Everyone loves a good summer movie night. Popcorn, pajamas, and giggling friends make for the perfect movie-viewing combination. But sometimes we slip into a kind of “movie slump,” watching the same type of film over and over again. During summertime at least, chick flicks tend to take center stage—sappy romantic comedies filled with star-crossed lovers, flawlessly handsome male leads, and predictably happy endings. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that kind of movie (in fact, I’m more than a little fond of it myself), summer is a great time to expand our film horizons and explore movies that don’t fit nicely within a cookie-cutter mold. As summer break begins, check out this list of five fantastic but unusual movies that will add spice and sophistication to your movie-watching.
1. The Village
Director M. Night Shyamalan is probably best-known for his creepy alien thriller Signs, but one of his less popular movies is also one of his best. The Village, released in 2004 and featuring the talents of Sigourney Weaver, Joaquin Phoenix, and Bryce Dallas Howard, tells the story of a small, quaint village completely surrounded by a dark, threatening forest that is populated by terrifying monsters. Reading this description—or watching the movie’s trailer—might lead you to believe that The Village is a horror film, or at least an intense thriller, but it really defies the strict boundaries of those genres. It contains elements of romance, dystopian social commentary, and a heart-warming coming-of-age tale, eerily interspersed with moments of fear, danger, and mystery. The ending is both unexpected and immensely thought-provoking, leaving viewers asking themselves why the characters made the choices they did and whether or not those choices were the right ones. If you're looking for a tightly woven and tightly wound plot that will propel you towards a deep and nuanced ending, then The Village is the movie for you!
2. Crimson Peak
Guillermo del Torro's 2015 masterpiece Crimson Peak, starring Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, and Jessica Chastain, was released just in time for Halloween and marketed as a typical ghost story, which does the movie vast injustice. It is a lushly artistic, powerfully symbolic Gothic romance, heavily influenced by such literary works as Edgar Allan Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher." Every scene is filled with breathtakingly ornate visual details, and the story itself blends the darkness of Gothic horror with the beauty of a swoon-worthy love story between a young writer from New York and the man who sweeps into her quiet life and changes it forever. The film is rated R for several brief episodes of graphic violence and some frightening images, but the ghosts that haunt Crimson Peak are not the villains of the story—they are symbolic of the darkness and corruption that can consume a human heart. If you watch Crimson Peak expecting just another ghost story, you will be disappointed, but if you watch it expecting a powerful and touching exploration of love's power over hatred and emptiness, then this movie will not disappoint!
3. Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
Released in 2012, Seeking a Friend is the most genre-bending movie on this list. It is part rom-com, part post-apocalyptic adventure, part heartfelt story of love and loss. The story revolves around the unlikely friendship that springs up between Dodge (Steve Carell) and Penny (Keira Knightley) as they journey across the United States in the last weeks before the world is struck by an enormous meteor. Filled with a mixture of quirky characters, hilarious comedy, and serious moments, Seeking a Friend will strike your funny bone and tug at your heartstrings; it will make you laugh and make you cry.
4. Once
Once, released in 2006 and starring real-life musical couple Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, tells the story of a struggling Irish musician and a chance encounter with a Czech immigrant which blossoms into a whirlwind friendship. It is a touching romance, but it is also a musical—the majority of the movie is filled with actual songs being performed by the various musicians that make up the cast of characters. It is a real tear-jerker, but its messages about the transcendental power love and friendship are worth every soggy tissue. The amount of cursing scattered throughout the dialogue is not for the faint of heart, but the story itself is simply beautiful. This is one movie that is worth watching over and over again.
5. Warm Bodies
This 2013 adaptation of Isaac Marion's novel is a lighthearted romantic comedy that simultaneously makes fun of society's zombie-obsession while also parodying Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. R and Julie (can you catch the allusions?) are a well-meaning zombie and his fully human crush who live in a post-apocalyptic world where zombies battle humans for control of a dilapidated city. It's a witty, sassy comedy that still manages to have its poignant moments of romance and self-discovery. Zombies, humor, and true love—it's a winning combination from start to finish.
