10 Visually Stunning Movies You Likely Haven’t Seen

There are plenty of beautiful movies which don’t get the attention they deserve. This is sometimes because their visuals are so experimental and confronting that they don’t appeal to large audiences. In other cases, they’re low-budget movies that were never intended for everyone, but this gives them more license to get creative.

Movies can differentiate themselves from the pack with striking visuals, and more creative and unexpected approaches are always beneficial. Experimentation often creates some visually stunning movies, and these are well worth watching even if they may have flown under the radar in the past.

10

Three Thousand Years Of Longing (2022)

George Miller’s Colorful Odyssey Was A Box-Office Bomb

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Three Thousand Years of Longing

R

Drama

Fantasy

Romance

ScreenRant logo

8/10

Release Date

August 26, 2022

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

George Miller

Writers

A.S. Byatt, George Miller, Augusta Gore

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Idris Elba In The World premiere of Luther: The Fallen Sun at the BFI IMAX in London.

    Idris Elba

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    Tilda Swinton

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George Miller is most famous for directing the Mad Max franchise, but he has a few other gems in his filmography which don’t get enough attention. Three Thousand Years of Longing is certainly one of these, coming out in the years between Fury Road and Furiosa to a much quieter fanfare.

The djinn’s stories take the audience on a kaleidoscopic whirlwind tour through space and time.

Three Thousand Years of Longing is a fantasy romance movie starring Tilda Swinton as a bookish loner who accidentally summons a powerful djinn, played by Idris Elba. The djinn’s stories take the audience on a kaleidoscopic whirlwind tour through space and time, with a touch of magic to add even more jaw-dropping beauty.

9

Gretel & Hansel (2020)

Oz Perkins Creates A Hauntingly Beautiful Fairy Tale

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Gretel & Hansel

PG-13

Horror

ScreenRant logo

5/10

4.7/10

Release Date

January 30, 2020

Runtime

87 minutes

Director

Oz Perkins

Writers

Rob Hayes

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Sophia Lillis iN The Tribeca Film Festival - 'The Adults' premiere at SVA Theatre

    Sophia Lillis

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Alice Krige

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As the title suggests, Gretel and Hansel takes a subversive approach to the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. This manifests in the story, which conceals a few surprises, but it can also be seen in the cinematography, which presents a thoughtful blend of modern horror movie imagery and old illustrations.

An image of Miles Morales from Into The Spider-Verse, Joi in Blade Runner 2049, and Xiao Mei in House of the Flying Daggers

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As the story unravels, Gretel and Hansel‘s imagery ventures further into the abstract and the perverse. This is where Oz Perkins is at his most creative, conjuring a series of hauntingly beautiful images that feed into the occult symbolism that pushes the narrative forward. The cold, sparse woodland is a great setting for magic and myth.

8

Enter The Void (2009)

A Kaleidoscopic, Overwhelming Melodrama

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Enter the Void

Drama

Fantasy

Release Date

June 17, 2009

Runtime

155 minutes

Director

Gaspar Noe

Writers

Lucile Hadzihalilovic, Gaspar Noe

Producers

Marc Missonnier, Olivier Delbosc, Pierre Buffin, Susanne Marian, Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Nathaniel Brown

    Linda

  • headshot Of Paz de la Huerta

    Paz de la Huerta

    Oscar

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Cyril Roy

    Alex

  • Headshot Of Olly Alexander

    Olly Alexander

    Victor

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Gaspar Noé has always been a provocative director, both in terms of storytelling and visuals. While Enter the Void isn’t quite as disturbing as Irréversible, for example, the kaleidoscopic imagery is turned up a few notches. The result is a dizzying trip that’s quite unlike any other movie, in all the best ways.

Enter the Void has a few neon-soaked abstract interludes, and Noé draws parallels between the tangle of neurons inside a human brain and the brightly-lit streets that criss-cross a busy city. There are some scenes in Enter the Void which seem as though they were written into the story purely to capitalize on the potential of their psychedelic, in-your-face aesthetics.

7

The Night Of The Hunter (1955)

Charles Laughton’s Crime Classic Is A Monochrome Masterpiece

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The Night of the Hunter

Not Rated

Thriller

Drama

Crime

Release Date

August 26, 1955

Runtime

93 Minutes

Director

Charles Laughton

Writers

Davis Grubb, James Agee, Charles Laughton

Cast

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    Robert Mitchum

    Preacher Harry Powell

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Billy Chapin

    John Harper

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    Shelley Winters

    Willa Harper

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    Lillian Gish

    Rachel Cooper

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Black-and-white movies don’t always have the same eye-popping impact as full-color movies, but there are a few exceptions. Movies like Citizen Kane and Psycho are as visually striking as anything in color, which explains why modern filmmakers often use black-and-white compositions to draw more attention to their use of light and composition. The Night of the Hunter is another monochrome masterpiece, even if it isn’t quite as famous.

Charles Laughton was more famous as an actor, and The Night of the Hunter is the only movie he got the chance to direct. This is a real shame, because he shows a natural flair for chiaroscuro compositions and striking visual contrasts. The Night of the Hunter is also one of the best serial killer movies ever, and its story is as revolutionary as its aesthetic.

6

Ruben Brandt, Collector (2018)

The Hungarian Animation Is A Welcome Departure From The Industry Standard

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Ruben Brandt, Collector

R

Animation

Action

Crime

Release Date

February 15, 2019

Runtime

96 Minutes

Director

Milorad Krstic

Writers

Milorad Krstic, Radmila Roczkov

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Iván Kamarás

    Ruben Brandt

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Csaba Márton

    Mike Kowalski

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Gabriella Hámori

    Mimi

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Matt Devere

    Bye-Bye Joe

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For anyone who bemoans the homogenized nature of mainstream animation, Ruben Brandt, Collector is the perfect antidote. It’s one of a few independent movies which have come out in recent years without conforming to the industry standard of 3-D computer-animated visuals. It’s a generous patchwork of different artistic styles, inspired by cubism and fauvism in particular.

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Ruben Brandt, Collector is all about the power of art to torment and to soothe the soul, so it’s appropriate that the visuals are endlessly creative. Pablo Picasso seems to be a huge influence, but there are also nods to the other artists involved, like Edward Hopper, Andy Warhol and Édouard Manet. It’s a sumptuous feast for art-lovers, as well as being a brilliant heist movie.

5

The Double (2013)

Jesse Eisenberg’s Dual Performance Is Just One Of The Double’s Virtues

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The Double

R

Thriller

Drama

Release Date

April 3, 2014

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Richard Ayoade

Writers

Avi Korine

Producers

Michael Caine, Tessa Ross, Lydia Fox, Robin C. Fox, Amina Dasmal

Cast

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  • Headshot Of Jesse Eisenberg

    Jesse Eisenberg

    Simon James / James Simon

  • Headshot OF Mia Wasikowska

    Mia Wasikowska

    Hannah

  • Headshot Of Wallace Shawn

    Wallace Shawn

    Mr. Papadopoulos

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Yasmin Paige

    Mélanie

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The Double proves that Richard Ayoade needs to direct more movies. After making his directorial debut with the deadpan coming-of-age comedy Submarine, he decided to adapt a lesser-known Dostoyevsky novella, and The Double‘s tone is much darker and stranger. The cinematography is designed to match this pervasive feeling of unease.

News broke in 2023 that Richard Ayoade was resurrecting his directorial career with an adaptation of George Saunders’ The Semplica Girl Diaries, but subsequent news has been hard to come by.

The Double stars Jesse Eisenberg in a dual role as a milquetoast office drone and the self-confident doppelgänger who slowly takes over his life. Ayoade creates plenty of jarring images to illustrate the surreal dissonance between the two characters, and his vision of an industrial dystopia is strangely beautiful, even though he works mostly with a palette of grays and blacks.

4

Dreams (1990)

Akira Kurosawa Delves Into His Own Subconscious

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Dreams

PG

Fantasy

Drama

Release Date

May 11, 1990

Runtime

119 minutes

Writers

Akira Kurosawa

Producers

Hisao Kurosawa, Mike Y. Inoue, Steven Spielberg

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Akira Terao

    I

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Mitsuko Baisho

    Mother of ‘I’

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Toshie Negishi

    Mother carrying child

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Mieko Harada

    The Snow Fairy

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Akira Kurosawa’s movies are some of the most aesthetically striking ever made, and his filmography contains a few hidden gems. While the painterly control of Ran and the startling black-and-white composition of Seven Samurai have plenty of fans, Dreams can often fly under the radar, but it’s no less beautiful.

Dreams is a series of vignettes based on images from Kurosawa’s own subconscious. Made late in his career, Dreams shows a masterful director breaking down all barriers between himself and his audience. Many of the stunning images he presents don’t appear to make much narrative or metaphorical sense, but they certainly leave an impression.

3

Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)

Céline Sciamma’s Gorgeous Romance Takes Inspiration From Oil Paintings

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Portrait of a Lady on Fire

R

Release Date

September 18, 2019

Runtime

120 minutes

Director

Céline Sciamma

Cast

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    Adèle Haenel

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Noemie Merlant

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Valeria Golino

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It’s become clichéd to suggest that a beautiful movie looks as if every frame could be a painting, but this high praise is entirely appropriate for Portrait of a Lady on Fire, a film about the intersection between art and love. The gorgeous landscapes and tender portraits are also the perfect ingredients for a soaring romance.

Saoirse Ronan and Tony Revolori in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

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Céline Sciamma accentuates the inherent beauty of the sets, costumes and natural surroundings of the movie. Much like Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, she crafts a period piece inspired by the art of the time, but she also has the ability to make the story feel relevant and vibrant in a way that leaps out of the screen. Portrait of a Lady on Fire‘s ending is a shot through the heart, delivered with as much precise beauty as anything else.

2

How To Steal A Million (1966)

Audrey Hepburn Shines In A Technicolor Marvel

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How to Steal a Million

Approved

Comedy

Crime

Romance

Release Date

August 19, 1966

Runtime

123 Minutes

Director

William Wyler

Writers

George Bradshaw, Harry Kurnitz

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Audrey Hepburn

    Nicole Bonnet

  • Headshot Of Peter O'Toole In The Times BFI 50th London Film Festival

    Peter O’Toole

    Simon Dermott

  • Headshot Of Eli Wallach

    Eli Wallach

    Davis Leland

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Hugh Griffith

    Charles Bonnet

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How to Steal a Million typifies the heist movies of the 1960s, as the genre moved towards stylish comedies rather than violent gangster flicks and murky film noir tales. Audrey Hepburn is perfect for the role of a socialite who faces the unfamiliar prospect of a museum heist to save her father’s skin. She’s as stylishly-dressed as she is in Breakfast at Tiffany‘s and as effortlessly charming as she is in Roman Holiday.

How to Steal a Million is remarkably vibrant, with a technicolor palette that adds a pop of color to the lighthearted story. The colors highlight the luxurious scenery and the inimitable style of the 1960s. This creates a gorgeous movie that isn’t ever overwhelming or too showy with its visuals. The focus remains on the romance between the two amateur thieves, but the stunning artistry is a definite bonus.

1

Fire Of Love (2022)

The Documentary Is More Beautiful Than Most Lovingly Crafted Fiction

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Fire of Love

Documentary

Release Date

July 6, 2022

Runtime

93 minutes

Director

Sara Dosa

Writers

Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput

Producers

Josh Braun, Shane Boris, Ina Fichman, Jessica Harrop, Greg Boustead

Cast

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  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Katia Krafft

    Self (archival footage)

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Maurice Krafft

    Katia Conrad Krafft (voice)

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Alka Balbir

    Maurice Krafft (voice)

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Guillaume Tremblay

    Narrator (voice)

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Fire of Love is a documentary about two French volcanologists who fell in love and traveled the world together while studying their shared passion. Although the movie consists almost entirely of archival footage, it’s as beautiful as almost anything rigorously crafted by professional filmmakers. Many directors would kill to access the raw power of Fire of Love‘s visuals.

Many directors would kill to access the raw power of Fire of Love‘s visuals.

The slightly grainy quality of some of the footage only enhances the visceral effect of seeing towering plumes of lava crashing down around the lovers. The visual metaphors come thick and fast in Fire of Love, but they’re so gorgeous that it never feels like too much, and the contrast between bright red and charcoal black is consistently stunning.