Psychological
Noah’s Barks pages relating to the psychological genre.
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Solaris
Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 sci-fi epic ‘Solaris’ explores the distinctions between reality and fantasy—and if any of them are even meaningful. (read more)
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The Tenant
The last of Polanski’s claustrophobic “apartment trilogy.” The themes start to run thin this time around. The mental deterioration is stronger in Repulsion, and the paranoia is much more real and sensible in Rosemary’s Baby. Though Roman Polanski does a fantastic job as the lead, the story is ridiculous and not remotely believable. To say… (read more)
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Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive works because David Lynch finally bends his surrealism around a storyline instead of shoving the storyline into the surrealism. Because Mulholland Drive is fairly straightforward, it provides the audience a tangible mystery and characters to motivate the deciphering of its plot. Amidst the chilling confusion are several memorable scenes that keep attention throughout… (read more)
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Eyes Wide Shut
Eyes Wide Shut is a Stanley Kubrick take on the original story of loyalty and natural temptation featuring the director’s usual crystal clear, beautiful cinematography (despite not being shot in New York City) and some intriguing symbolism, but is hurt immensely by the mediocre performances of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Kidman believes constantly speaking… (read more)
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Oldboy
Park Chan-wook‘s mixed influences have never been so fine a solution: a neo-noir that finds absurd dreamlike fantasies in the isolated, manic delusions of its central characters, where it prunes the most desperate motivations of the subconscious to mine intense hatred and brutality rarely seen in a revenge plot. Dae-su’s alienation and confusion come to… (read more)
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Blue Velvet
Blue Velvet is the purest distillation of David Lynch‘s talent as a director/writer. Everything he’s made, while often great, has his ideas clash. In Blue Velvet his oddities perfectly complement each other: the uncanny valley’s wandering dream world mirroring the idyllic American town people want to believe in that doesn’t exist, and the dark reality… (read more)
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The Wicker Man
The Wicker Man is instinctually disturbing and aided by an amazing folk soundtrack that’s alluring to the ear but conveys dark desire when contextually examined. It’s a perfect allusion for the clandestine nature of Summerisle. The Wicker Man potentially comments on how some may react to the West’s particularly sexualized culture and their anxieties from… (read more)
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Possession
Possession is one of the most unsettling horror films ever. Dialogue is strange and the entire cast performs in subtly off ways. The atmosphere is surreal and the narrative provides more questions than answers. Also notable is the powerful emotional insanity of the crumbling romantic relationship between the two leads. Possession will make you feel… (read more)
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Perfect Blue
While I would normally consider myself a fan of Satoshi Kon, ‘Perfect Blue’ moves way too fast for its own good, and is too easily discernible despite seeking panicked thrills through its obfuscated plot. (read more)
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Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor
Perpetual down-on-his-luck loser Kaiji finds himself forced to survive deadly games of chance for the amusement of the competitors’ wealthy, vindictive creditors. (Includes season 2) (read more)