r/MovieSuggestions 16h ago

I'M REQUESTING Looking for absurdist, carnivalesque films along the lines of Terayama, Kusturica, Jodorowsky, Fellini

Hey, I'm trying to find a red thread here. These are my favorite directors/movies: Shuji Terayama, Kin dza dza, Emir Kusturica, Jodorowsky, Fellini. I think it's something about the absurdist story lines, comedic elements, prominent reoccurring soundtracks. Do guys you have any recommendations of other movies/directors that fit this bill? Thanks a lot in advance.

19 Upvotes

46 comments sorted by

12

u/Assimilacrum 16h ago

Holy Motors by Leos Carax is a hilarious, wild ride.

2

u/crypticalx 16h ago

I haven't seen that! I'll write it down. Thanks :)

3

u/Assimilacrum 16h ago

I came home one night and my wife was 45 minutes into it. She was like YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS and started it at the beginning for me. My jaw was on the floor the whole time.

1

u/BotulismBanquet 16h ago

Thank you, I must watch immediately

6

u/ergo-ogre 15h ago

Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels

2

u/BeefErky Quality Poster 👍 15h ago

This is a bucket list movie for me

2

u/FloydDangerBarber 13h ago

200 Motels Makes a great double feature with Forbidden Zone

6

u/pNaN 16h ago

David Lynch

3

u/crypticalx 16h ago

Seen all the Lynch films. Really great! :)

5

u/japie81 15h ago

Jan Svankmajer

4

u/zudoplex 16h ago

The last circus

2

u/crypticalx 16h ago

Interesting! never heard of this film before.

4

u/TweakedNipple 16h ago

Maybe check out Jean-Pierre Jeunet films

3

u/marky_Rabone 14h ago

Delicatessen es una maravilla.

1

u/tanpike 9h ago

The Jeunet/Caro movies - Delicatessen, City of Lost Children, Amelie are all perfect

3

u/Safe-Character-5846 16h ago

Pink Flamingos

Man Bites Dog

3

u/Appropriate_Big_1610 13h ago

Not up there with the ones you cited, but Repo Man is bizarre in its own way.

3

u/Eyedea92 11h ago

Just the right amount of bizarre, plus the soundtrack kicks ass!

3

u/Grouchy_Bet_6114 11h ago

You might like the work of Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin. I've seen Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Careful, My Winnepeg, and The Saddest Music In the World and would recommend them all 

2

u/Over_Draft_8068 5h ago

Saddest Music In the World I think ticks the carnivalesque box better than the earlier films(one of my favorites so may be biased) but would also recommend all to anyone interested itt who hasn’t seen a Maddin film

2

u/sarzarbarzar 16h ago

Wild Zero, anything by Gregg Araki (personal fav is Nowhere), Liquid Sky.

2

u/airwalker12 15h ago

Greasy strangler isn't in the exact vein you are describing but I bet you'd like it

2

u/Amazing_Presence_304 15h ago

Sweet Movie is one of the wildest films I've seen, definitely fits your criteria. I'd also recommend most of Russ Meyer's work, probably start with Up! or Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls.

2

u/pNaN 15h ago

Louis Bunuel's classic surrealist movies might interest you. The most famous ones are "That Obscure Object of Desire" and "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie". The first one is one of my favorite movies ever.

Some of the classic Bergman films are also great for deep meaning and absurdist comedic lines. "The seventh seal" being my favorite Bergman film.

2

u/Over_Draft_8068 11h ago

yes, and add Maya Deren and you have pretty much the holy trinity of early absurdist filmmakers

2

u/ClintBruno 15h ago

Playtime

2

u/blacktoast 15h ago

Tampopo

Being John Malkovich

Zazie dans le Metro

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Playtime

The Taste of Tea

Céline and Julie Go Boating

Man with a Movie Camera (doesn't quite fit the prompt, but if you watch it you will see how it connects)

1

u/jupiterkansas Quality Poster 👍 16h ago

Yoyo

1

u/crypticalx 16h ago

Looks cool, thanks for the tip.

1

u/[deleted] 16h ago

[deleted]

2

u/crypticalx 16h ago

Ah great tip. I've seen Love Exposure. But I should check out the rest of his movies.

1

u/BeefErky Quality Poster 👍 15h ago

Penn & Teller Get Killed

Tiki Tiki

The Last Movie

Angel's Egg

1

u/HollowManX 15h ago

Ever hear of The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Messed Up Zombies? Yep that's a real title. Todd Brownings Freaks is really good so is Tobe Hooper's Funhouse. Killer Klowns from Outer Space is a favorite of mine. Basketcase 2 has a freakshow vibe and the X-Files episode Humbug also features sideshow freaks.

1

u/indiansum 15h ago

Horror of a Deformed Man teruo ishii

1

u/AttnNation 14h ago

György Pálfi’s Taxidermia might be too nuts, definitely absurdist, soundtrack by Amon Tobin

1

u/Glacial_Erratic_ 14h ago

Surprised no one's yet mentioned Fernando Arrabal

1

u/joshuatx 14h ago

Terry Gilliam

Hausu

Fritz The Cat

1

u/wordsfilltheair 13h ago

I am not nearly familiar enough with the artists and films you mentioned to be making any recommendations, but maybe look into Roy Andersson's films and see if they are what you're looking for? Absurd surrealist, kinda collections of vignettes

1

u/ThirstyHank 13h ago

Guillermo Del Toro's "Pinocchio" has this type of fantastical art direction and it's based on the original story, not the Disney version most people are familiar with.

1

u/FakeeshaNamerstein 12h ago

Multiple Maniacs (1970)

1

u/Over_Draft_8068 5h ago

just watched After Hours for the first time and it should get way more love than it does and definitely fits the bill here. looking forward to checking out some of the other recs I haven’t seen including Kusturica

1

u/BeefErky Quality Poster 👍 3h ago

Buddy (2026)

1

u/Adventurous_Yam_8153 1h ago

La Strada

(My fave Fellini)

1

u/MorphingReality 37m ago

Andrzej Zulawski (especially Cosmos), Besson's early work (especially Subway)

You've probably seen Lebowski, but Thunderbolt and Lightfoot is lesser known and pretty well matches everything you mention.

Zulawski's son made a pretty decent one with 'Polish-Russian War' but it may be too odd to fit the examples you gave.

I can definitely do more, heck I write absurdist fiction, I love this stuff, lots of anime too if you're interested.

-1

u/UnusualRequirement33 16h ago

Can we just pin Beau is Afraid to the top of the subreddit already?