From the elusive transcendental logic of Mulholland Drive, to Showgirls’ sly satirical embrace of exploitation and excess, to the assumption in Southland Tales that its audience has already read the six-volume source material, some films are simply more “cruel” on their audiences than others. So, please, lie back and let The Cultists be your guides through the paralyzing and perplexing void of arthouse, experimental, avant-garde, "cult,” and otherwise just generally weird WTF cinema. Because some films just beg to be annotated. Twitter/Insta: @CinemaOfCruelty Reddit: /r/CinemaOfCruelty
THE NINTH GATE (1999) — There is no Hell, There is only Toledo.
The Ninth Gate (1999) · Sep 11, 2025
TWILIGHT(2008) - Some Like It Cold.
Twilight (2008) · Sep 11, 2025
BLUE VELVET (1986) — Get Behind Me, Oedipus!
Blue Velvet (1986) · Sep 11, 2025
ROMEO+JULIET (1996) — I defy you, Dopamine!!
Romeo + Juliet (1996) · Sep 11, 2025
MIDSOMMAR (2019)—Ingmar Bergman told me there’d be days like these.
Midsommar (2019) · Sep 11, 2025
EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)—Thus Spoke Stanley Kubrick (Part II)
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) · Sep 11, 2025
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) — I ain’t afraid of no IRB review
Ghostbusters (1984) · Nov 12, 2023
THE DREAMERS (2003) - Our Godard and Savior
The Dreamers (2003) · May 2, 2022
VANILLA SKY (2001) — Ice, Ice, maybe.
Vanilla Sky (2001) · Feb 27, 2022
MANIAC (1980) — What rigid collodion you have!
Maniac (1980) · Jan 13, 2022
URBAN LEGEND (1998)— The Ostension is Coming from Inside the House.
Urban Legend (1998) · Dec 16, 2021
DUNE (1984) — if you wanna be my sand messiah, you gotta get with my Fremens.
Dune (1984) · Nov 29, 2021
FRANKENSTEIN (1931) - My Gallbladder Belongs to Daddy
Frankenstein (1931) · Oct 31, 2021
TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE (1990) - Scripts before Crypts
Tales from the Darkside (1990) · Oct 14, 2021
KNIGHT OF CUPS (2015) - The Pilgrim’s Prozac
Knight of Cups (2015) · Sep 28, 2021
MANDY (2018) - He ain't heavy, he's just METAL.
Mandy (2018) · Aug 30, 2021
WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) —No one expects the Quaker Exposition
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) · Aug 1, 2021
CRUEL INTENTIONS (1999)— My So-Called Aristocracy
Cruel Intentions (1999) · Jul 18, 2021
KING KONG (1976)—It’s Always Darkest Before the Dwan
King Kong (1976) · Jul 4, 2021
PERSONAL SHOPPER (2016)—If the spirits move you.
Personal Shopper (2016) · May 29, 2021
TRON (1982) — Fortran Favors The Bold
Tron (1982) · May 22, 2021
THE LURE (2015)—Hook, Line, and Sink Her
The Lure (2015) · May 15, 2021
SPREE (2020)—The Medium is the Massacre
Spree (2020) · May 8, 2021
RUBBER (2010)—Albert Camus, this one's for You.
Rubber (2010) · May 1, 2021
THE ASTROLOGER (1976)—I did it all for the numbers.
The Astrologer (1976) · Apr 24, 2021
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS (2016)—I left my heart in Prada, Marfa.
Nocturnal Animals (2016) · Apr 18, 2021
EXCESS BAGGAGE (1997)—Are you there Dave? It’s me, Romance.
Excess Baggage (1997) · Apr 3, 2021
SWISS ARMY MAN (2016)—Love means never having to say you need an autopsy.
Swiss Army Man (2016) · Mar 27, 2021
HERCULES IN NEW YORK (1970)—Bc sometimes you just need to punch a bear in the face.
Hercules in New York (1970) · Mar 20, 2021
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)— Witches, am I right?
The Blair Witch Project (1999) · Mar 12, 2021
THE BLOB (1958)—If it jiggles you can freeze it.
The Blob (1958) · Feb 26, 2021
RETURN TO OZ (1985)—There’s no place like a Victorian Sanatorium
Return to Oz (1985) · Feb 19, 2021
HEATHERS (1989)—Three Cheers for Cheerful Fatalism
Heathers (1989) · Feb 12, 2021
SWORDFISH (2001)—Neither sword nor fish, discuss.
Swordfish (2001) · Feb 6, 2021
DON’T LOOK NOW (1973)— La Nain Rouge Goes to Venice
Don't Look Now (1973) · Jan 29, 2021
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999) —Chekhov Shot First
Being John Malkovich (1999) · Jan 22, 2021
THE NEON DEMON (2016)—But also, Vampires.
The Neon Demon (2016) · Jan 15, 2021
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS (2001)— Roger Corman, eat your heart out.
The Fast and the Furious (2001) · Jan 8, 2021
JOHNNY MNEMONIC (1995)— That Third Act Dolphin Tho
Johnny Mnemonic (1995) · Jan 1, 2021
STREETS OF FIRE (1984)—The Road to Walter Hill is Paved with Good Intentions. Probably.
Streets of Fire (1984) · Dec 25, 2020
CRITTERS (1986)—For Whom The Puppets Toll
Critters (1986) · Dec 18, 2020
A DANGEROUS METHOD (2011)—Sometimes a Cigar is just a Penis
A Dangerous Method (2011) · Dec 11, 2020
CRY-BABY (1990)—Rebel Without a Tear Duct
Cry-Baby (1990) · Nov 27, 2020
THE LOST BOYS (1987)— Straight Until Morning
The Lost Boys (1987) · Nov 12, 2020
BEYOND THE BLACK RAINBOW (2010)— Do It in the Dark
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010) · Nov 5, 2020
I WOKE UP EARLY THE DAY I DIED (1998)—The Lost, Last Film of Ed Wood
I Woke Up Early the Day I Died (1998) · Oct 29, 2020
HOCUS POCUS (1993)— Everyone Loves a Virgin
Hocus Pocus (1993) · Oct 22, 2020
THE EXORCIST (1973)— Like a Pazuzu Scorned
The Exorcist (1973) · Oct 15, 2020
PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974)—Heaven is for Quitters
Phantom of the Paradise (1974) · Oct 8, 2020
SLEEPY HOLLOW (1999)—Chekhov's Palmistry (and Other Ghastly Tales)
Sleepy Hollow (1999) · Oct 1, 2020
BOOGIE NIGHTS (1997)— Deep Dives and Deeper Throats
Boogie Nights (1997) · Sep 10, 2020
MAZES AND MONSTERS (1982)—The Devil's in the D20
Mazes and Monsters (1982) · Aug 27, 2020
DONNIE DARKO (2001): ‘A Bunny, a Pedophile, and a Rainbow Slinky Walk into a Time Warp...’
Donnie Darko (2001) · Aug 20, 2020
SHOWGIRLS (1995)—Verhoeven does Vegas
Showgirls (1995) · Aug 6, 2020
REQUIEM FOR A DREAM (2000)—Honey, You Had Me at "Heroin"
Requiem for a Dream (2000) · Jul 23, 2020
THE SNOWMAN (2017)—Alcoholism Saves the Day
The Snowman (2017) · Jul 16, 2020
THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)—Lie Back, Keep Calm, and Think of Nova Scotia
The Lighthouse (2019) · Jul 1, 2020
TROLL 2 (1990)—Grandpa's Ghost, What An A**hole
Troll 2 (1990) · Jun 30, 2020
CLUE (1985)—Nobody Puts Communism In a Corner
Clue (1985) · Jun 24, 2020