There are two types of films in existence, broadly categorized. One offers us a glimpse of the real world from the comfort of cinema that might be too harrowing and disturbing for us to directly experience; and the other provides us a welcome escape from the hard ways of life through a deftly created fantasy world through sound and images, visible on the screen.

In either case, believability holds or breaks the interest of the viewer on the screen, and a good film creates the atmosphere with such precision and intelligence that the viewer loses themself in it. That’s how a good immersive film is made. Whether they’re a hellish dreamscape or an otherworldly fantasy – the films mentioned on this list are a technical marvel to marvel at. Without further ado, these are the 10 most immersive films ever.

10. 1917

“1917” is a cinematographer’s film. Not to under-appreciate the tremendous work of director Sam Mendes, but “1917” is best enjoyed for the illusion of the immersive one-take exercise that master cinematographer Roger Deakins created in this film. War films have been always blessed by fantastic sound mixing and editing and in “1917,” the amalgamation of the brilliant cinematography and spectacular sound mixing made a striking effect.

The continuity of motion is another difficult task to accomplish and here Mendes shines the most; “1917” is never static, blessed by Deakins’ aesthetic vision and Mendes’ great staging and choreography. Sometimes the obsession with constant movement creates a distraction, but the viewer is always there, present at the scene and sharing the frustration and happiness with the key players of the film.

The continuous take of the film is a spectacular technical achievement and a visceral sight to behold. Historical accuracy, technical virtuosity, and the hard-hitting drama makes “1917” an important historical cinematic representation for the coming generation, and gains an obvious recommendation for being one of the greatest immersive films of all time.

9. Enter the Void

“Enter the Void” is a brave cinematic exercise created by cinema’s enfant terrible Gaspar Noe. Noe described the limbo state after death to us through his typical imagination with a little bit of help from the Tibetan philosophy and the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The resulting picture is nothing short of an acid trip, complete with fantastic hallucinatory visuals and an uncomfortable, nauseating soundtrack that reminds us of his other masterpiece “Irreversible.”

Noe’s vision of limbo is not always utopian or something to be desired, but certainly, a place to gasp at from a distance. His characters are as always dangerously alone and frustrated in the maze of life and in this case, helplessly bound to an unanticipated and unpredictable present.

A special mention should be given to the film’s cinematographer Benoît Debie for the fantastic out-of-body sequences he created that the protagonist Oscar experiences throughout the film. DMT-induced trips have never felt so real on the screen without taking some. The viewer would easily get immersed in the surrealistically real and realistically surreal mixed environment that Noe imagined and built in the film. A mad Freudian experiment in the context of drug culture, “Enter the Void” has history written all over it.

8. Sunset Boulevard

Decorated with exuberant period detailing and a chillingly dystopian noir storyline, Billy Wilder’s “Sunset Boulevard” is a bad dream that everyone would like to forget. Behind the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood epoch when the industry was transitioning toward the talkie period, lied a self-conscious, destructive psychological problem, epitomized in the lifestyles of the faded silent-era film stars.

Billy Wilder cast Gloria Swanson in the role of an old egomaniac, a lonely silent film star who wanted to cling to her glorious past that had passed for a new era of sound filmmaking. The legendary filmmaker’s other masterstroke was casting silent film director Eric von Stroheim in the role of a sycophant servant and an ex-husband who takes great efforts to maintain the illusionary lie that the film star wanted to believe. She wants to make a new film out of a script that she had written for herself and hired a new screenwriter to develop it for her.

As it is a noir film, a tragic ending is to be expected, and Wilder presented a brilliant climax in the film. The film has become alive not only for the brilliant direction of Wilder, but the great performances from the supporting cast and one of the career-best performances of Gloria Swanson. One couldn’t help but sympathize with the tragic life trajectory of the main protagonist and immerse themself in the dark, brooding atmosphere of the film.

7. Rope

The reason for the immersion of brilliance that the great English director Alfred Hitchcock aimed for and significantly achieved in his revolutionary film “Rope” lies in the very technique he used in making him. A film made in one shot doesn’t call wonder now – film history is now overtly populated by one-shot films like “Russian Ark,” “Birdman,” “1917,” and for some of those, the brilliance ends there –  but it was one of the first for its time.

Although “Rope” is not technically a one-shot exercise, because at that time, films were shot with analog cameras whose reels had to change frequently. Thus, Hitchcock planned the shooting schedule with immense care so that whenever the need arose to change the showreel, he shot a visual portion on some character’s black coat or some dark corner of the room. This meticulous planning would later be embraced by future directors like Alejandro G. Inarritu, Sam Mendes, and others. Totally shot on a soundstage, the film sadly eschewed any exceptional thrilling moments for which Hitchcock was famous, but it balanced with almost real-life, immersive cinema.

6. There Will Be Blood

Paul Thomas Anderson slowly and steadily builds the historical narrative of “There Will Be Blood” with the care reserved for a newly born child. Daniel Day-Lewis morphed into a cinematic impersonation with his trademark method acting techniques and the audience became hooked on it. Adapted from the Upton Sinclair novel “Oil!”, “There Will Be Blood” is stuffed with tension and suspense that comes partly from the deliberately slow pace and Day-Lewis’s acting, and partly from Robert Elswit’s great cinematography.

Anderson successfully used the folk tunes and small rhythmic musical notes with the escalating violence thrown on the scene. It is a brutally capitalistic wild west where the competition would be won by any means and by any sacrifice. Religion was always a competitor of the capitalist industrialist mindset, and here, Anderson brilliantly veiled them in subtext, through gestures and body language. The animosity only escalates over the course of the film and when the ending comes, it is a long suspicion. The viewers submerge in the naive burlesque world and a fear of fatality grasps them soon.

It is probably easier to win a woman’s heart than assuring that a film would be seen and appreciated by a large number of people, even though social scientists seem to prefer the contrary. Every year, thousands of films are released and it is the biggest gamble a person can ever take to think that their film will stand out for a lot of people; certainly, they should be a big optimist. Viewers tend to follow the recommendation of a particular favorite critic and writer, and there is always a pattern in the ‘best of the year’ lists. A writer can’t demand everyone watch every good film out there; a large number of factors interfere in the selection and typically, the casual viewer misses many good films that deserve to be seen.

Hopefully, the film culture is not bound to the ‘year’s best’ lists from several publications. Film fans are there to quickly point out underseen good films to each other and sometimes, they grow to be a cult favorite over time. This list wishes to do the same, to suggest many good films to its readers that may have gone under the radar for them. Without further ado, here are 10 movies you have probably never seen.

1. Days and Nights in a Forest

Akira Kurosawa said about Satyajit Ray, “Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.” Still, apart from a few well-known titles from the master, Western society is noticeably unaware of this prolific filmmaker’s other career-best works. One of them is “Days and Nights in a Forest,” which has hopefully grown to be a favorite of the Western critics who now demand it to be one of Ray’s best films.

“Days and Nights in a Forest” is a carnivalesque drama in plain sight, a technique Ray learned from his teacher Jean Renoir to subtly hide the scathing criticism of urban life under this. Ray observes his urban characters, brutally exposes their psychological weaknesses over the uneducated tribal love and the suppressed intense passion of the educated upper-middle class. He also criticizes the hedonism and the casual manner by which this growing urban population has lost with its roots, but this truth has to be recovered by the diligent viewer hiding under layers.

There is also a fantastic memory game situation where Ray gives us a hint of every character by the choices they present in the game. A grain of buddy road film mixed with the clever exposition of the middle-class insecurity, “Days and Nights in a Forest” deserves to be watched.

2. One False Move

A neo-noir surrounding the life of people of color in the United States, “One False Move” easily underlines the uncomfortable social equation in the background. The direction style is simple, but the unblinking violence never sets the audience free from the grim social reality of the neglected population. “One False Move” is a sympathetic humane film whose plot doesn’t make total sense, but the screenplay forces the audience to care for the unlucky protagonists of the film.

The crime genre trappings are all present, but when the peeling of layers is all over, the wounds of racism take the center seat. All of the action and staging is meticulously decided, which was necessary for this tightly written film’s progression, and it also cleverly disguises its moral core under the stereotype of the black crime film. There is also a great emotional subplot involving a country sheriff and his ambitions to become a high-class city police officer. The climax is powerful enough to bring some people to tears.

3. Phase IV

“Phase IV” is a difficult film to recommend because it is weird and not for everyone’s taste. But a chance should be given to this film, which is eschewed of any traditional narrative, per se, but totally balances with its delirious visuals. The film is full of ideas and can be enjoyed mostly without any explanation. The intensity of this experimental sci-fi film destined it to be a bad chaotic nightmare that garnered it a smooth cult following over the years.

With a deliberate slow-building pace and capricious lighting, “Phase IV” gives a “2001: A Space Odyssey” kind of trip, albeit in an ant world. Sometimes, the environmental concern of the film is far from clear, but the brutal, haunting imagery demands attention, not unlike what Luis Bunuel did with his “Un Chien Andalou” and Bergman did in his “Persona” opening sequence.

4. Foolish Wives

In his primetime, Erich von Stroheim enjoyed the undivided attention of Hollywood, and “Foolish Wives” was the first million-dollar movie to come out of Hollywood. Some eccentric demands of von Stroheim were not kept, though who want “Foolish Wives” to run between 6 to 10 hours in two respective evenings, but the re-edited 117 minutes release or the restored 142 minutes cut promises a great tragicomedy for the curious viewer.

Like all good silent intertitled films, “Foolish Wives” is best between the appearance of the title cards. Von Storheim is extremely powerful in the perverse role of Count Wladislaw, Sergius Karamzin, and his seducing techniques are dated but fearful. Von Stroheim created Monte Carlo in the Hollywood backlot and the enormous set and detailing is another thing to marvel at.

In the perverse world created by von Stroheim, there is little difference between the marvelous and grotesque. The world of “Foolish Wives” is hopelessly dark, and this 1922 erotic drama film predates the noir films that would come out decades later. This is the work of a pornographer from the material of a Shakespearean comedy.

5. The House is Black

“The House is Black” is the only work of the iconoclast modernist Iranian poet and filmmaker Forough Farrokhzad, whose literary work was long banned by the Iranian authorities for its raw emotional power. This power was well extended to this documentary, which dealt with the life of the lepers in a leper colony. Poetry infuses with brutal practicality in “The House is Black” and Farrokhzad observes the daily lifestyle of the lepers from a close distance.

This film criticizes both the Koran and the Old Testament for the suffering of these people, and that is one of the reasons it didn’t go well for the Iranian government. There are not enough essay films in the otherwise brilliant Iranian New Wave movement. “The House is Black” filled the gap in the ‘60s with the brilliant narration done by the filmmaker herself. Her leper friends do pretty normal tasks with absolutely no problem, and it is extremely painful to watch when she zooms into their deformities to question us about their suffering. Long after the film is over, the visuals and ideas of it would remain in the mind of the viewer.

Subjectivity constrains and widens the lens through which we view and experience life, and our own taste of culture and art is widely determined by it. It is infinitely difficult to trace how subjectivity births in us – it can very well be the result of our hierarchical social standing or the cultural influence and upbringing in our youth. Since, even after using these sociological terms, subjectivity maintains an air of mystery, we can generally attribute it to the random play of our DNA.

This article is not about the philosophical argument concerning subjectivity, but its influence on cinema. Why a film hailed by some as a masterpiece of the medium is thrashed by another, or the frequent distinction in the critical evaluations of a film by the masses and scholars – the answer is still awaiting. Cinema is also a product of time, a worthy friend of life. So, it is not so surprising that the success and acclaim of a film would depend upon a particular time, and the political and social tension and standpoint of that era.

Viewers and critics would always have some bias in their evolution; after all, they are very much human. So, sometimes the technical and cinematic mastery of a worthier contender is overlooked, and a more sentimental but uninspiring film will take all the accolades. It has happened over and over and this is the subject of the list. The films listed in this article are unfairly presented with unprecedented love and acclaim from the masses, while the latter-day critical evaluation says the opposite or the opposite is expected to come soon. Without further ado, here are the 10 most overrated films of the 2010s.

10. Les Miserables

Musicals always strike a chord with Hollywood viewers; it is a sure crowd-pleasing genre, but the great critical appraisal of “Les Miserables” was still hugely unexpected. “Les Miserables,” the film adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel of the same name, is soothing to the ears, pleasing to the eyes, but the appeal doesn’t extend to the intelligence. The camera is seldom static, in order to give a sense of extra dimension, but this constant frantic movement doesn’t give a scope to invest in the great emotional story or simply obstructs it.

There is a great deal of close-up and fish-eye lensing that doesn’t add anything to the story apart from a stylistic decision, and as the performers are never comfortable in their singing capability, this revelation weakens the impact of the melodramatic flow. Classic film fans will love the film, but it’s not a great film for all-encompassing appraise.

9. Wonder Woman

“Wonder Woman” was a breath of oxygen to the DC franchise who was falling behind its competitor Marvel films. The film is surely one of the good ones from the superhero franchise films of DC comics, but it is not one of the better films of the decade. Gal Gadot is amazing as the titular character, the script supplies a much-needed feminist storyline in it and the action set pieces shot by “Monster” director Patty Jenkins. But other than that there is nothing in the film to take home to think about or gladly remember about.

“Wonder Woman” has its fair share of cringe-worthy dialogues, stupid building of political tension when the story comes into a contemporary setting, and the usual bad CGI that attracts bad attention. “Wonder Woman” is a charming film for a while, but the charm soon looses out in favour of a lacklustre pace. Here, Jenkins has shown that she can direct action scenes pretty well, but the human emotions are not compelling to hold to. Perhaps, the familiar studio meddling story has something to do with it.

8. Spectre

The opening scene of “Spectre” is spectacular with a long chase scene amidst the Day of the Dead festival. Taking over from Roger Deakins, Hoyte Van Hoytema creates a remarkable action sequence in the festival with Bond frequently missing his target in the crowd; but as the film progresses, the uninspired writing becomes prominent and the fantastic visuals can’t help the film to maintain its quality.

“Spectre” was concerned to maintain the blockbuster quality of the recent mainstream offerings and tried to maintain the serialized storytelling from “Skyfall”; as a result, the film suffers and can’t stand on its own. Daniel Craig later declared that he is tired of the role of James Bond and this boredom is evident in his performance in the film. The urgency is missing in “Spectre,” which is a distinctive quality of the Bond franchise films. “Spectre” only gets its praise for the visuals and for Craig, and to a lesser extent, because it is a James Bond film. Its overpraise is an indication of today’s mediocre sensibility.

7. The Square

In the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, “The Square” surprisingly won the trophy of Palme d’Or, the top prize of the festival. The response of the film was good throughout the festival, but not even the biggest romantics hoped for “The Square” to win the biggest one. Since then, the film has been overtly accoladed, which sometimes questions the film’s true merit. The best cinematic device to expose uncomfortable truths – using sharp satire filmmaker Ruben Östlund – deconstructs the art world and its laughable under-the-cover histrionics.

“The Square” is episodic by nature and truly, some parts of the film are extremely laudable, but the quality is varied in the segments. Thus comes another weak point of the film – the narrative structure is loose and borderline incomprehensible for the general audience. Because of the cluelessness of the narrative, the film sometimes becomes a burden to watch. It may have made a great short film, but for a fictional film, “The Square” is certainly over-appreciated to a great extent.

6. American Hustle

“American Hustle” loosely bases itself upon the infamous Abscam case, a curious and complicated scandal in the history. Just like the case itself, the film is also a complicated and bloated mess, only balanced by the superior performances from the lead cast. But the incoherent plot always distracts the viewer to enjoy the performances from the lead cast, and the bad visuals don’t work either.

The art direction is overwhelming to create an exuberant period setting, but the composition is flat. “American Hustle” works for some and fails for the rest for a singular reason – the theme of the shattered American Dream. This is no Scorsese film, only a rework of various masterpiece genre pictures.

Art needs combating; it needs to combat with traditions by experimenting with prevailing, age-old customs with which it can present something new. It happened with music, literature, painting, sculpture, and every other form of art; not to mention the cinema, which was once in itself an experimental art form that later persisted. Independent films, often known as indie films, carry that tradition of experimentation and combating.

These films were started as a protest to the studio films where monopoly reigned supreme. While the studio films were concerned with unanimous commercial appeal, grandeur, and business, these independent films were generally made with a limited budget and experimented with the form of cinema. They were also distributed independently, without depending upon the major distribution companies, and largely found their audiences in film festivals.

Independent films created numerous film movements across the world that were always rebellious to the mainstream mentality. Avant-garde or coming-of-age, comedy or drama, indie films cover all genres. In the 21st century, indie films are getting seen by more people than ever alongside mainstream offerings. Without further ado, here are 25 best indie films of the 2010s.

1. Mustang

Matching the spirit and theme of this article, the first entry “Mustang” is a little known Turkish-French co-production. The struggle of five sisters against a small patriarchal Turkish village has been told with unbelievable intimacy and gritty realism, a la “The Virgin Suicides.” It was short-listed in the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 88th Academy Awards, and was shown in the Director’s Fortnight section of the Cannes Film Festival.

2. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

This sweet little, quirky coming-of-age film has a beautiful homage section for cinema that drives the plot further. It embraced the traditional tropes of quirky teen dramas, but at the same time made something completely different from the rest. “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival with a standing ovation from the audience.

3. Only Lovers Left Alive

Veteran Jim Jarmusch had shown a completely original vision in “Only Lovers Left Alive,” something that no other vampire film had attempted prior. Here, the vampires are cursed by their immortality and their existentialist thoughts disturb them amidst some occasional intellectual and romantic time. Life-affirming and romantic, hypnotizing and melancholic, this is genre-defying vampirism.

4. Short Term 12

“Short Term 12” highlights important teenage problems with heartwarming intimacy. In the first lead performance of Brie Larson, she shined as Grace Howard, a young supervisor of a group home who has had an ambiguous childhood. The performances from the kids are splendid with effortless realism from the director. “Short Term 12” premiered at South by Southwest festival and won the grand jury award.

5. Ex Machina

Alex Garland’s directorial debut “Ex Machina” is an intelligent investigation of identity and consciousness. The film competently balanced the hard science fiction facts with ravishing production design. The artificial brains of “Ex Machina” never feel like an exaggeration; rather, the closer home feeling indicates a near dystopian future of which we all should be aware.

6. Upstream Color

The greatest example of indie production, “Upstream Color” is directed, edited, acted, produced, composed and designed by the same man – Shane Carruth. Hypnotic, alluring, and wonderfully abstract, this deep sci-fi drama provokes the question of life’s cycles, and the vivid, dreamlike images provide visual satisfaction.

7. Raw

Social commentary hides under the body horror of “Raw,” which tests the nerve of experimental viewers. Erotic and bone-chilling, graphic and symbolic, this film is a great entry in the horror canon of the 21st century. “Raw” premiered in the 2016 Cannes Film Festival with mixed reviews.

8. Her

It is not an exaggeration to say that “Her” is one of the best romantic films of the decade, although in a more passive way. Joaquin Phoenix gives one immortal performance as the sensitive, introverted, divorced man Theodore, and the mastermind Spike Jonze hit the bull’s eye with the perfect casting of Scarlet Johansson as the artificial intelligent Samantha, albeit only heard in the film.

Entertainment doesn’t always have to be original. There are countless parodies, spoofs, and genre-tribute films that continue to amuse people; most of them don’t have a streak of originality in them, but at least they don’t pretend. On the other end, Oscar bait films are known for their pretension: films that are released before awards season to charm the jury members with their heavy melodrama, costume detailing, and fascinating life stories. The production of these films is dependent upon the corporate algorithm that rules the recommendation service of the giant steaming services; in this way, they are similarly prone to reverse engineer the taste of the consumers.

For years, Academy voters has been composed largely of older thespians. This discrepancy in age eases the task of the makers of these Oscar bait films to create “prestigious” films that would appeal to them and would comfortably get nominations. These unofficial schemes are now readily acknowledged and as a result, the Academy is now trying to widen the scope of their voters.

Oscar bait films are still being made and are recognized by the Academy, sometimes even as the winner of Best Picture. This article deals with a subsection of these Oscar bait films that unfortunately didn’t manage to get any heavy Oscar nominations despite having all the right ingredients. Without further ado, here are 10 Oscar bait films of the 2010s.

1. Victoria and Abdul

The Academy has always crowned the films that seek to absolve intercontinental tensions and which celebrate international harmony. If the films take place in a period setting, then it’s a bonus for filmmakers as there is a greater chance for a nomination for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction.

“Victoria and Abdul” secured both nominations, though its goal was more lofty – to get major Oscar nominations. The subject of the film was the unlikely friendship between Queen Victoria and her colonial Muslim servant Abdul Karim. Apart from the dependable acting from Judi Dench, the film failed in every way to tell a coherent story, and its blatant attempt at revisioning the empire’s cruel history is evident in every scene.

Directed by veteran theatre director Stephen Frears, “Victoria and Abdul” plays in thick strokes where every confidant of the regal presence advised the monarch to reject Abdul from her courts. But the film’s only goal was to glorify the character of Queen Victoria and to present her as a rare, liberal lady of her time who didn’t discriminate against the low-caste Muslims from the others. Every other person in the court shouts Abdul’s name labelling his caste “Muslim,” so the treatment is not very subtle. This fictitious account of the British raj was not greatly accepted by Academy voters, and the costume drama “Victoria and Abdul” became a failed Oscar bait film.

2. Mary Queen of Scots

If not historical revisionism, a decently-made remembrance is also a powerful way to garner the attention of the Academy voters. If historical accuracy is not respected, it doesn’t matter as long as the tale on screen is emotional and grasping. In reality, the Queen of Scotland Mary and the British Queen Elizabeth never met each other in their lifetimes; they only they exchanged letters. But in this period drama “Mary Queen of Scots,” they not only meet with each other, but their bittersweet relation is the subject of the film.

While the subversive period drama and far better film “The Favourite” was still in theatres, “Mary Queen of Scots” was released worldwide with a diluted story and a conventional but laughable approach. Much like a BBC production, the treatment of the film was stereotypical and the only subversion was to overthrow the whitewashing norm; but in doing so, they cast non-European actors in European roles.

The rules are broken, but in what a wasteful way. Now that the history lesson in the film is thoroughly compromised, the drama had to be strong. But the other divisions of the film was equally uninteresting with an unconvincing Scottish dialect from Saiorse Ronan and an off-putting script. While the conflict-filled erotic period tale could have been an exciting watch, the amateurish direction didn’t qualify the sure-shot bait to get major Oscar nominations.

3. Allied

To be honest, a romantic thriller-drama that plays in war-ridden Casablanca that gives tribute to the romantic classic “Casablanca” is every cinema lovers’ wet dream, Academy voter or not, provided the casting is strong. The chemistry has to be strong as one had to fit into the shoes of Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman; the comparison would be made, even if the stories are poles apart.

In his comeback to live-action film, Robert Zemeckis won at the initial challenge of casting with charmers Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in the lead roles. The story is not poles apart from “Casablanca,” though; the drama revolves around the conflict between love and duty with Cotillard playing the role of a German spy, unknown to her lover and husband Canadian intelligence officer Max Vatan, played by Pitt. The duty was to exploit Vatan for national interest, but unexpectedly, she falls in love with Vatan which creates the conflict: the choice between love and responsibility.

In his somewhat Bogartian role, Pitt is successful and so is Cotillard in her simpler but more subtle presence. But while their chemistry is assuring to tap into the right romantic melodrama tones, the thriller elements badly juggle with the storyline to make an incoherent style. The CGI is not convincing – take the Moroccan desert scene – and although the costume design was sleek and snatched a rightly Oscar nomination, the unassured commitment between thriller and romance cost “Allied” and the highly thoughtful Oscar bait didn’t work.

4. Saving Mr. Banks

Disney mogul Walt Disney is widely celebrated among all age groups, decades notwithstanding. He was a powerful man indeed and much loved for his cartoons, but was not a very polite and humble man as he was often projected to be. The easy route is always to glorify a national hero, to not offend the mainstream senses, and “Saving Mr. Banks” did the same by making him an emotional and sensible human being who cared for the author P.L. Travers’ idiosyncrasies and awkward demands while adapting her novel of the same name for the humongous successful “Mary Poppins.”

The filmmakers played a masterstroke by casting Tom Hanks in the role of Walt Disney, as Hanks is also known for his neat off-screen image. The film shows that the writer P.L. Travers argued with Disney for the softening of Mary Poppins’ character and Disney cared to her sentiment, but in reality, Disney was harsh toward her after securing the final cut privilege. Again, in the film, the writer is visibly moved after watching the screen adaptation of her popular novel, but iTravers was actually enraged after seeing a diluted, soft adaptation of her book in real life.

The titular conflict of the film was presented not with sophistication but with soap opera sensibility, which was occasionally riveting to watch but is not a groundbreaking piece of work. Historical inaccuracies aside, all of the characters in the film were the product of immense Disneyfication. Although the critics praised the film for its performances, its Oscar bait approach was not overlooked and as a result, it only gained a nomination for Best Original Music Score.

5. Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot

If the title doesn’t already reveal the film’s overly melodramatic sensibilities, be assured the film is dedicated to this tone. Hollywood and the Oscars always love stories that inspire people, and a real-life hardship tale is ready to be embraced. The real life of talented cartoonist and alcoholic John Callahan is fascinating, in how he overcame his paraplegic condition.

Directed by talented director Gus Van Sant, “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” boasts an amazing performance by Joaquin Phoenix, but it is the only good part of the film. Otherwise, the film is very confusing, especially for viewers who are uninitiated with the story of John Callahan. This is a very clever decision: to make a sentimental film like this with a nonlinear narrative, as it would floor the juries. But it made the film difficult to follow for first-time viewers as the sense of time and space is not established.

The film also suffered from terrible miscasting – especially of Jonah Hill and Rooney Mara. “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” doesn’t offer enough insight into the real life of Callahan, but invites the viewers to invest in the protagonist’s difficult condition and get inspired by his story of impossible strength. There are sentimental parts in the film that are truly life-affirming, but the film had to raise these parts more or lower them significantly to make a great film that deserves the Oscar love.

Romance has a redeeming quality. If one investigates carefully, then the result would show that most of the biggest hits of all time have at least some romantic subplot in them. The truth is that everybody loves a good romance – it helps to forget the mundanity of our daily life in the passionate flames of love, which may or may not have arrived in our lives once, too. In the romantic genre, the best arrives from tragedy. Romance naturally implies an escapade of love, although romance can be of varying types.

This article considers romantic films that are concerned with aspects of love. The age of “Casablanca” might be gone, but quality romantic films are still being released that can melt the heart of the biggest cynic. For example, look no further than the “Before” series of Richard Linklater that had gained universal critical acclaim. Woody Allen is still releasing his niche romantic comedies that continue to warm our hearts. This article lists the films released in the 2010s that have accumulated both critical and commercial love. Without further ado, here are 25 best romantic films of the 2010s.

1. Brooklyn

“Brooklyn” deals with heartbreak. Heartbreak that is painful yet fond to remember. After all, as some poets would attest, love dies when reciprocated. But in “Brooklyn,” the physical distance doesn’t decrease emotional intimacy and the reciprocation is the biggest fulfillment of romance. With the period setting of the early 1950s, the best decade for romance, filmmaker John Crowley creates a poignant tale of lost love covering the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Eilis Lacey, an Irish immigrant in Brooklyn, found love and loses it, only to find it again.

The womanhood of Eilis is slowly and beautifully revealed in stages, so the viewers invest in her journey. When she has to return to Ireland due to a family accident and with the possibility of a forced marriage despite her secret marriage to a Brooklyn lover, the romantic confusion accelerates to the great enjoyment of the viewer. Eilis rises above the small-town gossip of her secret marriage and returns to Brooklyn, but she couldn’t forget her part-time partner in Ireland. As always, it’s a win for some and a loss for the rest. Her partner in Ireland was innocent, but he has to comply with the sad rules of romance. The expressive eyes of Saiorse Ronan guarantee the film to be one of the best romances in this decade.

2. Her

In romance, there is always something for everyone. “Her” presents a gift for the introverts in the romantic genre. Theodore, an aloof and divorced man is having trouble connecting to his fellow human beings, let alone a relationship. He buys an AI operating system that teaches him the secret of love.

Samantha, the virtual assistant, seductively voiced by Scarlett Johansson, becomes a companion and unlikely romantic partner in Theodore’s life, but the bubble suddenly breaks. With a subtle and effective commentary toward our isolated techno-society, Spike Jonez created a romantic film that is sweet and compassionate, and the groundbreaking act from Joaquin Phoenix assures the film will become a treasured one.

3. Before Midnight

Richard Linklater’s “Before” trilogy gets a deserving end with 2013’s “Before Midnight.” Jesse and Celine, who once accidentally met on a train and developed intimate feelings for each other, have finally become a live-in couple with children. But Jesse has a son from his first wife, and his custody creates problems for the couple.

The first two entries of this trilogy established their romantic attraction toward each other with intelligent conversation of the duo. Everything was happy or sad then, but the true mid-tones of a romantic relationship are shown in “Before Midnight.” It has the cheerful, spirited vibe of the first two films that centered on the romance, and also a real insight into maturation a la Eric Rohmer and John Cassavetes.

4. Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson’s talent can be spotted by just watching this film, even if his other films are bad or not worth mentioning. The romantic tension during innocent puberty has never revealed better before than in “Moonrise Kingdom.” Anderson as usual plays with his eccentric characterization, glowing colors, and pop music that gives the film a rare French feel. The sexual awakening of the film’s teenage protagonists is beautiful to watch with brilliant acting from them. The innocence of romance can never be achieved, but at least relived again if one watches “Moonrise Kingdom.”

5. Blue is the Warmest Color

“Blue is the Warmest Color” is the riskiest entry in this list because of the controversy it generated for the mistreatment of the lead actresses by the director. But that doesn’t take away the fact that “Blue is the Warmest Color” is one of the brightest coming-of-age romance films of this decade. The maturation and the pain of Emma and Adele’s relationship is painfully real, at least in parts due to the horrific process they have to go through. The moment when Emma tells Adele that she doesn’t love her anymore will go on history as one of the best romantic moments in cinema.

6. Cold War

Inspired by the real-life tale of his parent’s relationship, Pawel Pawlikowski has created a moody masterpiece shot in excellent black-and-white academy ratio during the Cold War. The turbulent relationship between Zula and Wiktor has been contrasted with the difficult political situation in Poland and Paris. With an economic runtime, Pawlikowski has created a romantic film that is ripe with tragedy and hopefulness.

7. About Time

A delightfully personal love story that would warm the heart of nearly everyone and represent something different to each of them, “About Time” wins because of its fantastic screenplay and the acting of its lead characters. Time travel and a sobbing love story make for an irresistible combo.

8. La La Land

Borrowing heavily from the old musicals of France and Hollywood, Damien Chazelle has created a masterpiece of heartbreak in “La La Land.” He has shown how love can be compromised in the tragic turn of reality, yet can never be forgotten. The blend of realistic truth against the dreamy style of a Hollywood musical made it a masterpiece of romance.

The idea of meta-cinema is nothing new. It helps to create additional layers of commentary in the film and helps the directors expose universal truths regarding cinema. Clever filmmakers are using this brilliant and effective device for years and there is no hint of an end.

One example can be especially enlightening, although they belong to seemingly different genres and cater to distinct audiences: auteur Federico Fellini’s art house drama “8 1/2” and the superhero flick “Deadpool” are two examples. Whereas “8 1/2” is a clear meta-commentary of life and cinema, “Deadpool” is a self-aware superhero who frequently breaks the fourth wall. The filmmakers had enormous fun making these self-aware meta films, poking fun at the audiences.

There are two advantages in making this type of picture. While the blockbuster sensibilities can be intact and the filmmakers can earn a pretty dime, they can also highlight the world’s bitter, bleak condition and our ignorance of it. We have adjusted to this world’s travesties and have become powerless, idle voyeurs. The films mentioned in the list either criticizes their audiences angrily or casually jokes about them. Without further ado, here are 9 films that judge their audiences for watching.

1. Rear Window

Alfred Hitchcock had an exceptional macabre at making tense thrillers, and “Rear Window” is no exception. He never loses the grip of the plot and subverts the audience’s expectations to create amazing suspense throughout the film. But it is only what easily meets the eye: behind the straightforward thriller entertainer, there is a profound exclamation that can easily compete with Hitchcock’s most critically praised film “Vertigo.” The realization is not easy, but for the curious audience, there is ample commentary toward their voyeuristic nature.

It starts with nurse Stella’s conversation with wheelchair-ridden photographer Jeff: “We’ve become a race of Peeping Toms. What people ought to do is get outside their house and look in for a change.” Jeff’s temporary physical incapability has forced him to find entertainment in observing the fellow neighbours with binoculars, but the attack is directed toward us, the viewers, who are not so helpless but have found entertainment in the silver screen voyeurism by choice. It is a great rear projection, a glad advice of introspection from the master filmmaker. We have literally become “lonelyhearts” who have to be careful toward the negative sides of this habit; even Jeff faces danger as a side effect.

2. A Clockwork Orange

What has become of us? This is an important question that the maverick director Stanley Kubrick poses to the viewers who will enjoy his seminal piece of individual freedom. This is a clever contradiction that Kubrick intentionally posits; any viewer who is introduced to his eccentric methods of exposition will nod. On the other hand, he wants a massive audience to watch this picture to introspect on their suppressed violent nature; again, he doesn’t want them to enjoy this picture. “A Clockwork Orange” is a film of brain, more than heart.

His carefree protagonist Alex enjoys raping innocent people, and he doesn’t feel a single bit of remorse in it – not because he is a bad person, but because he simply doesn’t have the realization that this may hurt someone. Kubrick definitely wants us to turn our heads in disgust seeing what Alex is doing, not to enjoy the “Singin’ in the Rain” while severe on-screen violence is happening on screen.

Under pressure from government authorities to maintain stability in the society, Alex conforms in Plainview, but in private, he still has visions of orgy sex. Doesn’t that tell something to all of us who visit porn websites from the privacy of our homes? There is an underlying message of individual freedom in the end, but Kubrick will surely condemn us if we become like Alex.

3. The Cabin in the Woods

“The Cabin in the Woods” certainly knew its audience well. In his debut film, Drew Goddard builds upon and satirizes the age-old tropes of mainstream popular horror cinema and the effect is wonderful. While “Scream” had already dealt with the topic beforehand, “The Cabin in the Woods” is an overall better picture. But the popularity and influence of “Scream” is not to be underestimated; in fact, it has been featured later in the list.

“The Cabin in the Woods” has an innocent virgin, a sex maniac fool, an eccentric odd bunch – all the stereotypes of a cabin horror movie. The film establishes itself as a puzzle piece, later as science fiction, but the original inclination is toward satire or horror-comedy. Goddard evidently likes horror films but is tired with the done-to-death horror tropes. His love-hate relationship with the genre is clear with sustained perfection; he wants his audiences to become more elite so that better horror films come in the future.

4. Funny Games

Austrian provocateur Michael Haneke commented on the destructive capabilities of the mass media with “Funny Games” in 1997, which is a frightening psychological horror film, to say the least. The subject matter is similar to that of the horror master David Cronenberg and his body horror films, but “Funny Games” is more effective because of its extremely realistic and grim appeal.

This film once again tests the audience’s patience with its amplified dose of cinematic violence. The boundary of reality and fiction fade multiple times in the film. An important character named Paul frequently breaks the fourth wall. It is like a criticism to the audience members: how you people are not turning off this film?

“Funny Games” creates and sustains suspense using the expectations and vulnerabilities of the audience members. The idea was not to create a horror film according to Haneke himself, but the result rivals the best of any psychological horror film. The influence of media in us is terrifying.

Based upon an essay Haneke wrote on the subject of media violence titled “Violence + Media,” “Funny Games” unleashes violence on its viewers and assault their senses. An American remake was issued in 2007, again directed by Haneke, but it was a bit bland in its effect. In a good way, again, this Western cultural imperialism can be seen as a meta meta-commentary for the spectators.

Whatever one’s age may be, it’s the same for everyone that an endless stream of films are waiting to be discovered. Considering the age of cinema, the number of masterpieces that have been created and forgotten because of the transitory nature of time is unanticipated, by even the greatest fortune teller.

There is a pile of cinematic treasures to be unearthed; some are silently waiting for appraisal, many archived copies are in the way of reincarnation by reprinting. Even for the contemporary films of our time, it is a humongous challenge to screen the good films out of the base lot. They face a greater challenge in the new, ever-expanding film business, in between the frequent franchise offerings.

It’s not possible to watch every good movie out there because of the meddled marketing and corporate robotic algorithm of search engines. Who will be the savior then, the equivalent to John the Apostle? The cine-buffs come to rescue, especially the ones who have refined taste and vision due to their expertise in the art of filmmaking. We are talking about the Scorseses, the Tarantinos; the people who will light our path with their meticulous discovery of great underseen films that needed a bigger audience; the cult films that could become a classic, years later. Without further ado, here are 10 cult films favoured by Tarantino:

1. Rolling Thunder

The tag of a cult film, unfortunately, rhymes with the violent, sexed-up B-grade exploitation flicks, which is curated for a special audience group. While this is true for many cult films, there is also an ample number of quality exploitation films that need your undivided attention, and this list, in fact, mentions some of the best entries of that genre.

But “Rolling Thunder” is not one of them, albeit the cheesy title that hints of a similar outcome. Written by Paul Schrader, one of the stalwarts of the “dark” cinema, this 1977 film has a great “Taxi Driver” feel and enough bleakness to rival the best of film noir and neo-noir films. ”Rolling Thunder” was contentious at its time of release due to the bloody, violent climax, but in retrospect, it doesn’t arouse discomfort as so much as entertain the audience.

John Flynn nicely directed the sexual tension leading to the resolution of the plot, and the leads gave great performances. The profound examination of the tortured mind again warns us about the worst personal outcomes of war and it resonates more with today’s autocratic political atmosphere. Quentin Tarantino liked the film so much that he named his distribution company after it: “Rolling Thunder Pictures” and called it one of his favorite films of all time.

2. The Bad News Bears

The sheer love that Tarantino has for cinema can be witnessed by the scope of his film selection. From comedy to drama, thriller to horror, Tarantino has a suggestion for everyone. “The Bad News Bears” is one of the rarest comedy films where the laughs are spontaneous and never seem forced.

In doing so, the film by Michael Ritchie often offends its audience, because it presents the Little League team rivalry without pretension and full of vulgarity and slang. The unhealthy American competition is subtly mocked in the film and it is highly entertaining, coming from a genre of sports drama that can easily generate boredom for the viewers.

It is not easy to make an entertaining baseball film for people who are not a fan of the game, and “The Bad News Bears” can succeed because of the hilarious comedy it brings forth from the situations. This is one of the rare gems to be watched soon by international spectators of quality cinema.

3. Pretty Maids All in a Row

This is an example of a morally offensive but highly entertaining cult film of the much-romanticized 1970s, which is pretty controversial in its subject matter even today. Released at the end of April of 1971, this Roger Vadim film deals with a high school student who seeks sexual liberation in the wake of the sexual revolution in America, and comes in contact with his school football teacher and guidance counselor for guidance in matters of pleasure. But this teacher is a sexual exploiter of the beautiful, provocative school girls and there is a serial killer in the town who kills these girls. This is a taboo subject to deal with irrespective of the time where a father figure of sorts consciously engages with girls this young and nubile, and “Pretty Maids All in a Row” leaves no chance to show its erotic inclination to the viewers.

A more popular “Heathers” may come to mind; still, this film shocks and surprises the audience with its politically incorrect satire of American youth. The young actors give fine, distinctive performances and Rock Hudson is especially alluring in the role of this extra progressive football coach. Tarantino included “Pretty Maids All in a Row” in the list of his all-time favorite films in the Sight and Sound poll of 2012.

4. King Boxer

“King Boxer” has another name that is more popular to the wuxia loving Chinese audiences – “Five Fingers of Death.” This title is likely more transparent in indicating the treatment of what these kinds of films have to offer. Released before the Bruce Lee phenomenon grew strong with international audiences, this Shaw Brothers offering is greatly choreographed and bloodily violent, which is the trait that attracted Tarantino in all possibilities. Before the great success of “Enter the Dragon” in American theatres, “King Boxer” enjoyed a great run in the United States.

The film has a prominent dubbing problem, but it is the action sequences that matter in this film genre, and Jeong Chang-hwa knew that. The plot elements are just an excuse to bring in more action, more grotesque and assassination to the picture, and the film greatly succeeds in that. When we see the bloody and tragic finale, the forever impact of this chopsocky film has been ingrained in the mind of the audience.

5. The Pom Pom Girls

The tagline of “The Pom Pom Girls” was, “How can anyone ever forget the girls who really turned us on?” This indicates a teensploitation film, which the film obviously is, but it works on multiple levels. In its spirit and treatment, “The Pom Pom Girls” has more in common with the coming-of-age films than the exploitation flicks. This is a cultural precedent to Richard Linklater’s excellent coming-of-age drama “Dazed and Confused,” which the filmmaker himself confirmed multiple times.

“The Pom Pom Girls” was created to ride on the success of “The Cheerleaders,” but other than featuring cheerleaders in the film it has nothing in common with those B-grade flicks, and who knew that one of America’s great future filmmakers will be greatly influenced by these. Football, booze, party, cheerleading, girls – the film was highly spirited in its treatment. Hollywood simply doesn’t make films like that anymore. The value of freedom is a prominent theme of the film, which also greatly influenced the writing of “Easy Rider.”

The world births without reason and dies without it. This existential fear has worried intellectuals and scholars through the ages and the final answer is still waiting. In an insane world where no answer is guaranteed, evil finds its way to evade justice.

The only way out is hedonism, to forget the chaos of the world and enjoy the exuberance while it lasts. Nietzsche, the poster boy for nihilism, thought of a positive response to this worldly condition, but his positive nihilism is more of an ideal than a reality. The reality is Marque De Sadist, where the world is reigned by primordial guilt and bleak violence. Without further ado, here are the 10 bleakest endings of all time:

1. Chinatown (1974)

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” If bleakness and negative nihilism are thought to have a cinematic representative, then there is no worthy contender than “Chinatown.” It is difficult to find people who haven’t seen Polanski’s excellent noir film “Chinatown” and more difficult to find them who haven’t even heard of the closing line of the film.

The ending of “Chinatown” represents everything that is wrong in our world in a single scene. In the wake of capitalism, the deep pockets are the almighty and law and justice are their pawns. Detective Jake Gittes, immortalized by the acting performance of Jack Nicholson, had a tragic past with Chinatown that is unrevealed in the film, and at the film’s end, once again Gittes understands that nothing has changed with Chinatown; it still is the den of corruption and injustice where the criminals are the most powerful and out of range for the criminal and justice department.

Worse is that his acquaintances at work convince Jack to sacrifice his conscience and accept this unchangeable truth about Chinatown. A powerless Jack watches from a distance as the police murder Evelyn Mulwray at the order of her father and molester, the wealthy businessman Noah Cross, while sexual predator Noah takes away his granddaughter cum daughter as his next victim after Evelyn.

2. Taxi Driver (1976)

The legacy of “Taxi Driver” is becoming more resolute with every passing day. With the latest comic book movie “Joker” throwing great shade at the former film in its treatment, the question of violence and insanity in an unjust world is prominent than ever.

The world is unfair, without a doubt, but how fair is the citizen who takes the law in his own hands? If a deranged Vietnam war veteran, adamant on purifying New York City all alone, who engages in a shootout with the pimp of a local brothel, is a hero to the justice system, then his previous failed plan to assassinate a senator has also to be regarded as high esteem. After all, both are the product of the same mind, only one is successful and the other is not.

But Scorsese deliberately shows New York City as society of scum and the viewers can sympathize with Travis’s emotion – “I think someone should just take this city and just… just flush it down the f***in’ toilet.” In most cases, these sentiments wouldn’t arise in a jolly, happy person’s mind and Travis’s loneliness is a big stimulant for this condition. Then the frailty to communicate with people has to be treated with great attention, especially when Travis shows the hint of his unchanged nature in the last scene.

3. The Birds (1963)

Alfred Hitchcock was never shy at portraying bleak scenarios in his films. They are always full of murder, jealousy, adultery, and the crimes are often unpunished. But “The Birds” was a nobility; in it, Hitchcock mixed environmental concerns with his trademark mainstream entertainment and thrill. When Melanie Daniels visits the home of defense attorney Mitch Brenner in Bodega Bay with a new pair of love birds to gift him, the city’s gulls become excessively violent.

Not only the gulls, but slowly the American crows and sparrows start to invade the household where Melanie is staying. Here Hitchcock is at his level best at black comedy with the thrill of a B-movie picture. The attack of the birds is nothing a physical allegory to the romantic and sexual spark between this budding couple and when Mitch and Melanie escape the area in Melanie’s car, the birds continue perching and screaming. The future is very bleak.

4. I Saw the Devil (2010)

The distance between good and evil is always very tiny and it fades away in special circumstances. Like “Taxi Driver,” “I Saw the Devil” brings out the question of amoral punishment – if a dangerous criminal gets an equally pernicious punishment, then where is the difference between them? Jang Kyung-chu is an academy bus driver by profession and a cannibalistic murderer by desire.

He uses his job to carefully select his victims, whose meat he feasts on, and no one can stop him. He also has a sadomasochistic pleasure in inflicting pain on his victims. But when he murders the wife of an NIS agent, a cat-and-mouse game begins between these two.

Jang is ruthless and evil personified. It is difficult to defeat this inhuman beast with physical powers, but Kim Soo-hyun is a worthy contender. Traumatized by the killing of his wife, he tracks down Jang but doesn’t kill him instantly. Rather, he chooses to instill fear in the psycho’s mind by incapacitating his organs one by one. It is not long before that the viewers will find it difficult to determine who the real psycho is. Jang is evil by nature, but Kim chooses it. The end is too gruesome to watch, but the bleaker truth that “I Saw the Devil” projects is that evil finds a way in people; it only changes its medium but stays in the world.

5. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

It’s difficult to watch “Requiem for a Dream” for a second time. That’s not because of the quality of the film; the film is excellent, but the excellence of the film is connected to the bleakness of the cinematic reality that Darren Aronofsky has decided to portray. “Requiem for a Dream” shows the destructive results of addiction: no addiction is good addiction, everyone is vulnerable to it regardless of their age, and it grapples our life and threatens to shatter it.

Here we have four protagonists: three of them are addicted to heroin and a mother figure is addicted to excessive television consumption. Drug and television, or any addiction that affects the nervous system, is dangerous in distorting the psychological reality if overdosed, and that is what happens to them. Aronofsky uses multiple techniques to increase the restlessness of the viewers: split-screen, extreme close-up, fast editing, hip-hop montage, and brilliant use of low-frequency gyrating music.

The film is most effective because in the first quarter of the film, their perfect harmonized life is shown and in the last quarter, everything went south. In the end, everyone endures unimaginable pain, but all still think of a perfect happy life in their distorted mental state. Nothing can be more bleak than that.

We are living in the golden age of horror. The output of the genre was always proliferous, but the quality of the films was not always worth mentioning. Now, in the 21st century, the films have become better in creating and maintaining chills, scares, and atmosphere. These films are often psychological and also contain a lot of subtext, which is a delight for sophisticated viewers.

Recently a controversial genre label has been attached to signify these intelligent horror movies: elevated horror. Although this is mostly a transitive cultural trend and will fade with time, the old horror fans have been offended by this distinguishing tag. Needless to say, horror movies are only measured by the fear factor they induce in the viewer’s mind, not by the number of subtext or social allegories they secretly contain.

It doesn’t matter which trope is used: jump scare, gore, found footage – everything is welcomed as long as the film is effective. But sometimes the use of all of these film tropes together doesn’t work, the film suffers from lack of scare, and an unnecessary comedic effect is created. These films are the worst offenders in horror canon; their existence is undesired for the mediocrity they carry with them. Without further ado, here are 10 horror films that weren’t scary.

1. Truth or Dare

“Truth or Dare” packed all of the horror film cliches together to create a film that is equal parts fun and scary. But the result is only half fun and not a bit scary. There is a sadistic pleasure in watching people suffer and die from the comfort of theatre or home.

“Truth or Dare” only succeeds in that part, but the protagonists are so unremarkable and forgetful that it is difficult to invest even in their death. The acting is not even passable and the unleashed demon thing has been done to death. Sadly, the death scenes are hilarious and not frightening, and the jump scares don’t register. It is always difficult to edit a badly directed film and the editor couldn’t bring a good final assembly.

“Truth or Dare” couldn’t scare its audience as a horror film, but what it does best is use Snapchat as a product placement and create unintended laughs for the audiences on a date.

2. Unfriended

“Unfriended” is better suited as a dystopian cautionary tale of the digital world than a horror film. It is more like a “Black Mirror” episode in the form of a feature-length film. Would you call “Black Mirror” a horror series or a sci-fi anthology? The latter is always a better choice for an introduction to the uninitiated audience.

The techniques used in “Unfriended” are revolutionary for sure, but just like “Rope” was a failed experiment for Hitchcock which the man himself admitted, this film is more gimmicky than effective. It is also incredibly tiring to watch the computer screens over and over; it gives a bad headache like a Facebook addiction, and this boredom destroys any potential of scariness.

The motivation of the character’s suicide was half-baked and unconvincing, and the jump scare end is the result of lazy, uninspired writing and execution. “Unfriended” may go to history for many firsts, but its ineffectiveness as a horror film is very old and natural.

3. The Nun

Everything has a breaking point. The number of spin-offs, sequels, and prequels assured that the day is very near for “The Conjuring” universe and “The Nun” can be the historical case. The writing of “The Nun” was just plain bad, presenting the horror cliches that the fans have witnessed over and over. Initially, it succeeds in creating a chilling atmosphere, but it couldn’t hold the tension because of the cliched logic and inconsistent pace.

Characters in shadow appear frequently without any reason; the world building is majorly missing. The sound design of the film is worse; loud noises of doors cracking is omnipresent and it’s mixed with the pulsating violin noise, making the film experience an irritation. “The Conjuring” films are famous for the jump scares, but this alone can’t create a delightful theatre experience when the film is lacking in direction.

4. Freddy vs. Jason

One can easily imagine film producers and studio executives in a meeting delightfully discussing the economical prospect of bringing together two beloved horror film universes – “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “Friday the 13th.” From the get-go, it was a very greedy decision that was bound for failure, as good films are created out of passion and heart, not avarice; the result is evident in the final film. The filmmakers invested little effort in the film, only to crowd-pull by the marketing gimmick and the movie suffers for that.

It is a film only for the die-hard fans; others will laugh at the histrionics of these two screen icons. Jason gets the most kills out of the Jason and Freddy deal and Freddy is angry about that. The kids in the films are just archetypes solely created for the fun of Freddy and Jason. Viewers will find “Freddy vs. Jason” as an action-comedy, not as a horror film.

5. V/H/S

Making use of frame narrative, the occasionally-called horror anthology film “V/H/S” presents a story that depends more on gore and body horror and less on the atmosphere. The V/H/S theme of the film creates a narrative necessity to join the independent segments together using found-footage clips and the result is a jumbled and forced effort. The individual segments are varied in quality: from decent to disastrous.

The structure of every story is very algorithmic and indistinct from each other. This feels like the same emotions and flavors are repeating again and again, and the film becomes a tedious watch, although the stories are slightly different. Even if the short portions are terrible, there was a chance for everything to come together when watched as a whole, but the sloppy writing ensures that it doesn’t actually happen. The appropriate emotion to describe the film is boring, not something scary or horrifying.