282 Best Weird Movies to Watch (Page 15)

What’s absurd to one viewer could just be mildly odd for the next. But if you love anything highly unusual, this list is a good start. Here are the best weird movies and shows to stream, from the avant-garde to the surreal.

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211. The Art of Self-Defense, 2019

Watch this if you like weird movies. And don't be fooled by the first half, which serves just to set Jesse Eisenberg's character and the monotone life he leads. It's the calm before the storm, during which that character is attacked by a violent gang and decides to take self-defense classes in an unusual club. This is a movie about modern manhood and how it can lead to some pretty strange situations. Great performance from Eisenberg as usual.

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Alessandro Nivola, Apollo Bacala, Caroline Amiguet, Dallas Edwards, Davey Johnson, David Zellner, Frederic Spitz, Hauke Bahr, Imogen Poots, Jason Burkey, Jesse Eisenberg, Josh Fadem, Katherine Smith-Rodden, Leland Orser, Lena Friedrich, Louis Robert Thompson, Mike Brooks, Phillip Andre Botello, Steve Terada

Director: Riley Stearns

Rating: R

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212. Sprung, 2022

Sprung follows a group of newly released convicts who return to a life of petty thievery after realizing they’re up against an emerging global pandemic. It’s an amusing snapshot of the ridiculous lengths we went through in the horror year that is 2020, but it’s also filled with the good old sentiment that grounds funny shenanigans to their feet. It stars the reliably hilarious Martha Plimpton and is created by Gregory Thomas Garcia, the brain behind the beloved sitcom My Name is Earl.

Genre: Comedy

Actor: Garret Dillahunt, James Earl, Martha Plimpton, Phillip Garcia, Shakira Barrera

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213. Sound of Noise, 2010

When a group of percussionists illegally carry out a city-wide performance act, it's up to policeman Amadeus Warnebring to stop them. The musical fugitives perform on stolen objects and disrupt public spaces, but Warnebring has his own reasons to pursue them so determinedly: he's tone-deaf for one and born into a family of snobby musical geniuses for another, making this case all the more meaningful and consequential to him.

Sound of Noise is more than reminiscent of Stomp, what with its playful symphonies subsisting on random borrowed objects, but it is livened up with the suspense of a caper, the dry wit of a Swedish comedy, and the abundant charms of a light romance.

Genre: Comedy, Crime

Actor: Anders Jansson, Fredrik Myhr, Irene Lindh, Iwar Wiklander, Paula McManus, Peter Schildt, Ralph Carlsson, Sanna Persson, Sven Ahlström

Director: Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, Ola Simonsson

Rating: R

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214. Paul T. Goldman, 2023

The curious case of Paul T. Goldman could’ve been a simple true-crime documentary or a fictionalized series—instead, the resulting project is a strange and hilarious blend of both. Behind-the-scenes footage intercut reenactments intercut interviews. The show is as much about Goldman’s reaction to the scam (which is admittedly way more interesting) as it is about the actual scam. You should watch for the spectacle, but stay for the larger-than-life character that is Goldman—he’s a goof, but an endearing and fascinating one nonetheless.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Dee Wallace, Dennis Haysbert, Frank Grillo, James Remar, Josh Pais, Melinda McGraw, Paul Ben-Victor, Rosanna Arquette, W. Earl Brown

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215. Outer Range, 2022

If you’re a fan of slow-burn mysteries and genre blends, you might enjoy Outer Range, a carefully paced mix of Western, sci-fi, and family drama.

Josh Brolin stars as the patriarch Royal Abbott, who, while defending his ranch from a neighboring family, also discovers a strange void in his pasture. The void leads to even stranger depths as the show takes a turn for the supernatural. A ranch drama with a paranormal twist, Outer Range has been compared to family epics like Yellowstone and eerie mysteries like Twin Peaks—vastly different shows whose only throughline is that they are absurdly but impressively extensive in scale.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Thriller, Western

Actor: Imogen Poots, Isabel Arraiza, Josh Brolin, Lewis Pullman, Lili Taylor, Noah Reid, Olive Abercrombie, Olive Elise Abercrombie, Shaun Sipos, Tamara Podemski, Tom Pelphrey, Will Patton

Rating: TV-MA

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216. Mistress America, 2015

This is a slightly weird and not so slightly quirky movie to be avoided by anyone with a low tolerance to the weird or quirky. Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird, Frances Ha) and Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, also Frances Ha) write the story, while Gerwig plays a lead role. Two girls, one a New Yorker and the other having just arrived in New York for a writing program, get in touch because their parents will marry. The writer is fascinated by the personality of the New Yorker and follows her everywhere to understand her more, and eventually write about her. Mistress America is their journey through friendship and through New York. Stick around the first 40 minutes or so, because the second half of this 82-minute movie is hilarious. Genre: Comedy, Drama
Actor: Amy Warren, Andrea Chen, Charlie Gillette, Cindy Cheung, Clare Foley, Colin Stokes, Dean Wareham, Greta Gerwig, Heather Lind, Jasmine Cephas-Jones, Jessie Austrian, Juliet Brett, Kathryn Erbe, Lola Kirke, Mary Beth Minthorn, Matthew Shear, Michael Chernus, Mickey Sumner, Morgan Lynch, Nat Baldwin, Noah Baumbach, Rebecca Henderson, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Seth Barrish, Shana Dowdeswell, Sharon Washington, Shoba Narayan
Director: Noah Baumbach
Rating: R

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217. Kontroll, 2004

A story about inspectors on the Hungarian subway and their struggle to get travelers to pay up. Skinheads with attack dogs, drunks and freaks are the harsh reality of these working-class heroes, who themselves of course are quite the weird bunch. Dark post-soviet humor, refreshingly politically incorrect characters and an abstract parallel love story which barely makes sense even at the end. Kontroll is a movie you will regret having waited 10 years to see.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller

Actor: Balla Eszter, Bence Mátyássy, Csaba Pindroch, Enikő Eszenyi, Eszter Balla, György Cserhalmi, Győző Szabó, János Derzsi, János Kulka, Lajos Kovács, Péter Scherer, Sándor Badár, Sándor Csányi, Szabó Győző, Zoltán Mucsi, Zsolt Nagy

Director: Nimród Antal

Rating: R

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218. Inside Job, 2021

What if the Deep State was real and every conspiracy theory you laughed off was true? There is such a thing as Area 51, John F. Kennedy was killed by the CIA, and somewhere out there, Tupac Shakur is still alive. If you added even more ridiculous theories like reptile people existing underground and Avril Lavigne being a clone, then you'd have Inside Job, a bonkers adult animated sitcom that hails from some of the people behind Gravity Falls and Bojack Horseman.

Inside Job is crazy and creative, with each episode delving into a different "theory," but it also has room for character introspection and development. Lizzy Caplan lends her voice to the lead Reagan Ridley, a scientist and manager who is ambitious but difficult, genius but always tired. The show does well to show her and her team's growth in a show otherwise jam-packed with (admittedly hilarious) insanity.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Science Fiction

Actor: Andrew Daly, Andy Daly, Bobby Lee, Brett Gelman, Chris Diamantopoulos, Christian Slater, Clark Duke, John DiMaggio, Lizzy Caplan, Suzy Nakamura, Timothy Simons, Tisha Campbell, Tisha Campbell-Martin

Director: Shion Takeuchi

Rating: TV-14

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219. Idiots and Angels, 2008

As much as we’d like to think everyone can be redeemed, there are terrible, awful people that do exist that make it hard to believe in change. Idiots and Angels takes one such person named Angel, and forces him through a highly unusual, creepy, and cynical redemption tale that involves a body transformation that’s less heavenly and more Kafkaesque. As he pulls feathers from his body, Angel’s miserable, terrible self has no choice but to act decently for once. It’s a unique transformation, one we wish our curmudgeonly acquaintances would have, and with no words spoken, Bill Plympton’s unique cross-hatched animation takes center stage. Idiots and Angels may not be the most perfect animated film out there, but it’s certainly one of its kind, something you’ve probably never seen before.Genre: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Actor: Arielle Doneson, Carrie Keranen, Greg Sextro, Marc Diraison, Mike Juarez
Director: Bill Plympton

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220. I Don't Expect Anyone to Believe Me, 2023

If you’re new to the story, I Don’t Expect Anyone to Believe Me feels difficult to understand. The film adaptation portrays the novel through abruptly cut sequences, meticulously framed naturalistic frames, and monologue and dialogue that mean more than what’s being said, on top of Juan Pablo’s gradual descent into a criminal network. It’s as disorienting as being in Barcelona feels for Mexican couple Juan Pablo and Val. However, this film feels like a new approach in adapting novels – the multiple perspectives and epistolary portions adeptly portrayed through typed up screens and alternating perspectives (and direction) between the couple. It doesn’t feel like something that you’ve likely seen before.

Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama

Actor: Aimar Vega, Alexis Ayala, Ángel Zermen, Anna Castillo, Ariana Van X, Bel Gris, Bruna Cusí, Carmen Beato, Clara Roquet, Darío Rocas, Dario Yazbek Bernal, Jelen García, Juan Carlos Remolina, Juan Daniel Garcia Treviño, Juan Minujín, Natalia Portnoy, Natalia Solián

Director: Luis Fernando Frías de la Parra

Rating: R

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221. Happiness, 1998

Happiness is a difficult, disturbing watch. Unlike films that claim to be brave, Happiness actually goes there and shows us just how deep, dark, and perverse our urges can get. But far from being controversial for the sake of it, this fearless film has important things to say about the facade of happiness, the urgency of loneliness, and the futility of feigning ignorance about both. And it does so with an impressively wry humor delivered by a talented cast that includes Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Dylan Baker. They play their complicated characters so well, they'll have you thinking about the strange ways you can, in fact, relate to them on some level, long after the credits roll.

This isn't a film you'll want to revisit often, but you will have to see it at least once in a lifetime—if anything, for the kind of painful honesty you’ll rarely find anywhere else.

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Actor: Ann Harada, Anne Bobby, Arthur J. Nascarella, Ben Gazzara, Bina Sharif, Camryn Manheim, Cynthia Stevenson, Dan Moran, Diane Tyler, Douglas McGrath, Dylan Baker, Elizabeth Ashley, Gerry Becker, Jane Adams, Jared Harris, Joe Lisi, Johann Carlo, Jon Lovitz, José Rabelo, Justin Elvin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Lisa Louise Langford, Louise Lasser, Marina Gayzidorskaya, Marla Maples, Matt Malloy, Molly Shannon, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rufus Read, Socorro Santiago, Todd Solondz, Wai Ching Ho

Director: Todd Solondz

Rating: NC-17

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222. Galaxy Quest, 1999

Galaxy Quest may be a parody of the sci-fi franchise, but it’s also a huge fan of it. It forgoes cynical takes for smart odes to the genre, all while retaining an endearing sense of humor about it. It’s silly and self-aware, and it has a lot of fun letting us know that they’re in on the joke. You can watch for the interesting premise, but you'll stay for the laughs and the promise of a genuine thrill ride. Everyone is a blast to watch, but Sigourney Weaver and Sam Rockwell deserve special praise for being outright hilarious, elevating Galaxy Quest from B-movie to camp classic status.

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction

Actor: Alan Rickman, Corbin Bleu, Daryl Mitchell, Dian Bachar, Enrico Colantoni, Heidi Swedberg, Isaac C. Singleton Jr., J.P. Manoux, Jed Rees, Jennifer Manley, Jeremy Howard, Jerry Penacoli, Joel McKinnon Miller, Jonathan Feyer, Justin Long, Kaitlin Cullum, Kevin McDonald, Marcio Rosario, Matt Winston, Missi Pyle, Morgan Rusler, Patrick Breen, Rainn Wilson, Robin Sachs, Sam Lloyd, Sam Rockwell, Sigourney Weaver, Tim Allen, Todd Giebenhain, Tony Shalhoub

Director: Dean Parisot

Rating: PG

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223. Frequencies, 2013

I loved this movie. It starts a bit weird but gets so good. In a parallel world where human frequencies determine luck, love, and destiny, Zak, a young college student, must overcome science in order to love Marie, who emits a different frequency than his own. In an attempt to make their love a reality, Zak experiments on the laws of nature, putting in danger the cosmic equilibrium of fate and everything he holds dear. This unique and experimental drama blends science fiction and romance to create a futuristic tale where love, science, and fate collide.

Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction

Actor: Daniel Fraser, David Barnaby, David Broughton-Davies, Dylan Llewellyn, Eleanor Wyld, Georgina Minter-Brown, Joanna Hole, Lily Laight, Owen Pugh, Ria Carroll, Timothy Block

Director: Darren Paul Fisher

Rating: Not Rated

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224. Fermat’s Cuisine, 2023

Most people wouldn’t think that math is a transferable skill to the culinary arts, and in reality, it probably is. Fermat’s Cuisine disputes that, as Gaku Kitada makes the unique career shift from becoming a mathematician to becoming the head chef of the restaurant. While most people (ourselves included) won’t really understand what kind of calculations he makes in order to succeed, it’s easy to sympathize with Gaku’s troubles as he tries to make a new start. It’s also an intriguing mystery to try and figure out what happened between this start and his later success. Choosing a career path, finding a good mentor, and trying to learn something new are things everyone goes through. Fermat’s Cuisine confidently suggests math is the answer.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Fuka Koshiba, Fumiya Takahashi, Jun Shison, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Mitsuomi Takahashi, Miyazawa Emma, Rihito Itagaki, Sei Shiraishi, Takashi Ukaji, Toru Nakamura, Yoshihiko Hosoda

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225. Fantasmas, 2024

There are stories within stories in Fantasmas, which like most of Torres’ work, favors style, theme, and emotion over a straightforward plot. And it works because of Torres’ strong vision: you’re supposed to get lost in his kaleidoscopic world and eventually find yourself through his emotional guides. That’s what makes Fantasmas (and Torres) accessible. There is an undercurrent of relatability in everything he does, so no matter how bizarre and out there his concepts are, real hopes and fears always ground them. There’s his constant dread of being kicked out of his country, and his worry of selling out to suffocating corporations. There’s the isolation of big cities and the limitations of identity. All that in technicolor and dynamic form is what makes Fantasmas (and, again, Torres) so intoxicating to watch.Genre: Comedy
Actor: Joe Rumrill, Julio Torres, Martine Gutierrez, Tómas Matos
Rating: TV-MA

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