The distribution company Palisades Tartan piqued our interest with their wide range of eclectic and less well-known movies. These films can usually range from European curios to the more extreme visions of Asian Cinema. With it up on our radar, we've found some movies that we would absolutely love to recommend to all of you. These do teeter on the extreme end of the spectrum when it comes to traditional movies, so you have been warned!
I'm a Cyborg
Park-Chan-Wook's a directorial marvel. With the Vengeance Trilogy (Mr Vengeance, Oldboy & Sympathy for Lady Vengeance) having been wrapped up, the director launched into a whole other project which diverges away from the usual dark tone that we've previously seen in his movies. I'm a Cyborg is all about a woman in a mental institution that believes that she's a cyborg. This romantic comedy does have a dark streak. However, as the mental health issues presented to us manifest themselves in an incredibly dark manner. It's nowhere near the unrelenting tone of the Vengeance trilogy, but this is a film that's a little bit different than the rest of his bleak filmography and is definitely worth a watch.
The Machinist
While Christian Bale might be known for his iconic performances in American Psycho and Nolan's Batman Trilogy, his performance in The Machinist might be another one of his landmark works, if a little lesser known than the aforementioned movies. Bale transformed himself both physically and mentally to prepare for the role of a man who works in a factory who slowly loses his sanity. This movie might be a little hard to watch at certain points in time. It's also something that is presented to us via the lens of his unreliable perspective, as his mental wellbeing breaks down through the weekend.
Oldboy
Oldboy is Park-Chan-Wook's magnum opus. This tale of vengeance has our protagonist, Oh-Dae-Su being imprisoned for 15 years without any rhyme or reason, and the film chronicles his imprisonment as well as his search for the truth, once he is released. Featuring an iconic soundtrack, flawless cinematography and a stomach-churning plot, Oldboy is a relentless ride that feels incredibly visceral. The film even garnered a western remake directed by Spike Lee that stars Josh Brolin & Elizabeth Olson. Oldboy is a masterpiece and a must-see. If you can stomach it.
Infernal Affairs
Made in 2002, Infernal Affairs is one of the best gangster movies you can watch. Centred around tensions between the Triads and Police force, both of which have moles on each side. This intense movie features explosive action scenes as well as being remade into Martin Scorsese's The Departed. The source material might be a little bit inaccessible to viewers who don't traditionally watch subtitled movies, but we can confirm that it's well worth the ride.
Mysterious Skin
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in Mysterious Skin, which is a journey about coming to terms with your past, growing up and the future. Tackling heavy themes that make this film a tough watch for some, but ultimately it's a brutal journey that's definitely worth watching, for those of you that want to dive a little bit deeper into the actor's history and career.
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