5. The Little Hours
The cast is made up of notoriously quirky actors and actresses, the premise is more than a little ballsy, and the alterations to the source material will have people scratching their heads. The Little Hours is a cult classic waiting to happen. Cigarette smoking potty mouth nuns aren’t going to make everyone happy. The Catholic League, for example called the movie “pure trash.” Then again, the fact that it’s controversial isn’t enough to make it a cult classic.
The Little Hours earns its status as a potential cult classic because it’s a really funny movie with really funny people. As previously stated, the film is made up of so many performers who are known for their cult appeal. Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Kate Micucci, John C. Reilly, and Nick Offerman all appeal to a specific crowd. It’s also interesting that this is an adaptation of a 14th century novella collection. Obviously, they don’t stick too close to the subject material, but the choice to fiddle with such an ancient piece of literature is admirable and hilarious.
Admirable and hilarious is more or less how the entire film can be described. It’s a risky little movie, and the risks mostly pay off. The jokes don’t always land, and the movie has a tendency to be crude just for the sake of it, but this remains an endlessly enjoyable comedy film throughout. The brilliant ensemble alone makes this worth the price of admission, but there are plenty of other goodies to discover.
4. I don’t feel at home in this world anymore.
The oddly titled I don’t feel at home in this world anymore. may have been a Sundance darling, but it hasn’t been a huge success among more casual moviegoers. In terms of popularity, Netflix original movies tend to be very hit or miss. Though they’re usually well-received, they rarely earn the same kind of attention as larger theatrical releases. Beasts of the Southern Wild benefited from Oscar-buzz, while Death Note had the benefit of a strong fanbase. This indie crime-comedy doesn’t have a whole lot of mainstream appeal, which is a shame because it’s one of the most satisfyingly quirky movies of the year.
The story, which revolves around a robbery gone wrong, is far less formulaic than it sounds. Thanks to a whip-smart script and unbelievable chemistry between Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey, the movie ends up being refreshingly weird. Cynical characters having rough days aren’t anything new in the movie world, but the unique approach to the story makes the film infinitely more enjoyable. Netflix made the right choice in choosing to distribute the movie. It may not be their biggest hit, but it’s definitely one of their most enjoyable movies to date.
3. Raw
Raw is a horror masterpiece. There’s simply no other way to put it. This gruesome, fearless foreign horror flick has the guts (both figuratively and literally) that you can’t find in any other horror movie. It’s smart, it’s daring, and above all, it’s pretty damn creepy. It’s also incredibly disturbing, to the point where people had to leave the TIFF screening last year due to nausea. The over-the-top gore heavily limits the film’s appeal. While it’s not quite as unsettling as A Serbian Film or Cannibal Holocaust, it’s still far too graphic for casual horror fans to enjoy.
That’s a shame because it’s one of the strongest female-led horror films of the decade, alongside The Babadook, Cabin in the Woods, and It Follows. Garance Marillier is tremendous. She’s so tremendous that she could very well be a French scream queen if she really wanted to. She certainly has the acting chops.
It’s not just the underlying feminist message that makes Raw so appealing. The skillful direction, intelligent script, and gorgeous cinematography also play a part in the success of the movie. Another key ingredient to its potential cult status is the fact that cult classics are often incredibly violent due to the fact that violence is what limited their appeal in the first place. Raw dumps buckets of gore onto the screen, and every ounce of it feels meaningful. There are so many reasons Raw works, but the only way one can truly witness the brilliance is to see it.
2. Brawl in Cell Block 99
Brawl in Cell Block 99 is a grindhouse gem that puts recent movies like Machete and Hobo with a Shotgun to shame. While there isn’t quite as much schlock here, viewers still get an over-the-top action bonanza with blood and guts to spare. The grindhouse genre is inherently doomed to cult status, and this film’s limited release certainly doesn’t help its case. Luckily, viewers who give this hidden gem a look will be thankful they did. It sits alongside John Wick 2 as the best action movie of 2017.
Aside from the badass action scenes, Brawl in Cell Block 99 benefits from one of Vince Vaughn’s best performances to date. Though the actor is known for his comedic roles, he presents viewers with a grim (and frankly terrifying) portrayal of a seriously pissed off dude. There’s a lot of emotional depth in his performance, and it pairs well with the bloodsoaked action that appears on screen. It’s what sets the film apart from the competition.
Defying expectations seems to be easy for director S. Craig Zahler, who continues to prove that he easily can do over-the-top action. Bone Tomahawk was a fantastic movie, and Brawl in Cell Block 99 is another win on his part. The subject matter and tone scream “cult classic.” This is a movie that deserves to be viewed with a group of rowdy friends at a midnight screening. It’s too damn fun to ignore.
1. mother!
Nobody can come to a consensus on Darren Aronofsky’s mother!. It’s either a thought-provoking masterpiece or a pretentious waste of time. It didn’t help that the marketing team painted the movie as something it clearly wasn’t, but even certain people who knew what they were getting into couldn’t decide what to think about the controversial movie. That sharp divide in audience reaction is precisely why the film could become a cult classic in the future.
Aronofsky’s films have always been divisive, but they’ve never been this divisive. While critical reaction was overall positive, it still seems as though even critics can’t figure out whether they liked it or not. Most people agree that the performances are solid, but everything else is completely up-in-the-air. Is the allegory as thought-provoking as it appears? Is the gruesome violence necessary? Is the story as interesting as the symbolism? There are a lot of questions that are bound to get very different responses depending on who you ask.
What really matters is the fact that there are people who absolutely adore mother!. It’s equally important to note that there are just as many people who can’t stand the movie. It’ll never become a classic because there’s no clear consensus in regards to the movie’s overall quality. It’s one of the most polarizing movies in years, which means the passionate fans should be able to push it toward cult status.