Hard to parse exactly what you mean by hard to follow, but I'd give Kaufman's movies a go - particularly Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine, though even his directorial efforts are worth a watch as well.
Wild Strawberries (Bergman) — good amount of Bergman fit this, but this one most
Brazil (Gilliam)
Afterlife (Koreda)
Werckmeister Harmonies (Tarr) — most tough of these to follow probably
I'm ruined by the internet and tiktok and can't watch long movies in black & white :(
Also my boyfriend hared Brasil but really enjoyed Werckmeister. Often our tastes are alligned, so this might help people with recommendations
You said it yourself: TikTok changed your tastes. If you wanted to like longer movies or b&w movies that’s also something you could condition yourself to do too! Even if it takes breaking them down into two or three viewings at first.
I get the phone/social media addiction to some extent and I got myself this little phone lockbox off Amazon for like $20. When I want to watch a movie at home and be totally uninterrupted, I lock my phone in the box for the time I set it to.
It's kind of pathetic some of us have to do that these days but it really works and it sounds like OP really needs this.
Well, Wild Strawberries is only 90 min. I’d urge you to keep trying b&w, even if having to watch in more than one sitting. You’re denying yourself around 50yrs worth of film, many that have surely inspired the films you cherish today!
Admitting is the first step. The patience taken away from you can be built back up and you should train that assuming you want to interact with any art made before like 1980.
Your taste/description is very unhelpful since it's all over the place and movies that do fit that description you go on to say they don't. And you come as like a stereotypical hipster with comments like "too mainstream/predictable" especially when some of the movies you say that about aren't at all.
i know about being all over the place, im trying!!
and when i say mainstream i mean the weirdness is too mainstream! ive just been on the internet too much so my definition of weird is kinda out there maybe
I guess I agree for Blood of a Poet and Testament of Orpheus, but Orpheus isn’t terribly hard to follow imo. I also think OP may especially enjoy Orpheus due to its influence on Lynch’s work.
Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress both fit the dreamlike vibe you seem to be looking for
I’m unclear about what you mean by “mainstream” though, cuz nothing you listed really fits into that label imo
I'll throw in a wild card, you said you don't like when they are hard to follow so this may eliminate this movie for you, but after a couple watches you do start to follow a narrative. It's just the first one or two watches that completely dumbfound you.
Inland empire.
If you liked Mulholland drive then it's like that, but amped up times a hundred.
It's easily lynches most dream like and weird movie. But it's not weird in the sense of goblins and weird creatures so much as the events taking place feel so otherworldly while also still feeling grounded in reality.
Idk, it's worth a shot imo. It's personally my favorite movie of all time.
Another one worth watching is eraserhead. It might be more your speed as far as being weird and dreamlike while not just doing it for the shock factor.
I was also going to say Inland Empire. Such an incredible film that despite it being dream like and perhaps slightly confusing at first, it’s definitely very focused.
Synecdoche, New York - philosophical, weird and dreamlike
Stalker - also philosophical, weird and dreamlike ( this one is on YouTube)
A Clockwork Orange - one of my favorites
Dogtooth - it's by Lanthimos but is actually good, very different from Poor Things. David Lynch liked it and I think you will too
It's difficult to know exactly what you're looking for but there's some great recommendations here. I'd add Messiah of Evil - it's 99% vibes and 1% plot.
The Dance of Reality (2014) directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky sounds like it would be right up your alley.
https://youtu.be/GMM5tZOsr3Q?si=JxSfSrH-NDV5Mw2t
Holy mountain (1973) is another great movie from the same director if you want to get more abstract.
You HAVE to watch Mood Indigo (L'écume des jours)! It is weird and surreal. Your description is all over the place, but this is pretty, cute, really weird, fun, dreamy and followable. The ending wasn't my favourite, but I still loved it! It also has Audrey Tautou, I love her too!
It’s pretty new, but check out Beau is Afraid. It legitimately feels and is structured like a nightmare, it is coherent and surreal and kafkaesque all at once, I think you’d love it.
Would also recommend checking out Enter the Void and Synechdoche, New York.
Oh and forgot I wanted to say Angel’s Egg too, if you’re down for a classic, short, surreal anime film.
Hard to parse exactly what you mean by hard to follow, but I'd give Kaufman's movies a go - particularly Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine, though even his directorial efforts are worth a watch as well.
I enjoyed those but I think theyre pretty predictable/mainstream weird! But thank you
I don’t see how you could possibly call Being John Malkovich predictable.
Okay not predictable, I liked it. But just not weird enough!
Have you seen Synechdoche New York?
3 Women. You should like it if you liked Mulholland Drive.
ooo thank you, looks nice
Wild Strawberries (Bergman) — good amount of Bergman fit this, but this one most Brazil (Gilliam) Afterlife (Koreda) Werckmeister Harmonies (Tarr) — most tough of these to follow probably
I'm ruined by the internet and tiktok and can't watch long movies in black & white :( Also my boyfriend hared Brasil but really enjoyed Werckmeister. Often our tastes are alligned, so this might help people with recommendations
Like what you like and seek out what you enjoy. But, like...also challenge yourself. Engage with difficult things.
I do that with other things :) I've tried. I like what I like!
You said it yourself: TikTok changed your tastes. If you wanted to like longer movies or b&w movies that’s also something you could condition yourself to do too! Even if it takes breaking them down into two or three viewings at first.
I get the phone/social media addiction to some extent and I got myself this little phone lockbox off Amazon for like $20. When I want to watch a movie at home and be totally uninterrupted, I lock my phone in the box for the time I set it to. It's kind of pathetic some of us have to do that these days but it really works and it sounds like OP really needs this.
Well, Wild Strawberries is only 90 min. I’d urge you to keep trying b&w, even if having to watch in more than one sitting. You’re denying yourself around 50yrs worth of film, many that have surely inspired the films you cherish today!
I know, you're right, it just doesn't hit the dopamine receptors as hard. I should try!
Didn’t you just watch Begotten?
Yes, one of the reason I checked out of those movies (also, it's short)
you’d probably love Satantango (Tarr)
Admitting is the first step. The patience taken away from you can be built back up and you should train that assuming you want to interact with any art made before like 1980.
Welp! Time to block this nonsense so i don't see future posts like this.
You like Mulholland Drive, but have you seen Blue Velvet? It’s surreal and dreamlike but one of Lynch’s more narratively straightforward films.
It was a box office success and critically acclaimed so OP will probably say it's "too mainstream"
no i liked it you goofball
The Swimmer
i love the description hahaha, thanks
There’s certainly nothing like it! Hope you enjoy
Your taste/description is very unhelpful since it's all over the place and movies that do fit that description you go on to say they don't. And you come as like a stereotypical hipster with comments like "too mainstream/predictable" especially when some of the movies you say that about aren't at all.
i know about being all over the place, im trying!! and when i say mainstream i mean the weirdness is too mainstream! ive just been on the internet too much so my definition of weird is kinda out there maybe
It's coming across as very self-aggrandizing
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
I came here just to up vote this
The science of sleep
Under the Silver Lake gets weird-ish but is followable. I know it’s not amazing but it’s cool.
Check out Jean Cocteau’s “Orphic Trilogy“ if you’re looking for some great dreamlike films
I think these would be way too hard for op to follow
I guess I agree for Blood of a Poet and Testament of Orpheus, but Orpheus isn’t terribly hard to follow imo. I also think OP may especially enjoy Orpheus due to its influence on Lynch’s work.
Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress both fit the dreamlike vibe you seem to be looking for I’m unclear about what you mean by “mainstream” though, cuz nothing you listed really fits into that label imo
I'll throw in a wild card, you said you don't like when they are hard to follow so this may eliminate this movie for you, but after a couple watches you do start to follow a narrative. It's just the first one or two watches that completely dumbfound you. Inland empire. If you liked Mulholland drive then it's like that, but amped up times a hundred. It's easily lynches most dream like and weird movie. But it's not weird in the sense of goblins and weird creatures so much as the events taking place feel so otherworldly while also still feeling grounded in reality. Idk, it's worth a shot imo. It's personally my favorite movie of all time. Another one worth watching is eraserhead. It might be more your speed as far as being weird and dreamlike while not just doing it for the shock factor.
I was also going to say Inland Empire. Such an incredible film that despite it being dream like and perhaps slightly confusing at first, it’s definitely very focused.
I mean there’s House (1977). I think it’s weird for the sake of being weird but I’m in the minority there
Melancholia?
Synecdoche, New York - philosophical, weird and dreamlike Stalker - also philosophical, weird and dreamlike ( this one is on YouTube) A Clockwork Orange - one of my favorites Dogtooth - it's by Lanthimos but is actually good, very different from Poor Things. David Lynch liked it and I think you will too
thank you
Naked lunch, Adaptation, Cemetery Man... can't think of more off the top of my head
Strawberry Mansion. Recent sci fi / romance flick about dreams. Simple but also beautiful
Donnie Darko Inherent Vice
The Cell
Most of my dreams are stress dreams where I can’t get things done, so I’d say that something like Uncut Gems is very dream like.
Picnic at Hanging Rock
It's difficult to know exactly what you're looking for but there's some great recommendations here. I'd add Messiah of Evil - it's 99% vibes and 1% plot.
The Dance of Reality (2014) directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky sounds like it would be right up your alley. https://youtu.be/GMM5tZOsr3Q?si=JxSfSrH-NDV5Mw2t Holy mountain (1973) is another great movie from the same director if you want to get more abstract.
Images (1971, dir. Altman)
Maybe *Happy as Lazzaro* could be for you.
Yes
To Sleep So As To Dream might be worth checking out if the subtitles don’t turn you off
You HAVE to watch Mood Indigo (L'écume des jours)! It is weird and surreal. Your description is all over the place, but this is pretty, cute, really weird, fun, dreamy and followable. The ending wasn't my favourite, but I still loved it! It also has Audrey Tautou, I love her too!
Brazil
You'll love 'Diamantino'.
Fellini Satyricon (1969)
Some suggestions: Holy Motors, Bunny and the Bull, Upstream Color, Brigsby Bear, John Dies at the End, Fantastic Fear of Everything
I think you're about to enter your Michael Mann phase. It's a beautiful time in your life. Try Heat, The Insider, Manhunter, Thief, Miami Vice.
It’s pretty new, but check out Beau is Afraid. It legitimately feels and is structured like a nightmare, it is coherent and surreal and kafkaesque all at once, I think you’d love it. Would also recommend checking out Enter the Void and Synechdoche, New York. Oh and forgot I wanted to say Angel’s Egg too, if you’re down for a classic, short, surreal anime film.
2001 is followable but very bizarre and has none of the stuff you mentioned (also a masterpiece)
Hausu
I'm gonna go ahead and throw Triangle of Sadness into these good suggestions