Throughout history, the manifestation of art has been a very important constant in the evolution of cultures and societies.
Through the different arts, human beings are able to express emotions, thoughts, beliefs and points of view in a creative way that from a rational point of view would be difficult to understand.
One of the most recent artistic forms that allow such a thing is cinema. Also called the seventh art, through it it allows expression through both vision and hearing of the conscious and the unconscious, making people reflect on the proposed ideas and expanding horizons, sometimes in a bizarre way. For this reason, today we are collecting some rare, little-known or strange films.
Weird films are an escape from the conventions of filmmaking that help us think outside of our usual mental frameworks.
Whether due to its contents or its formal aspects, original and strange films can be a real culture shock between our way of understanding things and that of the creators of the work. Below you can see a selection of these films
1. The wild planet (Laloux, R.)
It is a peculiar film directed by René Laloux, which presents numerous allegories and messages that are sometimes somewhat uncomfortable In this science fiction film, the Draag are presented to us as a dominant race of beings on the planet Ygam, physically and technologically far superior to the race that serves as slaves or pets, the human beings called Oms in the film.
This film reflects humanity as an inferior race that is persecuted and under threat, with the persecution of wild humans being frequent. However, one of the pet Om, Terr, manages to escape from his master along with a hearing aid that transmits and contains the knowledge of the Draag.
This film reveals a certain criticism towards the position of superiority of human beings with respect to other species It reflects intolerance, discrimination and abuse of power. Reference is also made to the fear of the unknown and the fight between science/knowledge and superstition (the hearing aid with the knowledge of the Draag causes rejection by some Oms), as well as the search for coexistence and peace between different races. /species/peoples.
This relatively recent film (released in 2015) tells us about a Christian couple with five children around the year 1630. The family is excommunicated and finally ends up living in a forest that tradition indicates is controlled by evil Over time, a series of strange phenomena begin to happen, including the disappearance of one of the children, what appears to be a possession in another, or the infertility of the land giving poor crops. Over time, the tension in the family causes the teenage daughter to be considered responsible, accusing her of witchcraft.
The film reflects the fear of the unknown and the effect of terror, anxiety and anguish on people on elements such as affection, reason and loyalty. It also shows the way in which fear of the supernatural and magical thinking can deform even the emotional bonds of the family.
Regarding “Naked Lunch,” This movie can also be considered strange or strange It shows us the insect exterminator William Lee, who suffers from a series of hallucinations supposedly due to the effect of exposure to the insecticide, to which his company believes he is addicted. Given this, he asks for help from his doctor, who prescribes a blocker called “black meat.” He later unintentionally kills his wife, after which Lee flees to the Interzone, where strange things happen such as his typewriter coming to life.
As can be seen in the film, It is a vision of the effects of hallucinogenic drug use and addiction to them Likewise, reference is made to the resistance to accepting one’s own homosexuality, visible in numerous moments in the film.
4. Marquis (Xhonneux, H.)
This film explains the story of the famous Marquis de Sade, in France before the French Revolution. The story is based on the writings and the marquis’ own life, beginning during his imprisonment in the Bastille, where each cell is occupied by different characters from the works of the controversial author. Aside from the plot, this film is also strange for its scenery (using elements such as puppets), symbology (during much of the film the Marquis holds conversations with his reproductive system) and costumes. For example, in this production all the actors wear animal masks 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 fight of reason against instinct, sexuality and its repression and exacerbation, betrayal and hypocrisy It is also one of the films that most attempts to dignify the figure of the Marquis de Sade, reflecting sensitivity, desire for freedom and defense of the right to life in the character.
This rare film production takes place in the United States during the Great Depression In it the protagonist, Grace, takes refuge in the town that gives its name to the mafia chase film. Grace tries to help her neighbors in order to gain her trust, which she ends up getting. However, over time the townspeople will demand more and more as compensation from her for offering shelter, abusing the woman’s honesty.
The film reflects greed and abuse of those in need, the use of others and the actions of people in situations of desperation and betrayal.
6. Eraserhead (Lynch, D.)
Another of the rare movies featured 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, first cared for by the couple and later left in the care of the protagonist.
The film refers to the flight inward, the need to escape from problems, the difficulty of living a peaceful life in the face of the difficulties present in the environment. It exalts the monstrous side of humanity, the need for freedom and the acceptance of the negative facets of life and of one’s own self, guilt and the instincts of death and suicide.
7. Canine (Lanthimos, Y.)
This work tells us about a couple with three children who have never left their home, with dealings with family members being the only influence in their lives, with the exception of a security employee. The children have never seen the outside, with the farm where they live surrounded by a fence. His life is under the control of his father, his education is limited and he has serious defects in understanding reality.
The name of the film comes from the parents’ promise that children will be able to go outside when they lose a tusk. No one else has contact with them, with the exception of one of the father’s security employees, Cristina, who will be taken so that the son can have sexual relations. However, Contact with the security employee represents an opening to the real world which has a series of repercussions for the beliefs of young people.
The work shows the effect of a rigid education, tyranny and deprivation of stimuli, reminiscent in many aspects of some cases of feral children.
8. Waking Life (Linklater, R.)
This film is about a man in a constant state of lucid dreaming, after being hit by a car After this event, the character establishes an internal dialogue reflecting on the meaning of life, speaking with different individuals in his dreams while trying to wake up even when he wonders if he has really died.
It reflects the world of dreams, the unconscious and the exploration of thought and various philosophical currents.
9. Upstream Color (Carruth, S.)
This film tells the story of two young people, Kriss and Jeff, who fall in love due to the effects of a worm with the property of linking beings. This worm in question is placed and subsequently extracted by other characters, with the character called the “composer” being the one who creates a link between people by manipulating the worms and subsequently implants them in pigs in his possession in order to be able to visualize the lives from their original bearers.
The film establishes a critique of the sociopolitical control of the individual, indoctrination and intellectual blockade. It is possible to draw a parallel with the self-censorship of the superego proposed by psychoanalysis.
10. You, me and everyone else (July, M.)
The film leads us to visualize how two characters fall in love, showing us the doubts frustrations and passions, while one of them concentrates on the life events that happen to their children, having to face dangerous situations such as grooming.
The film, although not as extravagant as other previous ones, It is a valid reflection of unsatisfied hidden desires frustration, the dangers of relationships through networks such as grooming, childcare and experimentation in the sentimental field (in the case of the eldest child).
11. Holy Motors (Carax, L.)
A strange film that is, in itself, a constant reference to cinema itself. In it, the protagonist plays different characters in real life, acting just as they would in a fictional world.
12. Paprika, dream detective (Kon, S.)
One of the great references of Japanese animation brought to film is also one of the strangest films in every sense. In this work the dreamlike setting and visual quality They blend together to offer a unique experience based on the incredible imagination of its director, Satoshi Kon.
13. The taste of tea (Ishii, K.)
A mix of traditional 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. How does he do it? Using “special functions” of his 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 their son’s tutor. The problem is not only that this child behaves in a very strange way; is that that family lives in a bunker.
There are many other examples of bizarre cinema!
This list reflects some of the rare, poorly understood or strange films out there, but we know there are many more. Origin, Shutter Island, Black Swan… If you know of any strange or little-known film, we cordially invite you to share it with us
