Hello, reader. This is Jay writing. I'm sure by now, you will have heard about what the Kino Collective is about, who we are and, most importantly, that we love films. One of our biggest goals is to try to encourage young people to watch more films, especially those that don't feature a superhero or Vin Diesel driving fast cars. Though it would be fantastic if you did, we don't expect you to jump straight into an arthouse cinema and lap up the latest Jean-Luc Godard. Instead, I intend to present to you ten films which I think could start you on the path to finding new films, perhaps even your new favourite. I will stress that this list is in no way criticising you for enjoying Marvel, DC or the Fast and Furious franchises, but instead giving you something that perhaps you can think about a little more, something with a little bit more meaning.
So, without further ado, I present to you my ten picks for the films that may inspire you to broaden your cinematic taste!
10. Unbreakable (M. Night Shyamalan, 2000)
I've decided to start the list off with perhaps the closest to what would be considered 'mainstream'. I've also started it off with a superhero film, but not any old superhero film, this is Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. If those names weren't good enough for you, maybe you'd be more interested upon knowing that this film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who directed the famous chiller The Sixth Sense, as well as, more recently, Split. The reason I think this is worth adding to your watchlist, especially for those fans of Iron Man and Captain America is due to the range of cinematic techniques that can be found in other, artier, films. The most prominent of these is the use of colour. You may not have noticed before, but Shyamalan has a fondness for colour coding his films, specifically with the colour red, which often represents something important. You may find yourself enjoying spotting the clever uses of colour throughout this film so much that you start finding other films in which secret meanings are revealed through the use of colour, such as Vertigo. Maybe Unbreakable will be the start of a path that leads to the Three Colours Trilogy!
9. Stand By Me (Rob Reiner, 1986)
I'm going to assume you've heard of Stephen King. Author of over sixty novels and at least a hundred short stories. Maybe you're familiar with his books, or maybe you're familiar with his film adaptations, such as the several adaptations of It, the extremely popular hotel horror The Shining, or maybe the cult classic Carrie. Whether you've seen or read any of his work before, Stand By Me (based on his 1982 novella The Body) often finds itself in 'top films of all time' lists and contains many quotable lines and iconic images. Maybe it will put you off, but hopefully not, to know that Stand By Me isn't actually a horror film, it fits more into the 'coming of age' genre, which often makes it a rather relatable watch. If you watch this one and enjoy its style, its humour and its fantastic characters, you should try out some more coming of age stories, such as the acclaimed Ladybird. Or, if you're looking for more Stephen King related films, Rob Reiner's much scarier King adaptation, Misery.
8. Ed Wood (Tim Burton, 1994)
I'm sure most people reading this will have, at some point in their lives, have seen a Tim Burton film, whether that be the classics, Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, or some of his more recent work, such as Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children or Dumbo. Ed Wood is probably the Burton film that most people have never heard of, which is a shame because I think it is probably his strongest and most important film. If you too have never heard of Ed Wood, you'd probably like some story. The film follows filmmaker Ed Wood, as he tries to find success in the film industry. In doing so, Wood becomes good friends with actor Bela Lugosi, who is most famous for playing Count Dracula in the 1931 adaptation of Bram Stoker's book, leading to Wood being able to make his first film, whilst trying to hide the fact that he is a closeted transvestite. I should have mentioned, this is a true story! The film is funny, touching and extremely well shot, this is a film that will hopefully break any fears of black and white because it's definitely worth watching, even for the cinematography alone! Maybe, if this film appealed to you, you'll find more biopics to watch, such as Burton's other biopic, Big Eyes, which is about Margaret Keane, who famously had her art passed off as her husband's own. Or maybe you'd like some biopics about more recognisable names, such as the Stephen Hawking film The Theory of Everything or First Man about Neil Armstrong.
7. Adult Life Skills (Rachel Tunnard, 2016)
I think Adult Life Skills could be the smallest film on the list, in terms of popularity, but that by no means should be a reason for you to avoid it. Starring the incumbent Doctor Who, Jodie Whittaker, Adult Life Skills tells the story of Anna, a woman approaching thirty years old and still living with her mum, sort of. Anna lives in a shed in the garden, a shed filled to the brim with mini theatres for puppet shows, models and all sorts of intriguing trinkets which she uses to make short, funny videos. Her mum becomes increasingly worried about her and Anna herself begins to recognise the need to let go of the past when she has to help an eight-year-old boy through one of the most heartwrenching situations imaginable. The film tackles the grieving process in the most unique and beautiful way and is sure to satisfy those of you who like a good cry whilst watching a film, but will definitely be worth it for those who enjoy comedies. It is also a great investiture due to the who, where and how the film was made. The observant among you will have noticed that Adult Life Skills is a female-directed film, which is somewhat a rarity in a vastly male-dominated industry. It is also an independent British film, meaning it fits into quite a few cinematic minority groups, so it needs all the support it can get! Luckily, at the time of writing, it is on Netflix, so supporting it has never been easier!
6. Pride (Matthew Warchus, 2014)
Another entry on this list based on a true story, Pride follows the lives of several LGBTQ+ activists in the 1980s, who raised money to support the families of those involved in the miner's strike of 1984. Not only does the film help to promote the incredible story of these two cultures colliding in a fantastically delicate and emotional way, but it is laced with detail that is sure to teach the audience something about the miner's strike or the pride movement in the 1980s. If that wasn't appealing enough for you, perhaps a member of the all-star cast will sell you. Previous Harry Potter stars Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy both take on supporting roles, who are played wonderfully (I may go as far as saying the film is worth watching, just for these two characters) as well as Sherlock's Andrew Scott, Paddy Considine, who was previously in Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, and the star of the show, George McKay, who starred in 1917 last year. Though I have sold the film as a bit of a history lesson, more than anything, it is a film focused on the characters, who are some of the most compellingly written and played in the past ten years. Hopefully, if you enjoyed this, you'll enjoy learning some more LGBTQ+ history, whilst expanding your cinematic taste with films such as Moonlight, A Single Man and Milk.
5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
Space films are now rather common, with Gravity, Interstellar and Ad Astra gracing our screens in the past decade. That being said, it was all the way back in the sixties when what is usually considered one of the earliest (and greatest) space films was released. The best thing about 2001: A Space Odyssey is that it is so much better than all of the aforementioned space operas. If you enjoyed Stanley Kubrick's gliding shots of the Overlook corridors in The Shining, you're probably going to love some of the incredible set pieces from what I believe is Kubrick's best film. Apart from being a great exploration into space films, 2001 is also a very good example of an experimental film. You might instantly be put off by that single word, but, if you approach the film with an open mind and not too much expectation of a clear story, letting yourself be taken on this fantastic journey is certainly what you could call an experience. One of the reasons I love experimental films is due to much of the plot being open to interpretation, meaning that there is not one single explanation to what the film means, or what happened. Many people will see this film and have their own personal versions of what happened, which always makes for a fantastic conversation. So, just to repeat, don't go into this film expecting anything that you've seen before. This is something different, something quite surreal.
4. Dial M For Murder (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
There are many Hitchcock films that could have taken this spot, but after a lot of thinking, I decided to give my personal favourite Hitchcock the spot. Dial M For Murder is another film in which a planned crime goes wrong. Unlike other films of this nature (except for Reservoir Dogs) the vast majority of this film takes place in one location, the scene of the planned crime, which is the house of the victim AND the man behind the crime. There is something quite entertaining about plans going wrong, as Drive and Baby Driver proved to audiences of today. However, Hitchcock proved this to audiences fifty years before. With great characters, constantly tense conversations and fantastic twists, Dial M for Murder will keep you on the edge of your seat, not knowing who to root for. Better still, if you enjoyed this, there are more than fifty other Hitchcock films to devour, including absolute classics Psycho, North by Northwest, Rear Window and The Lady Vanishes, all of which could have easily taken this film's place on the list.
3. Submarine (Richard Ayoade, 2011)
Chances are, you've heard or seen Richard Ayoade before. He's the face of The IT Crowd and ex-presenter of Travel Man, author of three books on cinema, television writer, actor, but, most importantly, director. Having had most of his directing experience in music videos (he's directed videos for Vampire Weekend, Kasabian, Radiohead and more) Ayoade has also ventured into directing feature films himself, with Submarine and his 2013 film The Double. If you like Ayoade's humour, I guarantee that this film will be one that you enjoy. The characters are hilariously written and wonderfully portrayed by relatively unknown actors (excluding Paddy Considine and Sally Hawkins) which makes the experience so much more refreshing. The film follows a teenage boy, Oliver, who is passionately in love with his classmate, Jordana, as they navigate their extremely awkward relationship. Whilst this is going on, Oliver finds himself parenting his own parents, keeping an eye on his mother, who he suspects is having an affair with the spiritual guru, Graham, who has just moved in next door. Despite the very comedic style the film has, this really is a rollercoaster of emotion and is a great introduction to the more character-focused films that we will recommend in future. Side note: you will never be able to see a half-dimmed light without laughing a little bit ever again.
2. Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014)
1. Amélie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
Many people have a fear of films in foreign languages, which is always one of the saddest situations imaginable for a film fan. As Parasite director, Bong Joon Ho proclaimed in his Oscar acceptance speech, "Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." He was spot on. I've picked Amélie as the number one spot on this list for two reasons: One, it is a French film. Two: it is one of the best films on the planet (in my opinion (and many other peoples' too)). I've already established Bong Joon Ho's point about broadening your cinema experience by overcoming your fear of subtitles (if you have that fear) but also I think it is important to say that this is not a complex film, sometimes you may feel a lot of pressure to be looking at visuals, reading subtitles AND understanding an almost spitefully complicated story. Don't feel that pressure whilst watching this film. Whilst the visuals are stunning, the plot is easy enough to understand, but not to the point where it feels like a bad children's film. The story is fantastically uplifting, presenting the audience with Amélie Poulain, a woman who strives to change the lives of the people that she encounters. The only problem is, she struggles to deal with being on her own. It is so hard to not be pulled in to the film in the first five minutes, Jeunet's storytelling style is so uniquely eccentric, mixing flashbacks with magical realism in a wonderfully iconic colour palette of greens and reds. This story will never leave your mind. For those who are fans of music in film, or music in general, you may be interested to know that Yann Tiersen's score for Amélie is, in fact, my favourite film soundtrack ever. So, with that, go and watch Amélie and let it change your life, there's so much waiting out there after this. If you enjoy it, check out other fantastic foreign films, such as The Science of Sleep or Cinema Paradiso. Though maybe you'd prefer something different in tone, such as Roma or Parasite.
So, there are ten films that I believe could each be fantastic starting points in trying to expand your cinematic taste. There is a real mix of genres and styles there, so I'm sure you'll find one that you enjoy. However, if none of these films are extremely satisfying to you, keep looking, maybe try some that aren't on the list, but have been mentioned. Stay up to date with us on social media, or subscribe to the mailing list for post notifications! We'll constantly be giving out recommendations, so we will definitely find something for you soon! Let us know what you thought of any of these films and come back soon!
Thanks for reading!
Jay.
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