While some movies are built around a story or character, some are built on ideas that play with the form altogether. Many films use gimmicks to entertain, convey information, or even mislead audiences. These gimmicks, when used poorly. can become a crutch, barely holding the movie up.
However, many great filmmakers use gimmicks to simply open up creatively and bring original ideas to the table, or to strengthen already sound films. Here are ten films that do exactly that.
Clue (1985)
The mystery-comedy based on the famous board game has gained quite the cult fandom in the decades since its release, but even when it first released theatrically, it was doing a lot to grab people's attention.
The film was put into different theaters with different endings, each centered around a different character being revealed to be the killer. It was not only a bold film idea but also a great way to adapt the nature of the board game for the screen.
The Beast Must Die (1974)
This unique, but underseen comedy is a mixture of murder-mystery film and werewolf camp horror. The premise is simple, with eight eccentric characters being summoned to an island, only to find that one of them is a werewolf.
The film's true genius shows through right before the finale, when it actually stops for a thirty-minute intermission, asking the viewer to make their final guess as to who they think the killer wolf is.
Rugrats Go Wild (2003)
This movie was a big Nickelodeon event film, crossing over the two popular series of Rugrats and The Wild Thornberries. The movie, even in theaters, came with scratch-and-sniff cards to be used during specific scenes.
While this film wasn't the only one to use the smell-o-vision gimmick, it was one of the most recent, and most popular, as it was marketed to kids.
Searching (2018)
This missing person thriller has a gimmick similar to another set of films further don the list. The movie follows John Cho as David Kim, a man desperate to find his missing teenage daughter.
The twist on the typical film form here is that the entire thing plays out from the perspective of Kim's computer, truly grounding the story in a way that nearly everyone in modern society can relate to it.
WNUF Halloween Special (2013)
This low-budget horror effort is one of the most creative films on this list. The movie is designed intricately to look and feel like a lost broadcast recording from the '80s of ghosthunters in a haunted house. The film is complete with fitting visuals, fake commercials, and everything else needed to sell it.
It's a fun way to use to what's available to make a gripping movie. Plus, the horror elements are quite strong after it gets going.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
While this Will Ferrell led comedy/drama isn't as stylistically different as many of the films on this list, it still plays with the expectations and designs of movies in a brilliant way, which is exactly what many of the gimmicks on this list seek to do.
The movie has a writer narrating the story, but elsewhere, unbeknownst to her, a man can hear the narration. He then finds that she is crafting his life as he lives it.
Adaptation (2002)
This Nicolas Cage led film is the most meta of the entire list. The movie follows Cage as he portrays the film's actual writer, who has basically been tasked with the difficult job of writing the movie that is playing out.
It isn't that obvious, with other plotlines, fictional characters, and non-linear elements each playing their part in making it all work as a film. The film is set-up as an almost impossible narrative and then executed beautifully.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
This film, part of the Black Mirror series of anthologies, has all the typical staples of a Black Mirror film, but it also comes with a new and inventive take on streaming films. The movie is also a choose your own adventure game, allowing the viewer to actually make choices for the main character.
This is a format that has since been emulated by other Netflix films, mostly for children, but the first and most influential attempt is still this dark science fiction thriller.
Unfriended & Unfriended: Dark Web (2014/2018)
The surprise hit from Blumhouse tells its ghost horror story completely within an internet video chat. The interface, performances, and look of the film are each spot on, taking this beyond gimmick and into style and format.
Then, the sequel does the same again but also ups the ante by following in Clue's footsteps by having different endings in different showings.
One Cut Of The Dead (2017)
This Japanese comedy went completely under the radar until last year when it finally got a release in America through the streaming service Shudder. The film's first gimmick comes immediately, as the zombie film begins with a forty-minute one-take shot.
The second half of the film has a different gimmick that turns the first half on its head, creating an unforgettable and hilarious take on film. Unfortunately, to say any more would ruin the turn, so simply go watch it yourself.
