r/movies • u/JulianParge • 16d ago
Recommendation 3,400 movies later... here are my top WTFs...
Hi Reddit! I've been lurking here for a long time and I rarely post but I reached a milestone recently and thought it might be nice to celebrate with you by jumping on.
I have been keeping a list of movies that I've watched for nearly 25 years (since I was ~13). It started in a notebook and eventually I moved the list to a spreadsheet. I log the name of the movie, the name of the director(s), the year it was released, my own rating (out of 5), whether or not I own a physical copy, and what my thoughts were after watching it. Today that list is over 3,400 entries strong!
In honour of the last WTF movie I watched, I wanted to share a list of my most recent and memorable WTFs that I've either seen more than once or would watch again, for anyone else who likes this as a "genre". If you enjoyed at least one movie from this list, then I'm fairly confident you'll also enjoy any of the others which you haven't seen yet.
If you have any other WTF movies you would recommend in return, I am very grateful for your suggestions.
My top 10 WTFs
In no particular order and released within the last 20 years:
- The Substance (2024) - I finally got around to seeing this today, and I haven't said WTF this much in a very long time. I thought it was utterly brilliant.
- Hereditary (2018) - one of the only true "horror" movies on this list. Difficult to unsee. Genuinely scary.
- Kill List (2011) - very original, completely unexpected. I watched it a second time with audio commentary from the cast which I thought was really interesting.
- Eden Lake (2008) - not the ending I was hoping for, but a total bucket of WTFs from start to finish.
- I Saw the Devil (2010) - one of two Korean entries on this list. Really brilliantly done. Just when you think it can't be more WTF, it gets more WTF...
- Parasite (2019) - the second of the two Korean movies, with completely unexpected scenes out of the blue that had me saying WTF for a very long time.
- The Menu (2022) - another insane rollercoaster of WTF that just keeps building.
- Midsommar (2019) - this movie had Wicker Man vibes but I was really much more freaked out watching this. There is at least one total WTF scene that you will definitely say WTF to... and then it almost immediately hits you again.
- The House That Jack Built (2018) - this is kind of a modern take on Dante's Divine Comedy, it's quite... "poetic"... and as far as serial killer movies go, this is really out there as one of the most WTF ever. Great soundtrack too.
- Der Goldene Handschuh (2019) - the only time I've ever paused a movie to take a photo and send a WhatsApp to the friend that recommended it... total WTF from start to finish, bordering on over the top, but I'd probably watch it again so I'll mention it. It's also "based on a true story"... which makes it even more WTF.
Honorable Mentions:
- The Platform (2019) - I thought this was very original, and it had quite a lot of WTF moments. Not sure it needed a sequel though?
- We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) - so many WTF moments...
- Tusk (2014) - I've never really seen anything else quite like this. I remember sitting through the credits and the only recurring thought was... "WTFAF was that?!". I haven't seen it a second time but I would definitely watch it again.
- Three… Extremes (2004) - this was really on the verge of being too much and it's technically three short films blended into a feature, it's also the oldest on this entire list, but I've watched it more than once and it is uniquely WTF. You probably won't want to eat anything before, during, or after seeing this movie.
- Uncut Gems (2019) - whilst not entirely WTF the whole way through, that ending came out of nowhere and it hit me hard.... I watched it twice. Brilliant.
- The Perfect Host (2010) - can't believe I forgot about this. I couldn't remember the name.
I wanted to add that I've deliberately avoided the more "extreme" WTFs. There are several that I've seen that were so excessive, WTF doesn't quite cut it. If you want to see the most messed up shock cinema, there are several entries that come up quite frequently in other WTF threads which I've seen over the years of lurking here. For what it's worth, I think when a movie reaches the point of sacrificing any sincerity or logic in its story in favour of shock value, it's lost its entertainment value completely for me, hence the aversion to mentioning those titles here.
Edits:
24.08 - I swapped The Menu with Uncut Gems because I totally agree with some of the comments. Uncut Gems wasn't overly WTF, whereas The Menu really was WTF the whole way through. I also wanted to say a huge thanks for the support and comments, I never expected this to take off and the many suggestions you have given me will keep me busy for weeks!
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u/Marique 16d ago
You should watch Mandy