If you hate...
Everyone has film genres that they can't stand - and there are always one or two movies in that genre which are the exceptions. Here are my recommendations for films you will probably like, even if you loathe their category in general. I'm not talking about movies which are the best example of their genre, but movies which have managed to avoid the most annoying qualities of each particular film category.
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- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsTilda SwintonTom HiddlestonMia WasikowskaA depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.If you hate romantic vampire stories - and you should - this is the one film in the category which you may enjoy. It respects the traditional vampire mythology, has an appropriately dark sense of humour, and takes seriously the grim concept of lovers living endlessly in the shadows, bound together literally to the end of time.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsKevin CostnerSean ConneryRobert De NiroDuring Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.Even if you hate gangster movies, you will probably not mind The Untouchables. It's entertainment value goes beyond the subject matter; the cinematography is gripping, the cast excellent, including Sean Connery as a war-weary cop and Robert DeNiro as the notorious Al Capone; and it has some fun with gangster conventions without losing respect for the story.
- DirectorDeepa MehtaStarsRahul KhannaMoushumi ChatterjeeDina PathakA wealthy East Indian man gives an apparently non-East Indian woman a crash course in his culture, so he can marry her with his family's approval.Even if you can't stand Bollywood films, you'll enjoy Bollywood/Hollywood. It's in English; it slyly spoofs the genre; and it keeps the best part of a Bollywood movie: the song and dance numbers, performed with a new world twist.
- DirectorMarc WebbStarsZooey DeschanelJoseph Gordon-LevittGeoffrey ArendAfter being dumped by the girl he believes to be his soulmate, hopeless romantic Tom Hansen reflects on their relationship to try and figure out where things went wrong and how he can win her back.If you despise romantic comedies - and why shouldn't you? - you will still enjoy this clever, non-chronological take on the ups and downs of a relationship that was doomed from the start.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsDomhnall GleesonRachel McAdamsBill NighyAt the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.If romcoms are bad, fantasy romcoms are the worst of the worst. But About Time, a comedy about the romantic adventures of a young man who can move back and forth through time, is actually good fun. It accepts the silliness of its premise, is not mawkish, and includes a delightful performance by Bill Nighy.
- DirectorRoman PolanskiStarsMia FarrowJohn CassavetesRuth GordonA young couple trying for a baby moves into an aging, ornate apartment building on Central Park West, where they find themselves surrounded by peculiar neighbors.If you dislike horror films in general, this might be the one exception. There is no gore, no monsters, no screaming. The setting is almost too real and mundane. The horror is merely hinted at, the suspense and slowly mounting dread genuine, the acting and direction excellent, and the eccentric final scene is a classic.
Other options: It Follows, which takes a very peculiar premise, that of the "monster" as STD, and turns it into a horror film which is frightening, provocative, and thoughtful. - DirectorStanley KubrickStarsMalcolm McDowellPatrick MageeMichael BatesIn the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.If you hate sci-fi movies, you might still appreciate Stanley Kubrick's brilliant adaptation of Anthony Burgess' novel about a dystopian future, and the conflict between free will and morality.
- DirectorBruce McDonaldStarsStephen McHattieLisa HouleGeorgina ReillyA radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in.Had more than enough of zombie movies? Understandable. But you might still enjoy Pontypool, which is technically a zombie movie, but without the lurching zombie battle scenes - in fact, with virtually no visible zombies - and with a fascinating and unique spin on how and why the zombie epidemic might be occurring.
- DirectorJosh TrankStarsDane DeHaanAlex RussellMichael B. JordanThree high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.If you loathe superhero movies, this interesting, low-budget take on the personal and ethical dilemmas of being granted super-powers may be the exception.
Hancock is another option, but only the first half of the movie, after which the story completely lost its way.
Or, if you're in the mood for a short, the ten minute film Übermensch is an interesting alternate-reality take on Superman. - DirectorFrank OzStarsRick MoranisEllen GreeneVincent GardeniaA nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed.If you can't bear musicals, Little Shop of Horrors might still be acceptable. It's a campy remake of an old horror movie about a man-eating plant, turned into a Fifties-style musical. The best moment is probably Steve Martin performing Dentist, a song about a born sadist who discovers his calling.
- DirectorNicolas RoegStarsDavid BowieRip TornCandy ClarkAn alien must pose as a human to save his dying planet, but a woman and greed of other men create complications.Sick of movies about alien invaders? You could still get into this weird, oddly cast movie about a peaceful alien visitor who goes native.
- DirectorWilliam PhillipsStarsPaul GrossSienna GuilloryDustin MilliganA hardened American gunslinger is repeatedly thwarted in his attempts to mount a showdown in a friendly town in Canada where no one seems to understand or appreciate the brutal code of the American Wild West.Hate westerns because of the gratuitous, testosterone-fueled violence? Try Gunless, a light comedy about an American gunslinger trying to cope with life in a peaceful Canadian town which doesn't seem to understand the Code of the West.
- DirectorJim HensonStarsDavid BowieJennifer ConnellyToby FroudSixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.Children's movies can be dull and awful. If you're facing the prospect of watching a film with an actual child, try the 1986 Jim Henson confection, Labyrinth, about a girl trying to find her way through a bizarre alternate reality. David Bowie as the sinister Goblin King is a treat.
- 19641h 35mPG8.3 (520K)97MetascoreDirectorStanley KubrickStarsPeter SellersGeorge C. ScottSterling HaydenAn unhinged American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering a path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically tries to stop.Hating war movies won't keep you from enjoying Dr Strangelove. In fact, anyone who loves war movies will probably hate Dr Strangelove.
- DirectorTodd Strauss-SchulsonStarsTaissa FarmigaMalin AkermanAdam DevineA young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the world of her mom's most famous movie. Reunited, the women must fight off the film's maniacal killer.If you loathe slasher films, like Friday the Thirteenth, you might enjoy this ridiculous send-up of the genre, which also serves as a slasher/action film of its own.