Hollywood has been making films for a long time. After a while, it’s hard for creators to come up with unique stories that haven’t already been done. Some of the greatest films in history had fresh, new stories or innovative executions (like Citizen Kane, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, or The Wizard of Oz) that wowed audiences at the time of their release. And because of their uniqueness, these films are still remembered and watched today.
The lack of originality in Hollywood has never been more evident than it is right now. Audiences are bogged down by remakes, reboots, and sequels. But every now and then, a unique film comes along and surprises us. It gives us a breath of fresh air — and then takes those breaths away with the film’s stellar quality and originality. Here are eight of the most unique movies over the last five years.
8 Nomadland (2021)
Nomadland captures a lifestyle that most Americans probably didn’t even know existed. After losing her job and hometown in the Great Recession, as well as her husband, Fern (Frances McDormand) becomes a nomad, living out of a van and traveling the American outdoors to find temporary jobs. But she’s not the only one doing this. There’s a whole community of nomads living on the road. Nomadland shows a unique way of dealing with trauma and hardship. Its main character finds empowerment and freedom in being alone, while other characters in the film find comfort with their community and family. Nomadland claimed three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress for McDormand, and Best Director for Chloé Zhao.
7 The Whale (2022)
At its core, The Whale is a movie that’s been done a hundred times: it’s a drama that captures a certain point of an individual’s life and dissects familial problems. But on the outside, Darren Aronofsky’s film looks different from anything we’ve seen before. Its main character, Charlie (Brendan Fraser), is dangerously obese and shows a lifestyle that’s unfamiliar to most people. The disturbing scene where he punishes himself with food, overeating until he vomits, is reminiscent of watching a character overdose on drugs or harm themselves with a knife.
The sad reality of Hollywood is that most films don’t feature an overweight main character, which makes The Whale a unique production. It also largely takes place in one room, thanks to the 2012 play that the movie’s based on. In addition to family dynamics, The Whale touches on society’s need for instant gratification, the negatives of co-dependence, the importance of being authentic, and the superficial judgments of society. ​​​People are often disgusted by Charlie’s appearance, even though he’s a sweet, good-hearted guy (despite questionable decisions he made in the past). Brendan Fraser’s heart-breaking performance earned him a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor, granting him the Hollywood comeback that fans had been rooting for.
6 The Last Duel (2021)
The Last Duel is a historical drama based on one of the final, real-life duels in Medieval France. Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) are knights and dear friends, until Jean’s wife Marguerite (Jodie Comer) accuses Jacques of raping her. Where things get unique is with the story’s nonlinear, multiple point of view format. The Last Duel is divided into three parts, each one capturing a different main character’s perspective: Jean, Jacques, and Marguerite.
The characters’ words and actions change with each point of view, ridding the film of a reliable protagonist while contradicting the other perspectives (aside from it being very clear that Jacques did, in fact, rape Marguerite). All three storylines tie up in the end, culminating in the bloody duel that we’ve been waiting for. Although the film bombed at the box office, it was well received by critics for its authentic medieval setting and unique structure.
5 CODA (2021)
CODA was the masterpiece that claimed the 2021 Oscar for Best Picture, and rightfully so. It’s one of the most unique coming-of-age films in Hollywood and told an important story that had never been done before. A young girl named Ruby (Emilia Jones) is gifted with an amazing singing voice but struggles to relate to her deaf family. CODA (child of deaf adults) is an insightful, moving look at the deaf community. And also an authentic one, as it cast deaf actors to portray Ruby’s family. One of them, Troy Kotsur, earned the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
One of CODA’s greatest scenes shows Ruby’s musical performance from the eyes, and ears, of her deaf family. Ruby is singing beautifully, but for her family, everything remains silent. Only by observing the surrounding audience, and seeing their glowing faces, is Ruby’s family finally able to understand and appreciate her musical gift.
4 Promising Young Woman (2020)
Revenge stories aren’t anything new in Hollywood. But Promising Young Woman found a way to give this tired genre a unique spin. Here, Cassie (Carey Mulligan) goes from being a promising, young medical student to a revenge-obsessed dropout after her best friend, Nina, is raped and commits suicide when the people involved face zero repercussions. Cassie spends some of the film pretending to be drunk prey for horny scumbags, and then blows their minds when she suddenly becomes sober and coherent, hoping that it makes these guys second-guess the next time they try taking advantage of a woman.
Things take a shocking turn when Cassie is murdered by the same guy who raped her best friend, and her body is burned to get rid of the evidence. We seem to be heading toward a dark and grim ending — until Juice Newton’s Angel of the Morning starts playing, bringing us into a memorable finale. Promising Young Woman hasan original angle that touches on toxic masculinity and sexual assault. It’s a timely and important movie for the post Me Too era that will leave some male viewers wondering if they really are “nice guys.”
3 Parasite (2019)
Watching Parasite for the first time is a unique experience. The film starts out as a black comedy; the impoverished Kim family takes advantage of the wealthy Park family, posing as unrelated workers that the Parks hire for their household. The Kims enjoy the Parks’ luxurious lifestyle while they’re away. But things reach a horrific, bloody conclusion when they learn that another poor family is taking advantage of the Parks, living secretly in their house’s hidden bunker.
Parasite constantly surprises you and brings the story in unexpected directions. You think you’re watching one movie, but it later turns out that you’re really watching something different. Parasite takes a look at different social classes in South Korea and how the poor and rich view each other. Its execution and originality won over both audiences and critics. On a $15 million budget, it grossed a whopping $263 million. Parasite also claimed several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bong Joon-ho.
2 Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Hollywood has pumped out a lot of World War II movies over the years, but audiences had never anything like Jojo Rabbit. The film shows a very different side of the war: Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) is an impressionable Hitler Youth, whose perception of the war and the Jewish people changes when he learns that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their home. Even Jojo Rabbit’s tone is distinct from other World War II movies. While it does capture the emotional and devastating aspects of the war, it also includes comedy and absurdist humor.
Taika Waititi, who’s now one of Hollywood’s hottest directors, co-starred in the film as Jojo’s imaginary and ridiculous idol Hitler. Seeing Hitler portrayed in such a way was jaw-dropping but funny. Jojo Rabbit was an amazing film that flew under the radar with audiences but is viewed by some critics as one of the best movies of the 21st century.
1 Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Everything Everywhere All at Once has only been out for a year, and already, it’s considered a modern classic. Here, audiences join a Chinese immigrant (Michelle Yeoh) as she explores alternative universes, and also alternate versions of herself, in order to save existence. Everything Everywhere All at Once has a little bit of everything: action, science-fiction, drama, and lots of emotion. It was a breath of fresh air to see a multiverse story that wasn’t a comic book movie. Its imaginative concept wowed movie goers and critics, while its execution created a thrilling ride.
Michelle Yeoh made cinematic history as the first Asian to win the Oscar for Best Actress. The movie also gave longtime Hollywood star, Jamie Lee Curtis, an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and it handed former child star, Ke Huy Quan, one of the most emotional stories of 2022 when he claimed the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Between the movie itself and the story behind the story, there’s no doubt that Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the most unique movie experiences of the last five years.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
