donnie darko!
The Fountain (2006) is always my go to, it’s both aesthetically beautiful and thought provoking.
I love all of Aronofsky’s film (except Noah; wtf was that). The Fountain is probably his best.
except Noah; wtf was that
I’m going to hazard a response to what you found wtf:
Aronofsky’s Noah is told with a Jewish perspective on the story. In Jewish tradition, Noah is a notable person, but he is not admirable. In Genesis it states that Noah was righteous in his generation. Rashi, a leading rabbi in the Middle Ages, said in regards to that statement: “Others, however, explain it to his discredit: in comparison with his own generation he was accounted righteous, but had he lived in the generation of Abraham he would have been accounted as of no importance.” (https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.6.9?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Genesis.6.9.2&lang2=bi)
Jewish sages, too, have long criticized Noah for accepting God’s dictate that he will destroy all life on earth without argument. That’s in contrast to Abraham who, when God said he would destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, argued with God and got him to agree not to destroy the cities if there existed ten righteous people in the cities.
So Aronofsky shows Noah as a religious extremist who does what God says without question. It’s a sometimes ugly portrayal, but it fits with an interpretation of Noah that sees him as the best the world had on hand, but not the best that mankind can be.
I really wish they’d rerelease this in 4K, the visuals are spectacular.
Dead man walking. What it means to be against death penalty not just because of the error rate.
Also for me Sean Penn’s best performance even compared to mystic river or I am Sam
After the Dark.
Thought experiment film about who would you take into a bunker to continue the human race?
I would advise that you stop watching after the students return their text books.
I haven’t heard about this, thanks.
I’m a big fan of Day of the Dead (1985)
On the surface, it’s a bunker zombie movie. But like truly good zombie movies, it’s not about the zombies. It’s more about humanity’s response to existential dread and how groups can fail to cooperate with each other.
The movie’s been remade a few times, but imo the original is the most thought provoking.
The Great Happiness Space. Its ostensibly about a male host club in Japan but shows how everyone is looking for, and selling happiness to others. Gals pour money into hosts to get their fake love and some will then turn around and work at soaplands themselves. Depressing really.
Man from earth (2007)
A low-money production movie about a man telling his friends he has survived since the origins of humanity. Very though provoking.
Yeah, I love that movie!
Man what a throwback! I really liked this one too.
‘Rambo’ Laugh, if you want, but that flick made me realize how awfully governments treat Veterans. Non-Military guy here. Saw it in the nineties, must have been 11 or 12 or something like that.
Then ‘Philadelphia’ was pretty intense and made me realize reality holds more truths, than the narrow minded household I grew up in.
‘Milk’ was pretty eye opening, too.
Magnolia is such an honest depiction of human fallibility. Almost unrivaled in its verisimilitude to modern life (or modern as of it’s release date). Incredible movie. Good shout.
Probably Arrival. If you knew how your life will play out from start to finish, would you change it knowing you will never experience everything the same from the point that you change it, thus not only avoiding bad/regrettable events, but also your most cherished ones.
Watched Black Klansman today, just made me think more about racism even though I think about it a lot anyways. Really great movie.
I heard good things about this movie. Have it on my movie list.
Thanks for this thread, got a bunch of great suggestions!
why would it be surprising that a favorite movie could also be provoking?
The Man from Earth; low budget sci-fi mostly just people talking in a living room. I like how it plays with expectations about knowledge of history and explores different epistemologies of the supporting characters in their line of questions or how they engage with the core concept.
Not a movie but a limited series, Devs. You won’t know what’s going on for a while, but damn, I still think about it. Same guy who made Ex Machina and Annihilation. Great sound track.
