as directors, cinematographers, producers and screenwriters, but also star in the film.

The Endless focuses on two brothers who once ran away from their religious community to the big city to start a normal life. After the past suddenly makes itself known, the brothers decide to return to their former "family."

5. Palm Springs, 2020

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Nyles is having fun at the wedding of a couple he doesn't know very well. He clearly does not take the holiday seriously, somehow knows everything, and towards the end of the day he successfully seduces Sarah, the bride's sister.

The secret of the young man's strange behavior will soon be revealed: Nyles is caught in a time loop, living the same wedding every day. Sarah is soon getting caught in the same loop – and now the wedding guests have to figure out how to live with it.

The concept of Groundhog Day in the case of Palm Springs does not become the center of the intrigue: the viewer learns about the fantastic situation in the first third of the movie.

The surprises lie in how exactly they decide to deal with the curse and how the world of the movie works in general. The authors of Palm Springs have managed to reinvent an already familiar idea, but it's better not to know exactly how before watching.