Movies Similar to Viridiana: Dark and Subversive Picks

Description: A surreal and scandalous critique of religion, morality, and societal conventions, featuring disjointed narratives and shocking imagery to provoke and challenge the audience.

Fact: The film caused riots upon its release and was banned for decades. It was funded by the wealthy art patron the Vicomte de Noailles, who also funded other avant-garde films.

Description: A biting satire of the French aristocracy, where a weekend at a country estate reveals the hypocrisy and moral decay of the upper class, using intricate character interactions and a tragicomic tone.

Fact: The film was initially met with hostility and was even banned during World War II. It is now considered one of the greatest films ever made.

Description: A visually stunning fairy tale that delves into themes of transformation, love, and the grotesque, with a dreamlike atmosphere that blurs the line between reality and fantasy.

Fact: The Beast's makeup was so elaborate that it took five hours to apply each day. The film was a passion project for the director, who spent years developing its unique aesthetic.

Description: A poetic reimagining of the Orpheus myth, blending the mundane with the mythical to explore themes of art, death, and obsession, all presented with a dreamlike visual style.

Fact: The film features mirrors as portals to the underworld, a recurring motif in the director's work. It was part of a trilogy that reinterprets classical myths.

Description: A profound meditation on faith, suffering, and isolation, following a young priest's struggles in a hostile parish, presented with a stark, almost documentary-like realism.

Fact: The film was adapted from a novel by Georges Bernanos. It uses voice-over narration extensively to convey the priest's inner thoughts.

Description: A surreal exploration of social decay and human nature, where guests at a dinner party find themselves inexplicably unable to leave, reflecting themes of existential absurdity and societal critique.

Fact: The film was initially banned in Spain due to its perceived anti-Francoist undertones. It features a recurring motif of a bear and a sheep wandering into the mansion, adding to its surreal atmosphere.

Description: A poignant and allegorical story of a donkey's life, mirroring human suffering and redemption, with a minimalist style that emphasizes the brutality and beauty of existence.

Fact: The donkey, Balthazar, is often interpreted as a Christ-like figure. The film was shot in sequence to capture the animal's natural aging process.

Description: A provocative examination of desire, repression, and duality, following a bourgeois housewife who secretly works in a brothel, blending reality and fantasy in a way that challenges moral and social norms.

Fact: The film was controversial for its explicit depiction of sexuality and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The title refers to a type of prostitute who works during the day.

Description: A satirical take on the absurdities of the upper class, where a group of friends repeatedly attempt to dine together but are thwarted by bizarre and surreal interruptions, highlighting the emptiness of bourgeois life.

Fact: The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It features a recurring dream sequence that blurs the line between reality and illusion.

Description: A darkly comedic tale of a man obsessed with the idea of murder, exploring themes of guilt, fantasy, and the blurred line between desire and violence.

Fact: The film was originally intended to be a segment in an anthology film. It uses a music box as a key symbol, representing the protagonist's twisted fantasies.