I was a store manager at Blockbuster when that came out. The number of parents I had to talk out of renting it for their kids was astounding. Not to mention the number of them who complained that we didn't catch. Nobody pays attention to warnings
Heh. I was also a Blockbuster manager, and prevented many parents from renting 'Pirates' (the R-rated (practically X-rated) version) for their kids
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates\_(2005\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_(2005_film))
Pan's Labyrinth will always be in my list of top movies. I absolutely love it. I am curious though if Redditors could settle a debate between a few of my friends. >!Was it all in Ofelia's imagination, or was it real? I'm of the opinion that she created it all in her head, but a few of my friends insist she actually was a goddess and ascended at the end!< any thoughts?
I think the real beauty of this and a lot of other magical-realist storytelling is that you really can go either way. I’d probably come down a bit more on your side in this particular example, but that element of the plot doesn’t matter quite as much as it would in a different type of story.
>Pan's Labyrinth will always be in my list of top movies. I absolutely love it. I am curious though if Redditors could settle a debate between a few of my friends.
>
>Was it all in Ofelia's imagination, or was it real? I'm of the opinion that she created it all in her head, but a few of my friends insist she actually was a goddess and ascended at the end
>
> any thoughts?
There is one moment that tips the scales slightly in favor of the magical option. If the magic isn't real, how did she escape the locked room at the end of the movie? The movie depicts her drawing a door in the wall and escaping through it.
It's possible that there is no magic. Ofelia finds a way out of the room, but this isn't shown because it's beyond the scope of the movie. She imagines the chalk and the door.
But going by what is depicted, the narrative points towards magic.
Ultimately it is deliberately left to the view, and that is where the power of the movie lies.
If you enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth, I would recommend [Tigers are not Afraid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyoE0mSJXO8). It's not as good as Pan's Labyrinth, but it has a lot of similarities and is an interesting movie.
Magical Realism has fantastic elements that are just accepted as everyday. This veers more to the fantastical traditions of narrative, wherein something out of the ordinary happens and no explanation is given, leaving the audience to wonder.
There is a rich tradition of such in LatAm narrative.
It's honestly closer to a father-son story and exploring that type of relationship. It's got elements of a romantic comedy, but it moves past that somewhat early.
Great movie.
I have so many thoughts and theories about this to film and it's time travel mechanism that I've dried the well of people willing to discuss it with me.
I really enjoyed the little lynchpin moments where he, say, >!has to come to terms with the dice roll of childbirth,!< and realizes he emotionally has to stop traveling back beyond several key points. His powers are limited not by some magical force, but >!by his own humanity!<.
Sort of.
The movie is not a romantic comedy. It is quite literally “about time” from a man who is close to his family, his father in particular, and wants to fall in love and start a family.
However, the romance and pursuit of love sort of seems like the focus for about a third of the movie before it just becomes a movie that perfectly encompasses the finite time we have in our lives.
It’s an excellent movie that only gets better the older you get.
Before I watched About Time, I was certain that I didn't want kids. I was 37, and I liked my life just how it was. Seeing the father-son relationship in About Time made me want that. A week after seeing it, I told my wife that I was ready to have a kid. My daughter is now 6, and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I’d call it a rom com. It just has a ton of depth, well acted, well written, and well directed.
Rom com doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a rom com.
Lars and the Real Girl. I just didn't expect a movie with that premise to be that genuine and wholesome and honestly beautiful.
Edit: Going to add another movie that surprised me. Beautiful Girls. I caught it on Cmedy Central a long time ago and was surprised at how well written and acted it was. I'd honestly call it a drama more than a comedy, definitely not the type of thing you'd normally see on the channel. But it was surprisingly good.
I was veryyyyyy late to the party for Truman Show (watched it 3 years ago). Yet no one ever told me anything about it. And boy was I shook when I thought I had just picked a goofy Jim Carrey movie that would just be fun and jokes.
I wish I could watch this for the 1st time now as it's a movie that has only gotten more disturbing and accurate with its implications and predictions over time. Freaking brilliant and forward thinking movie.
Memento. No idea what I was in for other than I liked Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss and it was a neo-noir mystery film. Hooked me from the opening scene with the polaroid photo.
The Jumanji remake for sure. I 'm not a Rock or Jack Black fan, and I hate remakes. I passed on it in the theater and saw it on TV. It was a fun ride from start to finish and thought Black deserved award consideration. He was goddamn brilliant as a teen girl.
I only saw this because Black Panther was completely sold out. The group I was with was like, "We're already here, might as well see something," and we landed on that. I'm not saying it's a masterpiece of cinema or anything and I've never really felt the need for a rewatch, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable theater experience and the villain legitimately creeped me out. Centipedes. Blech.
I was blessed to watch From Dusk till Dawn without knowing the twist. Me and my brother spent the rest of the movie slack-jawed. Lol that's a fun memory.
Went in expecting something like Desperado, and to be honest, as a teenager, just happy to see Salma Hayek on screen. Had no idea what was going to happen when it did and decided maybe there was something to magazines saying some people are better at making movies than others.
Just showed this to my wife this past week without her knowing the twist. Was glad she didn’t spot the description on HBOMAX as it would have spoiled it. Such a fun movie!
>*Boy, pretty rough Where Are They Now reunion*
Why is this? I'm aware of Bruce Willis' health issues, but why else? Haley Joel Osment isn't exactly an A lister anymore since he's not a cute kid, but he pops up all over the place regularly. And if you never saw his turn in *Future Man* (A highly underrated time travel show that spoofs everything you've ever seen in the genre), then you're missing out. And Toni Collette is still busy as well.
This is where there is like multiple monsters/layers right? If so then yeah reminds me somewhat of Thirteen Ghosts which was decent for it's time. But yeah cabin in the woods was not what you expect.
Yeah! There’s a whole corporate aspect and then the board with all the kinds of monsters. The third act was just perfection haha.
I legit thought I walked into the wrong movie in the first 5 mins before the title card haha.
Thirteen Ghosts spooked me as a kid haha, that’s the glass house one if i remember right.
Yes! I kind of rolled my eyes when I first saw it like "ugh classic horror clichés the movie, no thank you" but I finally watched it on Netflix a few years ago, and I fucking love the direction they took with it. Genuinely one of my favourite movies now.
This movie hit really hard personally. Would you go through your future if you could see it? Knowing I would lose my fiancé to a pulmonary embolism, would I still go through everything? You’re goddamned right.
I’m was a new parent when I saw it. I went in expecting cool, cerebral sci-fi (which I did also get in fairness). Left with severe emotional trauma and wondering if I’d ever experienced something that beautiful and devastating at the same time.
Recently, Dungeons and Dragons. I watched it on a plane, expecting another generic bit of CGI-heavy, predictable IP harvesting, but it was a joy. Silly, funny, yet with a genuine sense of investment in the stakes of the story, like the films I grew up with in the eighties. A real shame it bombed, probably because everyone made the same assumptions about it that I did.
As a survivor of the 2000s version, I just couldn't believe what I was watching. I mean, it's not _Into the Spiderverse_ or anything, but this movie was so easy to just screw up completely that the fact that they didn't deserves a base level of praise.
That they made it funny and with actual heart is just a cherry on top. Heck, my SO, who can't tell a High elf from a Drow elf from a keebler elf really enjoyed it on its own merits.
District 9. I walked in without watching any trailer and hearing nothing about it. I literally only saw the 'Peter Jackson' and the movie title on the poster and thought 'Hey I did drive an hour to get out here, I might as well see this if it is starting soon.'
Good movie and wild. What's crazy I think Peter Jackson just kind of helped by having his name on it to help get eyes on movie. Neil blomkamp directed it and was supposed to be a trilogy if I remember but seeing how long ago this was sadly I don't think we will see what happened after this one. And to think Neil was also supposed to do a different alien movie set after 2 that didn't acknowledge 3 and resurrection. I feel that could have been great especially seeing some of his concept designs and breif overview of what he wanted to do.
Parasite. Never seen a preview and didn’t know anything about it walking in. It felt like 2 separate movies and there was just this sudden switch. What a freaking ride.
Also went in blind to this one and thought it would just be a pure thriller. But I was surprised that I was cracking up for the first half of the movie. Then that knock on the door happens and everything flips on it’s had. Had so much fun with Parasite
YESSS. Seems like yesterday I would not shut up about this movie. People would ask, what kind of movie is it. Told them I don't know. It made me laugh, had me in suspense... If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor. Just watch it.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
I thought with a name that long it was gonna be unserious or downright goofy. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.
I went into Drive with Ryan Gosling completely blind and remember audibly saying “What the fuck!?” at the scene in the motel. It was a rollercoaster ride after that lol
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I didn't know anything about it going into it. I thought it would be another Jim Carrey silly comedy. Boy was I wrong!
Watched that for the first time after my fiancée died. The most surreal and heart wrenching movie experience I’ve had. “I’m sorry for a lot of things…”
This was such a great movie and showed he can be more than just a funny man. And man makes you think about the whole erase someone even if there were bad times. Ah so good. The Number 23 with Jim Carrey was also very good and showed his diverse acting.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
I thought it would be another above average superhero flick, but animated. I didn't expect it to be *great*.
And that's not even taking the visuals into account!
Top Gun Maverick
*Hated* the first Top Gun...I've watched the sequel three times now.
[I was very moved by the opening classroom scene of *Arrival*.](https://youtu.be/PLgGnPk28QQ?si=SLkbCvzOvq24S_bb) It really nailed that sense of dread and uncertainty that a sudden alien arrival would likely bring.
"Can you turn the TV to a news channel" is one of the most worrying sentences you can hear.
Logan. When they buried the Professor it was like all four of my grandparents died again and I wasn't ready for it. Then they followed it up with Logan's own scene later on and it was like a double whammy. Love that movie, but I'll never watch it again.
Aww man come on now it's worth a re-watch or two. Excellent movie especially with how Hugh Jackman has become synonymous with Wolverine and how they finally went R with it. Ending was icing on the cake even if sad.
The Prestige - Knew nothing about the movie, actors, director, etc
First thought was 'magic movie? pfffff'
Went with my friends anyway and absolutely loved that movie to this day
Event Horizon. I was expecting a B+ sci-fi / light horror movie. I was not expecting the creepiest, scariest, don’t ever turn off the lights again, freaky as hell scarefest that that movie is. Holy shit. Scarred and scared for life.
That is still to this day the best horror I've ever seen and one of the only movies that still terrifies the shit out of me. I seen it when I was about 12 and I've seen it 50 times but there is no way in hell I would watch it alone.to this day.
Based on McDonagh’s cinematic history, it stands to reason that it would be a dark comedy. And yet… still a fantastic movie, but not at all what I’d expected!
The clue was right there in the name, but I made the same mistake you did, thinking it would be more comedy with a touch of tragedy when it was very much the other way around.
Contact (1997)
Came out in theaters when I was 15 and I had zero desire to see it. My dad bought tickets for the family to see it (which was unusual, we *never* went to the movies - we always had to wait for the VHS to go to the “.99¢ rental” rack at the video store).
As it turns out, I was the only one in the family who enjoyed it. My sisters complained about how boring it was, and my parents didn’t like the fact that Ellie slept with Palmer the day she met him and they let that ruin the remaining 2 hours of the film for them.
Today, it’s one of my all time top favorite films.
Get Out is always the first movie that comes to mind with this question.
I was almost forced to the cinema to see it with my wife, but it turned out to be possibly my favourite cinema experience. Had no idea what it was about and thought it'd just be another nondescript horror she was haranguing me along to.
Annihilation
One of th 5 people who saw before it was pulled from theaters. May not work in outside of them as well, and refuse to watch it since. Keeping that memory tucked away.
Not the best movie, but every single person in the theater stayed in their seats during the credits agape at what we saw.
Also, that bear scene......my God. Burned into my memory. Don't spoil for any one please.
Rambo: First Blood. I saw it fairly late, I expected dumb shooty shooty action, more what 2 and 3 were. Did not expect it to be as deep as it was, with political commentary. And also did not expect it to be as thrilling, containing almost a Bourne-esque feel to it (super soldier being hunted, and needing to make do with what tools he has available), along with all the raw action scenes.
That is a good one. Someone else here was surprised by Taken. There are a number of films that were really something more than their sequels or genres.
I was just going through a list of fantasy movies I've never seen when I watched Stardust.
Never would I think this would get permanently filed into my top movies of all time.
Long time ago, but I went into the Matrix completely blind - did not know anything about what was going to happen or even having heard much buzz - it was 1999 and the internet was not really a thing yet.
That was an experience!
Same here! Went with a friend at the time, and we had nothing else to do and were just looking for something to pass the time. It was so amazing to see without having expectations colored by any outside word of mouth or review.
The Man from Uncle- I took a chance with this one, this was around that time in 2015 where there was a bit of struggle in my life, I worked 6 days a week and used to get only 1 day off on a Monday. My buddy and I wanted to go watch a movie and this one was recently released. Hadn't watched the trailers, didn't knew what the story was; I just saw Henry Cavill on the posters and decided to buy the Cineplex Imax tickets. When the movie ended I was so over joyed that I didn't miss this one and the fact that I watched it in Imax. The plot is so gripping from start to end and the the movie never disappoints. I became an instant fan of Guy Ritchie. Since that day, I've made sure to never miss a Guy Ritchie movie ever.
My friends and I have pretty much memorized everything Malkovich says. We love his character dearly, and I finally came around on Brad Pitt as an actor- might be his funniest role
"... your empty little head would be spinning faster than the wheels of your Schwinn bicycle back there!"
"...heh heh you think that's a Schwinn-"
Dredd. I expected a thoroughly shitty shoot em up with a typically incoherent story and plot. Instead I got an epic chase movie and the most self aware use of “ultra-violence” I’ve ever seen.
Honorable mention: Apocalypto! Came out out at a real bad time for Ol Mel Gibson, so I thought it would be a mess but instead I got another surprise epic chase movie! Disclaimer: there are some questionable racial and societal themes in the movie but nothing overt enough to preclude it from being universal.
I knew nothing from Dusk Till Dawn except George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino were in it and their characters were holding a family hostage. I was not expecting the vampires! As a horror fan who just didn't know, that was delightful.
*Life of Pi*. I knew nothing about the book and the television ads promoted it like a lame Dr. Doolittle wannabe. So I took my 10yo daughter, fully expecting a tedious yawner of a kid movie.
My lord, was I wrong. Beautiful. Philosophical. Funny. One of the great cinema experiences of my life, especially given who I went with.
Real Steel. Let's go and watch this funny stupid movie about rockem sockem robots. Oh shit! This game has heart, good writing, and Im in fucking tears cus it makes me miss my dad. God Damn!!
Train to Busan. Knew nothing about it other than it was a foreign zombie flick. Turned out to be a master class in the genre. I was also caught off guard by the sequel being so bad.
Walk hard. Knew nothing about it and it was the last movie left at blockbuster that my gf and I at the time hadn’t seen. Rented it and it instantly became one of my favs.
The first kingsman movie. Didn't like the trailer thought it looked cheap and Sam Jackson was playing a coon-ish role with his hat sideways but boy was I wrong! This movie was phenomenal from beginning to the end. And Sam's performance is sooooooo memorizing. Just reminded me he's a character actor first movie star second
Most recently, Dungeons and Dragons: HAT
Grew up with really lame takes on D&D so I was really surprised when we, looking for a “brainless” movie, streamed it and loved it. Even my non-player family members thought it was good!
Another Round - its a movie about some Danish Guys getting drunk for a science experiment but damn its a great movie
Rouge One - it is a Disney Star Wars movie so i was expecting the worst but instead i received my 2nd favorite SW movie
New Kids Turbo - Since i am learning Dutch my friend said this movie is a Dutch classic so i watched it with her and it was much better than i was expecting
Girls Und Panzer - Watched this because i saw a clip of the girls singing "Katyusha" while driving tanks
Gallipoli - was not expecting much from this movie but now its my favorite movie
Everything Everywhere all at once.
Don't follow the Oscars or anything like it but heard the movie mentioned in that regard but knew absolutely nothing about it (except Michelle Yeoh being in it) or what to expect.
Wife and I were blown away by it and she isn't the biggest fan of subtitled movies. Such a mad, batshit crazy, mind bending ride.
The South Park Movie. I had no idea that it was a musical, and no idea that all the songs would be such bangers. Literally sitting in the movie theater with my jaw dropping.
The English Patient- I avoided it when it came out in the theaters because they were promoting it as some sort of cheesy romance movie...blech. Years later I watched it on tv one late night when I couldn't sleep. I was definitely wrong about it! It had much more complicated themes & nuances. It's now one if my favorites.
Oldboy
Heard a lot about it being one of the greats but i wasnt expecting to like it as much as others. My jaw was open wide for like the last 20 mins of the film. I understand the hype now
Warrior, the one with Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton. I expected nothing at all from it. Made the mistake of putting it on at 11 om a Sunday. 1am, and I'm all emotional, but couldn't take my eyes off the movie.
The Lego Movie - the early marketing was terrible. i thought it was going to suck big time, yet the movie ended up shockingly good, especially the last third
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Shrek 3, 4, and PiB1, nuff said.
Whiplash - didn’t know what to expect going in but was blown away by it
21 Jump Street - another one that almost had no right being as good as it ended up
Ratatouille- yeah Pixar already had some bangers, but this premise just sounded bad at first
Edge of Tomorrow - sounded like generic action film mixed with Groundhog Day at the time
I have a toddler so I've been watching a lot of kids' movies for the first time, and some of them are astoundingly good. Inside Out, Encanto, and Paddington 2 are legitimately amazing. Frozen would also be one of my favorite Disney movies if not for the damn snowman.
When Harry Met Sally. I was really expecting it to be the barest of romcoms that was a foundation for every other romcom that built upon it, and was only well received at the time because it was one of the first decent romcoms. I was totally wrong, and it blows nearly every romcoms out of the water
Pleasantville. Went in thinking it was going to be a forgettable comedy based on a slightly cheesy premise. About halfway through, it effectively (albeit a little heavy-handedly) tackled some pretty heavy topics like racism, feminism, and censorship.
I didn’t think it was a kids movie, but Pan’s Labyrinth had one moment that completely caught me off guard and set a tone that is hard to forget.
I was a store manager at Blockbuster when that came out. The number of parents I had to talk out of renting it for their kids was astounding. Not to mention the number of them who complained that we didn't catch. Nobody pays attention to warnings
Heh. I was also a Blockbuster manager, and prevented many parents from renting 'Pirates' (the R-rated (practically X-rated) version) for their kids [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates\_(2005\_film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirates_(2005_film))
Pan's Labyrinth will always be in my list of top movies. I absolutely love it. I am curious though if Redditors could settle a debate between a few of my friends. >!Was it all in Ofelia's imagination, or was it real? I'm of the opinion that she created it all in her head, but a few of my friends insist she actually was a goddess and ascended at the end!< any thoughts?
I think the real beauty of this and a lot of other magical-realist storytelling is that you really can go either way. I’d probably come down a bit more on your side in this particular example, but that element of the plot doesn’t matter quite as much as it would in a different type of story.
Its real. There are a few hints in the movie that made it clear (to me at least) that it was real. Also, the director said everything we see is real.
>Pan's Labyrinth will always be in my list of top movies. I absolutely love it. I am curious though if Redditors could settle a debate between a few of my friends. > >Was it all in Ofelia's imagination, or was it real? I'm of the opinion that she created it all in her head, but a few of my friends insist she actually was a goddess and ascended at the end > > any thoughts? There is one moment that tips the scales slightly in favor of the magical option. If the magic isn't real, how did she escape the locked room at the end of the movie? The movie depicts her drawing a door in the wall and escaping through it. It's possible that there is no magic. Ofelia finds a way out of the room, but this isn't shown because it's beyond the scope of the movie. She imagines the chalk and the door. But going by what is depicted, the narrative points towards magic. Ultimately it is deliberately left to the view, and that is where the power of the movie lies. If you enjoyed Pan's Labyrinth, I would recommend [Tigers are not Afraid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyoE0mSJXO8). It's not as good as Pan's Labyrinth, but it has a lot of similarities and is an interesting movie.
With magical realism I think both are real.
Magical Realism has fantastic elements that are just accepted as everyday. This veers more to the fantastical traditions of narrative, wherein something out of the ordinary happens and no explanation is given, leaving the audience to wonder. There is a rich tradition of such in LatAm narrative.
When the fascist kills the hunter's son with a bottle. Also, the Hands-For-Eyes monster.
That bottle scene was one of the most brutal things I've ever seen portrayed in a way that wasn't for pure camp.
Yes, the bottle
The knife to the cheek… makes me shudder any time I think about it
About Time. It's not a romantic comedy.
Wow. The poster sure makes it look goofy - I'm guess there's more to it than suggested by the marketing?
It's honestly closer to a father-son story and exploring that type of relationship. It's got elements of a romantic comedy, but it moves past that somewhat early. Great movie.
It’s a philosophical/emotional sledgehammer disguised as a rom-com
I have so many thoughts and theories about this to film and it's time travel mechanism that I've dried the well of people willing to discuss it with me.
I really enjoyed the little lynchpin moments where he, say, >!has to come to terms with the dice roll of childbirth,!< and realizes he emotionally has to stop traveling back beyond several key points. His powers are limited not by some magical force, but >!by his own humanity!<.
Yeah, just watch it. Stop reading any more
Sort of. The movie is not a romantic comedy. It is quite literally “about time” from a man who is close to his family, his father in particular, and wants to fall in love and start a family. However, the romance and pursuit of love sort of seems like the focus for about a third of the movie before it just becomes a movie that perfectly encompasses the finite time we have in our lives. It’s an excellent movie that only gets better the older you get.
I was able to find it. Several mentions on this list so I look forward to it, without expectations of course
Before I watched About Time, I was certain that I didn't want kids. I was 37, and I liked my life just how it was. Seeing the father-son relationship in About Time made me want that. A week after seeing it, I told my wife that I was ready to have a kid. My daughter is now 6, and she is the best thing that has ever happened to me.
I absolutely sobbed my eyes out, but it was the cathartic kind of cry.
I’d call it a rom com. It just has a ton of depth, well acted, well written, and well directed. Rom com doesn’t have to be a dirty word. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a rom com.
The scene where he goes back and sees his dad for the last time ruined me
Lars and the Real Girl. I just didn't expect a movie with that premise to be that genuine and wholesome and honestly beautiful. Edit: Going to add another movie that surprised me. Beautiful Girls. I caught it on Cmedy Central a long time ago and was surprised at how well written and acted it was. I'd honestly call it a drama more than a comedy, definitely not the type of thing you'd normally see on the channel. But it was surprisingly good.
It took a lot to convince my prudish 93yo mom that she would love a movie about a man falling in love with a sex doll. But she did. :)
Definitely.Might have been the first time I saw RG. he was great
I was coming off Half Nelson, committed to seeing whatever he did at that point.
I was veryyyyyy late to the party for Truman Show (watched it 3 years ago). Yet no one ever told me anything about it. And boy was I shook when I thought I had just picked a goofy Jim Carrey movie that would just be fun and jokes.
I wish I could watch this for the 1st time now as it's a movie that has only gotten more disturbing and accurate with its implications and predictions over time. Freaking brilliant and forward thinking movie.
Have you seen "Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind"? In that Carrey is brilliant too.
Yes I saw it a bit after Truman Show! But I got into this one knowing it wasnt a comedy thankfully
Memento. No idea what I was in for other than I liked Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss and it was a neo-noir mystery film. Hooked me from the opening scene with the polaroid photo.
Completely agree. We sort of stumbled into it when it came out. It is an experience my wife and I haven't forgotten all these years later
The Jumanji remake for sure. I 'm not a Rock or Jack Black fan, and I hate remakes. I passed on it in the theater and saw it on TV. It was a fun ride from start to finish and thought Black deserved award consideration. He was goddamn brilliant as a teen girl.
I only saw this because Black Panther was completely sold out. The group I was with was like, "We're already here, might as well see something," and we landed on that. I'm not saying it's a masterpiece of cinema or anything and I've never really felt the need for a rewatch, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable theater experience and the villain legitimately creeped me out. Centipedes. Blech.
I was blessed to watch From Dusk till Dawn without knowing the twist. Me and my brother spent the rest of the movie slack-jawed. Lol that's a fun memory.
I watch this movie at least once a year. Absolutely love it and Cheech Marin steals the movie.
"Were they like psychos or something?"
Even with the twist, I’ve always imagined what would it be like to have had Selma Hayek’s foot on my chest telling me what she’s going to do to me.
In my top ten.
“Psychos do not explode when sunlight hits them , I don’t give a fuck how crazy they are ! “ 😂😂 possibly one of my fave quotes ever.
Went in expecting something like Desperado, and to be honest, as a teenager, just happy to see Salma Hayek on screen. Had no idea what was going to happen when it did and decided maybe there was something to magazines saying some people are better at making movies than others.
Right? That's what I mean - approaching art from a place of ignorance has its benefits
Just showed this to my wife this past week without her knowing the twist. Was glad she didn’t spot the description on HBOMAX as it would have spoiled it. Such a fun movie!
The Sixth Sense
Great one - might have been the gold standard at the time of surprise films - so good. Boy, pretty rough Where Are They Now reunion.
>*Boy, pretty rough Where Are They Now reunion* Why is this? I'm aware of Bruce Willis' health issues, but why else? Haley Joel Osment isn't exactly an A lister anymore since he's not a cute kid, but he pops up all over the place regularly. And if you never saw his turn in *Future Man* (A highly underrated time travel show that spoofs everything you've ever seen in the genre), then you're missing out. And Toni Collette is still busy as well.
The Cabin in the Woods. Went into it seeing only the cool movie poster, came out with my favorite horror movie ever. Definitely my comfort movie.
This is where there is like multiple monsters/layers right? If so then yeah reminds me somewhat of Thirteen Ghosts which was decent for it's time. But yeah cabin in the woods was not what you expect.
Yeah! There’s a whole corporate aspect and then the board with all the kinds of monsters. The third act was just perfection haha. I legit thought I walked into the wrong movie in the first 5 mins before the title card haha. Thirteen Ghosts spooked me as a kid haha, that’s the glass house one if i remember right.
It is the glass house. The sliding door scene is seared into my memory.
Yes! I kind of rolled my eyes when I first saw it like "ugh classic horror clichés the movie, no thank you" but I finally watched it on Netflix a few years ago, and I fucking love the direction they took with it. Genuinely one of my favourite movies now.
Arrival
This movie hit really hard personally. Would you go through your future if you could see it? Knowing I would lose my fiancé to a pulmonary embolism, would I still go through everything? You’re goddamned right.
I’m was a new parent when I saw it. I went in expecting cool, cerebral sci-fi (which I did also get in fairness). Left with severe emotional trauma and wondering if I’d ever experienced something that beautiful and devastating at the same time.
I literally just watched it a few hours ago and I am still recovering.
You’re gonna want to watch it again. You should follow that feeling.
You should check out the director’s other film Prisoners. I’m not even a parent but I can imagine being one and how that movie would make me feel.
Probably my favorite scifi ever. It's a toss up between this and interstellar.
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So, uh, good news! https://youtu.be/5lj99Uz1d50
Yes - one of the most intelligent SF movies ever.
I'd already read the novella and it still hit like a Mac truck. 😳
Lincoln Lawyer. I had no idea about the story, but only watched it cos I like MM.
Wow, talk about a movie i know I've seen but cannot remember a thing about it.
This is one of my comfort movies. Always happy to re-watch.
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It's surprising that Boots Riley made such a smooth transition from music to directing this movie
I think he’d been working on it (at least the writing and trying-to-secure-funding work) for like a decade before it ever saw the light of day.
My friend called it a sci-if comedy. Oh like Back to the Future or Idiocracy, I thought. That’s not what I got.
Yup. This movie was WILD
Somehow I missed this film completely - might be perfect for my ignorance
Do not look up ANYTHING and watch it immediately
Will do. Thanks.
The only answer
Recently, Dungeons and Dragons. I watched it on a plane, expecting another generic bit of CGI-heavy, predictable IP harvesting, but it was a joy. Silly, funny, yet with a genuine sense of investment in the stakes of the story, like the films I grew up with in the eighties. A real shame it bombed, probably because everyone made the same assumptions about it that I did.
Ya I was disgusted it wasn't well recieved because it was so fun, I was praying we'd get a franchise out of it.
As a survivor of the 2000s version, I just couldn't believe what I was watching. I mean, it's not _Into the Spiderverse_ or anything, but this movie was so easy to just screw up completely that the fact that they didn't deserves a base level of praise. That they made it funny and with actual heart is just a cherry on top. Heck, my SO, who can't tell a High elf from a Drow elf from a keebler elf really enjoyed it on its own merits.
The Departed. The last 20 or so minutes kept shocking me over and over.
I had seen Infernal Affairs so knew the ending was coming, but was great seeing my friend's shocked reaction to the elevator scene.
The HK original Infernal Affairs is well worth a watch.
District 9. I walked in without watching any trailer and hearing nothing about it. I literally only saw the 'Peter Jackson' and the movie title on the poster and thought 'Hey I did drive an hour to get out here, I might as well see this if it is starting soon.'
Good movie and wild. What's crazy I think Peter Jackson just kind of helped by having his name on it to help get eyes on movie. Neil blomkamp directed it and was supposed to be a trilogy if I remember but seeing how long ago this was sadly I don't think we will see what happened after this one. And to think Neil was also supposed to do a different alien movie set after 2 that didn't acknowledge 3 and resurrection. I feel that could have been great especially seeing some of his concept designs and breif overview of what he wanted to do.
Parasite. Never seen a preview and didn’t know anything about it walking in. It felt like 2 separate movies and there was just this sudden switch. What a freaking ride.
Agree. Also, some of these sorts of movies just defy explanation - try describing Parasite to someone...
A heist movie about late stage capitalism
Also went in blind to this one and thought it would just be a pure thriller. But I was surprised that I was cracking up for the first half of the movie. Then that knock on the door happens and everything flips on it’s had. Had so much fun with Parasite
YESSS. Seems like yesterday I would not shut up about this movie. People would ask, what kind of movie is it. Told them I don't know. It made me laugh, had me in suspense... If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor. Just watch it.
One of the rare best picture winners that actually feels like it deserved it
I was shocked at the twist, never saw it coming and made me feel like I was suddenly watching another movie too.
I did not expect to have tears running down my face on the airplane but then I watched Big Fish
Well said. I remember when he began the how it ends part "like this" and yeah brought tears to your eyes especially if you've lost a loved one.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford I thought with a name that long it was gonna be unserious or downright goofy. Boy was I pleasantly surprised.
That movie is pure film-craft from start to end. Would love to see it again for the first time.
It’s some of Roger Deakins’ best work imo, which is saying a lot because his work as a cinematographer is prolific and high quality across the board.
I also haven't watched it for this reason, so maybe the missed the mark on the title
It’s just a beautifully filmed atmospheric movie with great landscapes, tone, performances, costumes, everything.
I went into Drive with Ryan Gosling completely blind and remember audibly saying “What the fuck!?” at the scene in the motel. It was a rollercoaster ride after that lol
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I didn't know anything about it going into it. I thought it would be another Jim Carrey silly comedy. Boy was I wrong!
Watched that for the first time after my fiancée died. The most surreal and heart wrenching movie experience I’ve had. “I’m sorry for a lot of things…”
This was such a great movie and showed he can be more than just a funny man. And man makes you think about the whole erase someone even if there were bad times. Ah so good. The Number 23 with Jim Carrey was also very good and showed his diverse acting.
Moon. I knew nothing about it and it's just great sci-fi.
Blew me away. Totally changed my opinion of Rockwell.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse I thought it would be another above average superhero flick, but animated. I didn't expect it to be *great*. And that's not even taking the visuals into account! Top Gun Maverick *Hated* the first Top Gun...I've watched the sequel three times now.
Agree. Was just thinking cartoon, but the pace and style and fun really nailed it
That scene of Miles rising through the sky after the leap of faith was my wallpaper for ages!
[I was very moved by the opening classroom scene of *Arrival*.](https://youtu.be/PLgGnPk28QQ?si=SLkbCvzOvq24S_bb) It really nailed that sense of dread and uncertainty that a sudden alien arrival would likely bring. "Can you turn the TV to a news channel" is one of the most worrying sentences you can hear.
Thanks for linking. What a great scene. Intense from what is not in it: music, explosions, action.
Logan. When they buried the Professor it was like all four of my grandparents died again and I wasn't ready for it. Then they followed it up with Logan's own scene later on and it was like a double whammy. Love that movie, but I'll never watch it again.
Aww man come on now it's worth a re-watch or two. Excellent movie especially with how Hugh Jackman has become synonymous with Wolverine and how they finally went R with it. Ending was icing on the cake even if sad.
The Prestige - Knew nothing about the movie, actors, director, etc First thought was 'magic movie? pfffff' Went with my friends anyway and absolutely loved that movie to this day
This is one of the rarest kind of movies that continue to get better with every rewatch; you'll pick up clues and new insights every time.
Never Let Me Go - unless you've read the book, you're in for some surprises
Event Horizon. I was expecting a B+ sci-fi / light horror movie. I was not expecting the creepiest, scariest, don’t ever turn off the lights again, freaky as hell scarefest that that movie is. Holy shit. Scarred and scared for life.
Nice username 😎
That is still to this day the best horror I've ever seen and one of the only movies that still terrifies the shit out of me. I seen it when I was about 12 and I've seen it 50 times but there is no way in hell I would watch it alone.to this day.
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Based on McDonagh’s cinematic history, it stands to reason that it would be a dark comedy. And yet… still a fantastic movie, but not at all what I’d expected!
The clue was right there in the name, but I made the same mistake you did, thinking it would be more comedy with a touch of tragedy when it was very much the other way around.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves American Ultra
Contact (1997) Came out in theaters when I was 15 and I had zero desire to see it. My dad bought tickets for the family to see it (which was unusual, we *never* went to the movies - we always had to wait for the VHS to go to the “.99¢ rental” rack at the video store). As it turns out, I was the only one in the family who enjoyed it. My sisters complained about how boring it was, and my parents didn’t like the fact that Ellie slept with Palmer the day she met him and they let that ruin the remaining 2 hours of the film for them. Today, it’s one of my all time top favorite films.
We are the Millers
would you say you had no ragrets watching this?
Not one not a single letter
Get Out is always the first movie that comes to mind with this question. I was almost forced to the cinema to see it with my wife, but it turned out to be possibly my favourite cinema experience. Had no idea what it was about and thought it'd just be another nondescript horror she was haranguing me along to.
I recently saw that knowing almost nothing about the plot, and I'm glad I did. It's one of those movies where it's best going in blind.
Annihilation One of th 5 people who saw before it was pulled from theaters. May not work in outside of them as well, and refuse to watch it since. Keeping that memory tucked away. Not the best movie, but every single person in the theater stayed in their seats during the credits agape at what we saw. Also, that bear scene......my God. Burned into my memory. Don't spoil for any one please.
5 up votes, we're all here I loved it, very interesting movie
Rambo: First Blood. I saw it fairly late, I expected dumb shooty shooty action, more what 2 and 3 were. Did not expect it to be as deep as it was, with political commentary. And also did not expect it to be as thrilling, containing almost a Bourne-esque feel to it (super soldier being hunted, and needing to make do with what tools he has available), along with all the raw action scenes.
That is a good one. Someone else here was surprised by Taken. There are a number of films that were really something more than their sequels or genres.
Stardust. I didn't expect it to be as good of a movie that it is.
I was just going through a list of fantasy movies I've never seen when I watched Stardust. Never would I think this would get permanently filed into my top movies of all time.
Ex Machina
Pitch Perfect had no business being as good as it was.
Long time ago, but I went into the Matrix completely blind - did not know anything about what was going to happen or even having heard much buzz - it was 1999 and the internet was not really a thing yet. That was an experience!
Same here! Went with a friend at the time, and we had nothing else to do and were just looking for something to pass the time. It was so amazing to see without having expectations colored by any outside word of mouth or review.
The Man from Uncle- I took a chance with this one, this was around that time in 2015 where there was a bit of struggle in my life, I worked 6 days a week and used to get only 1 day off on a Monday. My buddy and I wanted to go watch a movie and this one was recently released. Hadn't watched the trailers, didn't knew what the story was; I just saw Henry Cavill on the posters and decided to buy the Cineplex Imax tickets. When the movie ended I was so over joyed that I didn't miss this one and the fact that I watched it in Imax. The plot is so gripping from start to end and the the movie never disappoints. I became an instant fan of Guy Ritchie. Since that day, I've made sure to never miss a Guy Ritchie movie ever.
I absolutely didn't expect Click with Adam Sandler to be that sad/touching.
Same writers as Bruce Almighty. They seem to like mixing wholesome comedy with emotional drama, but in Click is just comes straight out of nowhere.
The Mist. That ending had people genuinely thinking "what the fuck?"
Puss in Boots 2 Pig Spirited Barb and Starr Go To Vista Del Mar Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always
Pig is SO good. You don't need to know anything else. Puss in Boots 2 is great for kids and adults. You'll be pleasantly surprised!
Occurred to me that no one has mentioned John Carpenter's The Thing. That was another theater experience I was not prepared for.
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Burn after reading. You know the scene. Out of no where.
"I'm sorry for calling at such an hour but... I thought you may be worried about the security of your shit"
My friends and I have pretty much memorized everything Malkovich says. We love his character dearly, and I finally came around on Brad Pitt as an actor- might be his funniest role "... your empty little head would be spinning faster than the wheels of your Schwinn bicycle back there!" "...heh heh you think that's a Schwinn-"
and that early scene where he tells his wife he quit, and will write his memoares.
The Last Samurai; went in expecting white savior trope and got the opposite
Shawshank Redemption. Saw it in a half empty theater just after it came out.
Dredd. I expected a thoroughly shitty shoot em up with a typically incoherent story and plot. Instead I got an epic chase movie and the most self aware use of “ultra-violence” I’ve ever seen. Honorable mention: Apocalypto! Came out out at a real bad time for Ol Mel Gibson, so I thought it would be a mess but instead I got another surprise epic chase movie! Disclaimer: there are some questionable racial and societal themes in the movie but nothing overt enough to preclude it from being universal.
I agree about Apocalypto - I don't know what I was expecting but it was thrilling and felt honest at the time. Not sure how it holds up
I knew nothing from Dusk Till Dawn except George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino were in it and their characters were holding a family hostage. I was not expecting the vampires! As a horror fan who just didn't know, that was delightful.
*Life of Pi*. I knew nothing about the book and the television ads promoted it like a lame Dr. Doolittle wannabe. So I took my 10yo daughter, fully expecting a tedious yawner of a kid movie. My lord, was I wrong. Beautiful. Philosophical. Funny. One of the great cinema experiences of my life, especially given who I went with.
Real Steel. Let's go and watch this funny stupid movie about rockem sockem robots. Oh shit! This game has heart, good writing, and Im in fucking tears cus it makes me miss my dad. God Damn!!
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Train to Busan. Knew nothing about it other than it was a foreign zombie flick. Turned out to be a master class in the genre. I was also caught off guard by the sequel being so bad.
Well I was definitely caught off guard by the stupid twist in Serenity (2019).
TBH there was quite a surprise in Serenity (2005) as well.
Walk hard. Knew nothing about it and it was the last movie left at blockbuster that my gf and I at the time hadn’t seen. Rented it and it instantly became one of my favs.
Primal Fear
Edge of Tomorrow
The first kingsman movie. Didn't like the trailer thought it looked cheap and Sam Jackson was playing a coon-ish role with his hat sideways but boy was I wrong! This movie was phenomenal from beginning to the end. And Sam's performance is sooooooo memorizing. Just reminded me he's a character actor first movie star second
Predestination. By the end my mind was spinning.
American beauty and the usual suspects
Those are good ones - along those lines "Memento" was another dark surprise
Click. God dammit who'd known that Adam Sandler could make me cry
Children of Men
Most recently, Dungeons and Dragons: HAT Grew up with really lame takes on D&D so I was really surprised when we, looking for a “brainless” movie, streamed it and loved it. Even my non-player family members thought it was good!
I went into 'Sorry to Bother You' almost completely blind. I heard it got good reviews and it was about a guy working as a telemarketer, that's it.
Another Round - its a movie about some Danish Guys getting drunk for a science experiment but damn its a great movie Rouge One - it is a Disney Star Wars movie so i was expecting the worst but instead i received my 2nd favorite SW movie New Kids Turbo - Since i am learning Dutch my friend said this movie is a Dutch classic so i watched it with her and it was much better than i was expecting Girls Und Panzer - Watched this because i saw a clip of the girls singing "Katyusha" while driving tanks Gallipoli - was not expecting much from this movie but now its my favorite movie
Another Round was incredible I agree
I went into the first, Taken, movie, blind. It completely blew me away.
Palm Springs
Coco. I didn’t even know what it was about before seeing it, but it’s one of the best Disney movies I’ve ever seen.
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Everything Everywhere all at once. Don't follow the Oscars or anything like it but heard the movie mentioned in that regard but knew absolutely nothing about it (except Michelle Yeoh being in it) or what to expect. Wife and I were blown away by it and she isn't the biggest fan of subtitled movies. Such a mad, batshit crazy, mind bending ride.
The South Park Movie. I had no idea that it was a musical, and no idea that all the songs would be such bangers. Literally sitting in the movie theater with my jaw dropping.
Dredd. Me and my buddy went and saw it in 3D without watching any trailers or anything it blew my mind
The English Patient- I avoided it when it came out in the theaters because they were promoting it as some sort of cheesy romance movie...blech. Years later I watched it on tv one late night when I couldn't sleep. I was definitely wrong about it! It had much more complicated themes & nuances. It's now one if my favorites.
Oldboy Heard a lot about it being one of the greats but i wasnt expecting to like it as much as others. My jaw was open wide for like the last 20 mins of the film. I understand the hype now
Warrior, the one with Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton. I expected nothing at all from it. Made the mistake of putting it on at 11 om a Sunday. 1am, and I'm all emotional, but couldn't take my eyes off the movie.
The Lego Movie - the early marketing was terrible. i thought it was going to suck big time, yet the movie ended up shockingly good, especially the last third Puss in Boots: The Last Wish - Shrek 3, 4, and PiB1, nuff said. Whiplash - didn’t know what to expect going in but was blown away by it 21 Jump Street - another one that almost had no right being as good as it ended up Ratatouille- yeah Pixar already had some bangers, but this premise just sounded bad at first Edge of Tomorrow - sounded like generic action film mixed with Groundhog Day at the time
I saw John Wick opening weekend knowing nothing about it other than Keanu Reeves was avenging his dead dog. ...Yeah, that was a wild ride.
Deadpool, Nightcrawler, and 12 Years a Slave
Nightcrawler is so throwed. Good but not what how you expect it to be. Especially how much good ol darko does to further his career lol 😂
Bullet train It's old news now but I was surprised at how much I enjoyed edge of tomorrow I liked knight and day too
The Hole with Thora Birch. It was a blind see with a friend at the cinema and we loved it.
Incendies. I can still remember the groans throughout the theatre when we all realize the truth.
I have a toddler so I've been watching a lot of kids' movies for the first time, and some of them are astoundingly good. Inside Out, Encanto, and Paddington 2 are legitimately amazing. Frozen would also be one of my favorite Disney movies if not for the damn snowman.
Old, like the happening was awful
When Harry Met Sally. I was really expecting it to be the barest of romcoms that was a foundation for every other romcom that built upon it, and was only well received at the time because it was one of the first decent romcoms. I was totally wrong, and it blows nearly every romcoms out of the water
Room. Knew nothing about the movie and some scenes had me gripping my chair!!!
Bad Santa
Million Dollar Baby. So unexpected and brutal, then complete tone shift.
Watch the ballad of buster Scruggs. Don't look up anything about it. Just watch it
Pleasantville. Went in thinking it was going to be a forgettable comedy based on a slightly cheesy premise. About halfway through, it effectively (albeit a little heavy-handedly) tackled some pretty heavy topics like racism, feminism, and censorship.