I love a good movie, though ones that are typically popular are the big blockbusters with high budgets, great CG, and completely unrealistic stories that let us escape from our daily lives. I do enjoy them and they’re fun to get lost in, but sometimes I crave something that is a little more… real? It’s not that I’m looking for a totally realistic movie, but you have to admit that sometimes the way people react or the way scenarios come together in movies are pretty far fetched.
For example, recently I watched both The Martian and Interstellar, two space, sci-fi movies. I loved The Martian as it focused on the science and what could potentially happen if someone was stranded on Mars. Yes, it wasn’t totally accurate, but it also wasn’t too crazy. Interstellar, on the hand, went into total drama and crazy land at the end. It fell so far into the deep end that I couldn’t enjoy it.
So if you’re like me, who wants something different from the typical blockbuster movies, I have a few recommends.
If you like super hero movies… try Chronicle
Sure, there’s nothing realistic about super powers, but what has always bugged me is how people in movies react to them. Would an average person immediately don a costume and become a vigilante? Is that what people would really do?
Chronicle (trailer) was a refreshing change and focuses around three high school students who gain telekinetic powers after discovering an unknown object. And well, they act as teenagers do and first use their powers to prank people. Though they keep it a secret, they continue to use their powers and slowly become stronger. Over time, the power is abused and things go horribly wrong.
It’s also interesting that Chronicle is filmed in a way that makes it look like found footage. Most of the movie is from the view point of a camcorder that one of the characters uses to document everything. This can be annoying in some films, but it ends up working well since they can use their telekinesis to hold the camera and keep it steady.
If you like time travel movies… try Primer
Primer (trailer) is a cult classic that is known for being the lowest budget ($7,000 to create) but most complicated time travel movie. It’s about two engineers, Aaron and Abe, who build a machine for one of their side tech projects, except it ends up having a time loop side effect. In other words, they accidentally built a time machine.
At first, they just used it to make some money by trading stocks with knowledge from the future, but it doesn’t stop there, and the differing views between the two begin to strain their friendship. Like Chronicle, the time machine is just fantasy, but how Aaron and Abe react to it and use it feel real. I will warn you that Primer is a very dense and hard to follow movie, but it’s the type of movie that stayed with me and kept me thinking about it afterwards. I thought I had a grip as to what was going, but in hindsight, I don’t think I did. That scene I watched, which version of Aaron and Abe was it? Which timeline am I watching? How many timelines are going on right now?
If you like spy movies… try Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (trailer) is based off of a 1974 novel of the same name and stars big names like Gary Oldman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy. It takes place in London in the 1970s and focuses on the British Secret Intelligence Service, “the Circus”. George Smiley was forced out of it after a disastrous operation in Budapest, but he is then brought out of retirement to investigate a claim by a British spy. The spy has info that there is a mole in the high ranks of the Circus and has been there for years. He doesn’t know who it is though.
The film trailers are misleading since it’s actually a very slow paced and serious movie, and at times, it’s confusing due to multiple things going on. This is no James Bond or Kingsmen, so don’t expect fancy gadgets and high action scenes. I ended up watching it a second time before I really liked it. There’s several twists along the way, and I found that I appreciated and enjoyed the complexity of the plot once I understood it.
I hope these are a few interesting picks! Have you seen any of them? Do you have any recommends along the same idea?
Oo I’d like to watch Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy, based on the names alone lol! They are big stars in British films but what I like about those is that they can be good in subtle ways, not absolutely amazing like blockbuster movies. Chronicle also sounds interesting based on what teenagers could do to abuse their powers. Thanks for the recommends! I’m actually thinking of writing a post recommending some underrated films too.
I’m a total movie buff and I get where you’re coming from. I enjoy popcorn movies every now and then but deep inside I’m all about realistic flicks.
I’ll definitely look into “Chronicle”. Will add it to my list now as I’m a big fan of superhero flicks and superpowers (when it comes to realistic superhero movies, “Kick-Ass” is still my fave).
Anyway, I’ve heard of “Chronicle” before by name, but it’s only now through your blog that I’m getting to read what it’s about. The trailer makes me want to go see it! Also… Is that Dane DeHaan I see? 🙂
I’m always on the look out for new movies. Honestly, I think and believe I have seen “Chronicle.” Tristan and I were watching a movie where teens found this new found power (super power), and the movie acted as if it were a documentary, which is okay, but got annoying at times. Remind me, was there a girl involved? There was also a movie that we watched about Area 51 here in the United States.It was basically the same concept, except they were trying to break into Area 51.
I may have to re-look into the movie Chronicle. It seems very familiar,but at the same time, I might be confusing the movie with another.
I have yet to see “The Martian.” Believe it or not, this movie is based off of a book (typically speaking most if not all movies are based off of books). I have on the other hand seen Interstellar when it came on the movie channels. I actually liked it, but then again, I liked the concept of it.
It sounds like you might have seen Chronicle based on your description 🙂 There was a female character that one of the main characters liked.
I have the book for The Martian. I was hoping to read it before the movie came out but didn’t get a chance to.
I was at one point in time, one of those people that refused to read the books and would watch the movie instead. I was quite the weird one. Nowadays, I actually try to read the book before watching the movies. I did that with Divergent and I understand why my dad always read the books first before watching the movies.
Hmm, now that you’ve confirmed it I probably did watch Chronicle.
Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy sounds like it would be interesting! I’m a big fan of all the actors in there, and I do love a good twist in the plot!
Chronicle sounds really cool! I don’t know what I’d do if I suddenly had superpowers, probably freak out. I’ll give it a try when I can find the time! 😀
I haven’t seen any of these, so I’ll check them out! Chronicle sounds really interesting. 😀
Okay, Primer sounds like something I’d totally get into. Thanks for the rec on that! I love movies that make me think, and this sounds perfect. Plus, I love the concept about time travel — it certainly messes with my mind!
I heard The Martian and Interstellar were great movies! It’s great how there are hints of realism suppose that the events were to happen. For sure, whatever happens in The Avengers are less likely to happen in real life X’D.
Chronicle sound slike an interesting movie. I try to give the movie some slack since it’s supposed to tell a story in a 2-hour time frame but still! I’m sure people would mess around with their powers before ultimately deciding to become a masked vigilante. Pretty neat how they incorporated telekinesis to hold the camera around XD.
It’s pretty cool how Primer was a low budget film but was able to tell the story. This almost makes me wonder how someone can travel through time like they know what they’re doing (Legends of Tomorrow XD).
I’m thinking of giving Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a try one of these days! If it’s a slow movie, I can maybe pair it up with another multitask function XD.
Most of the movies I watch are usually high budget films ;~;.
I heard such great things about Interstellar, but I didn’t like it 🙁 I just didn’t like where the plot went halfway through.
Nothing wrong with watching high budget films! Most of the ones I watch are big ones that make it to theaters, but it’s nice to give the smaller guys a chance too 🙂
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been on my watch list for quite some time now! I guess I haven’t gotten around to it since we started our IMDB list, but I really don’t have an excuse since it’s on Netflix. I’m glad to hear that you really enjoyed it because I had heard some mixed reviews about it. Plus, I love all the actors in it!
I’ve not heard of Chronicle before, but it sounds really good! I overall liked Interstellar (though I really do think they could have edited like AT LEAST half an hour out of it) but I agree that the ending was a bit, uhm… well you put it nicely with “crazy land” haha. I haven’t seen the Martian, but I’m waiting to read the book first! Great suggestions Cat!
I can see how there’d be mixed reviews on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Its slow pace is definitely not for everyone! I had mixed feelings on it after my first viewing, but I came to like it during my second.
I want to read The Martian as well! I couldn’t wait and watched the movie first though, haha.
Chronicle is a great movie, and I felt sorry for the disturbed kid in the movie. His home life was less than ideal and more abusive. It made me sad but at the same time hopeful.
I heard Kingsman: the Secret Service is a great movie, and a better spy movie. I heard one scene is breathtaking and even breathes new life into the spy genre. You and I should watch it.
I’ve actually seen Kingsman 🙂 I liked it a lot, and it does try to be a bit different from typical spy movies, but there were many things in it that were still stereotypical.
Chronicle is such a cool movie. I know the ending felt kinda incomplete, as my friend would say, but to me…I like it. The way it was directed – with found footage, was interesting. Other movies with “found footage” plot device would be Cloverfield and Blair Witch Project, the former being scifi and the latter a horror. I really love dane dehaan’s character in Chronicle. I love the protagonist-turn-antagonist plot in the end. Did you know they wanted a sequel for Chronicle but it was then cancelled? 🙁
The idea with time traveling movies is that, the good ones tend to be underrated. I like Inception though, because it was interesting… I actually prefer Inception more than Interstellar. Interstellar was …interesting but for some reason, I still prefer Inception.
Hm, some blockbuster movies are good but nowadays, they aren’t THAT amazing anymore. old blockbuster movies were cool, though. have you watched donnie darko? it’s also one of the best scifi movies, imo. it’s not necessarily time traveling per se, but it’s complicated and i like it. the same with butterfly effect 🙂
Tinker Tailor reminds me of Kingsman – they both remind me of each other lol. I think if you like Tinker Tailor, you might like Kingsman or maybe that’s just me. I just think Kingsman had a fun script – thank you, Matthew Vaughn!
Source Code was a pretty fun time travel movie though. The same with Looper. They aren’t really huuuuge, if you compare them to the definition of blockbuster movies these days. but yea, they’re pretty fun. I watch a lot of movies that I find it difficult to remember them when asked to recommend some, LOL
I remember there was talk of a sequel for Chronicle. That makes me sad that they decided to cancel it 🙁 I was a fan of how Chronicle did found footage. Cloverfield was too shaky for me. It made me feel sick!
Oohh, I’ll have to check out Donnie Darko. I haven’t seen it. I liked both Source Code and Looper as well! I felt like Looper was really big when it came out, but Source Code didn’t get as much attention.
I actually feel like Tinker Tailor and Kingsman are pretty different from each other, though they do share two actors, haha. Kingsman had a lot of action and comedy, while Tinker Tailor is very serious and slow.
I’m like you, sometimes I need something that a little closer to reality and just…smarter.
I’ve heard of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy but had no idea that there were so many people in it and I LOVE Benedict Cumberbatch. Even though he can be sort of a creep in some of his movies >.<
Thank you for these recommendations! I think I might try watching Primer, the way you described it sounds so intriguing and I love time travel movies.
Funny you mention Interstellar, I actually loved the first two hours of it. Then I thought it should have stopped after he was so far in the future, but the movie kept going! I was so shocked. It got way too far-fetched and unreal after that. 🙁
Never heard of it but Chronicle sounds like my kind of film, will have to see if I can rent ait on Sky or catch it on Netflix at some point. I don’t think it was a cinema release in the UK.
I really enjoyed The Martian, we wnt to see it at the cinema in 3D and saw it again when it was released on Sky Box office. Really good film. I think I nodded off through Interstellar!
Ooooo these sound so good. I definitely want to see them!! Thanks for the recs.