You know exactly what I’m talking about. Those movies that aren’t exactly horror, not exactly romance. Those movies that live in the sweet spot between “I don’t wanna watch this” and “I should watch this someday”. The kind of movies that you watch bundled up in your bed, under the blankets. Those movies that you watch beyond your better judgment at 3:00 am and regret it immediately, but by then, it’s too late. That’s what this is. They give you bad dreams (if you sleep at all). They make you question every little thing. They’re the movies that make you say; “What the hell did I just watch?”.

These are the movies that I hate the most…

Here are some of my favourites.

Fight Club: Drama/Thriller (1999)

This movie is about two friends, Tyler Durden and the Narrator, as we watch them come up with their idea of a Fight Club. A place where men can escape to let out their sorrows by consensually beating the shit out of other men. This idea takes off for our two friends, and it forms into something more and more sinister as it blooms in popularity. And we’re seeing all this for the first time through our Narrator’s eyes as he grows increasingly suspicious of the world he’s created and the man he’s become.

When I watched this, it was already 2:00 am and by the end, I had forfeited sleep for the night. I wasn’t scared, I wasn’t sad. I was simply… astonished.

Parasite: Thriller/Comedy (2019)

This movie starts out rather tame and unassuming. But that’s just what pulls you in. This young man who struggles with his family and their consuming financial problems is finally offered a way out. A golden ticket, if you will, and is all at once thrust into this world of luxury. A world he and his family members find a way to invade. One by one, they trick the family that they are working for into hiring each and every one of them. The plot really starts unravelling when they manage to ostracize the long-time caretaker out of the house, and together, they discover that the house hides a few secrets too.

I watched this movie in the middle of the night with my friend. She had already seen it, so she was watching me eagerly for my reactions. I couldn’t even tell you what was happening half the time, but I loved it. I mean, I hated it; but I loved it.

The Truman Show: Drama/Comedy (1998)

This movie hits hard. Especially at 4:00 am.

Imagine being trapped your whole life without even knowing it. And everyone you meet and everyone you love was just pretending. Imagine being so out of the loop that your whole life exists in a different reality. 

That’s messed up. That’s The Truman Show.

What words can I use to express myself? This movie is more than just an existential crisis in the CD packaging. It has depth, it carries meaning, it carries hope. It wraps together love and betrayal and hurt so preciously and delicately that it’s heartbreaking. But it’s beautiful.

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and if you haven’t seen it, you’ll thank me for it later.

The Matrix: Action/ Sci-Fi (1999)

Now I can’t make this list and not include this movie. This is the big daddy of all “make you question your existence” films. And this is one of the best. This movie commences when our protagonist, a young Keanu Reeves, hacks his way to the truth, and therefore to the very heart of a rebellion. 

This whole movie has a vibe you can’t shake. It’s an uneasy, crawling feeling. The music and the acting and the tempo make you know something’s wrong; it’s there and staring you in the face. You know something’s about to erupt, and you just sit there and wrack your brain. It’s magical in its intensity.

In simple terms: I love this weird-ass science-fiction. Regardless of how much leather they wear.

That’s it for my picks! I hope you’ll enjoy them and have a good sleep afterwards. Remember, these movies are exclusively for after midnight. And I have no say in this. It’s the law.

Linda Deslauriers

Linda is the most “fangirly” person you will likely ever meet. She’s a second-year student in Algonquin College’s Professional Writing program. She enjoys hot chocolate, rainy evenings, literature, and cinema. If looking for her, you will find her on her bed; enthralled in whatever new addiction she’s developed since.