Warning: spoilers ahead

THERE are some days when you want nothing more than to just lay down with a bowl of ice cream and watch rom-coms all day; maybe you’re in the mood for The Notebook, or How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. 

Then there are other days wherein you feel tired of the mundanity of life; you want something exhilarating, something that’ll shock you to your very core. Something that reminds you that perhaps it’s good to have the normal, “boring” life you have because at least you aren’t, say, getting into a car crash or being turned into a walrus (spoilers!).

Films are a great way to escape your responsibilities and pretend that you live in an entirely different world. Though when you see what these characters face, you’ll probably be thanking your stars that all you have to worry about is your assignment deadline instead of whatever they’re going through. 

1. Sorry to Bother You (2018)

WTF rating: 3/5 

Serving as the directorial debut of Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You revolves around a man named Cassius Green (Lakeith Stanfield). Struggling with supporting himself and his girlfriend, Cassius takes a job as a telemarketer, wherein he has to compromise his identity by speaking to customers with his “white voice” to be more appealing to them. Slowly, as he starts to rise through the ranks in his job, he finds himself changing more and more aspects of himself–all so he can finally get to the top and earn the title of “Power Caller.”

Sorry to Bother You is a dark comedy that tackles themes of capitalism and slavery, looking at just how unfair the present system is. From a man who couldn’t care less about power and status, to one willing to betray his friends and girlfriend for his job, Cassius is a reflection of many men in America. 

But what gives Riley’s film that WTF factor is the fact that it isn’t scared to go balls-to-the-wall crazy with its ideas. Whether it be a reality show where people beat each other up, wacky earrings on a character that say things like “Tell Homeland Security we are the bomb,” or literal horse people, Riley has no limit in this film. And that makes for a very interesting movie, indeed.

2. Crash (1996)

WTF rating: 4.5/5

Crash is the kind of film that’ll have you sitting in absolute shock and silence for the next hour and forty minutes, and will have you stay that way even after the film has finished. What else would viewers expect from director David Cronenberg, whose horrifying mind also came up with films like The Fly (1986) and Videodrome (1983)?

In this film, commercial director James Ballar (James Spader) has his life changed forever after surviving a car crash. During his recovery, he finds himself thrust into a strange, new world: being among those who become aroused when in the presence of a car crash. His interest slowly starts to engulf his life, and he realizes that he will go through any obstacle to fulfill his fantasies–even if it may lead to his untimely demise. 

Crash is a film filled with passion, obsession, and sex; it definitely isn’t something to watch in the presence of kids. But instead of close-up shots of breasts and legs (though this film has plenty of those, too) Cronenberg instead forces the audience to focus on collision victims, open wounds, blood, and violence. If you’re looking for a slow burn, crazy flick, then Cronenberg should be your go-to director.

3. The Piano Teacher (2001)

WTF rating: 3.5/5

Similar to Cronenberg, director Michael Haneke uses sex in his film to disturb rather than to arouse. Starring Isabelle Huppert, this French film follows the life of Erika Kohut, a piano teacher who is viewed by many to be cold and harsh. When she catches the eye of a young student named Walter Klemmer (Benoît Magimel,) it’s revealed that Erika isn’t the demure, reserved woman people all thought her to be.

Growing up with an absent father and an extremely strict mother, Erika starts to reveal her sadomasochistic tendencies to the young man. She finds arousal in peep shows and sex shops, in non-consensual consent and in her mother being beaten unconscious. But as she reveals these desires, she shows clumsiness and inexperience when having sexual relations with Walter. You will realize that despite her desires, she has never actually put any of these lurid thoughts into action.

The Piano Teacher is a great reflection on desire and sexuality. You will find yourself sympathizing with Erika despite her cold nature because deep down, you will be able to tell that she’s just a clueless girl that hasn’t had the freedom to figure out what she wants. 

Based on the novel written by Elfriede Jelinek, this film is great if you’re looking for another slow burn with a character that you will likely understand, all while cringing away from the screen any time she and Walter are together. 

4. Oldboy (2003)

WTF rating: 5/5

After 15 years of being imprisoned in a dark hotel room, a man named Oh Dae-Su (Choi Minsik) is suddenly released back into the real world with nothing on him but a few bucks and an old cell phone. With the help of a young girl named Mido (Kang Hyejung), whom he meets at a restaurant, Dae-su finds himself hunting for the man who took years of his life away from him, all while mourning the loss of his murdered wife and missing daughter. 

A depressing thriller film from start to finish, director Park Chan-Wook makes a story that isn’t just well-told but is also beautiful to look at. There are so many things to appreciate about this film; from Choi Minsik’s amazing acting to cinematographer Chun-hoong Chung’s shots, you will find yourself marveling at everything, from the fight scenes to mundane ones like those showing Mido sitting on the toilet, Oldboy is a true masterpiece. 

But the WTF of this film truly lies in the ending. To avoid any further spoilers, all we can say is: prepare yourself. 

5. Tusk (2014)

WTF rating: 5/5

Tusk is a film that has been making the rounds on TikTok as of late; if you’re chronically online, you will surely have seen clips of this film at least once while scrolling through your  FYP. And it’s been going viral for good reason: the story is outrageous. 

Directed by Kevin Smith, this A24 horror-comedy film is focused on a man named Wallace Bryton, most well-known for his podcast named the “Not-See Party,” where he and his friend interview people that they deem to be wacky or eccentric. 

When his plans for his next interview fall through, Wallace finds the number of a man named Howard Howe in a bathroom stall. Hoping that it’ll be just what he’s looking for, Wallace goes to Howard’s home where he learns about the subject of the man’s story: a walrus named Mr. Tusk. 

After drinking a cup of spiked tea given to him by Howard, Wallace awakes to find himself unable to move. Howard then reveals to him what his plan has been all along: to turn him into a walrus, so that he may finally relive his glory days spent by the side of the late Mr. Tusk.

The fact that Wallace gets turned into a walrus is something that isn’t at all a secret. From the poster alone, you can already tell what the plot of the movie’s going to be. But that, of course, doesn’t take away at all from this film’s WTF factor; if anything, knowing what’s to come makes every scene all the more horrifying. 

As the film progresses, you will see Wallace’s horrifying progression from human to walrus hybrid. As you watch him, you will be forced to ask: How much of a human can you take away until you can no longer call them human?