# Movies that completely change course (spoilers?)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [May 24, 2007, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330 "2007-05-24T06:30:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/21 "2007-05-24T15:23:46Z")
[QUOTE=astorian]
Well, Roberto Benigni’s “Life Is Beautiful” is a quirky, screwball romantic comedy for the first half, before turning into a somber tragedy.
[/QUOTE]
That’s the first (and best) example I thought of.
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### Author:  [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/22 "2007-05-24T16:24:12Z")
“Click” started out with a comedic theme, but ends on a more somber note as the lead character comes to realize how much ruin he has brought upon his life.
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### Author:  [@Potato\_Pancakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potato_Pancakes)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/23 "2007-05-24T16:45:34Z")
Match Point:
> **[Match Point (2005) ⭐ 7.6 | Drama, Romance, Thriller](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416320/)**
>
> 2h 4m | R
What starts off as a romantic drama about a tennis pro dating a girl from a rich family and having an affair on the side with the hot Scarlett Johansson turns suddenly into a edge of your seat suspense thriller for the last 30 minutes. I did not see it coming when I watched it. I don’t want to hint at anything that happens. Just watch it, it’ll be worth it.
Barton Fink:
> **[Barton Fink (1991) ⭐ 7.6 | Comedy, Drama, Thriller](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101410/)**
>
> 1h 56m | R
Great Coen brothers film featuring probably the best character John Goodman has ever portrayed on film. A movie about a newly famous playwright struggling to write a wrestling picture in LA. Just when you think you know where the movie is going, suddenly A dead body and a serial killerbecome part of the plot.
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### Author:  [@NailBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NailBunny)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/24 "2007-05-24T16:55:18Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight]
_From Dusk 'Till Dawn_ does a pretty sudden shift from a crime/getaway/hostage thriller to a vampire horror flick.
[/QUOTE]
I knew someone was going to steal my suggestion!
Seriously…I remember when this movie came out, for some reason I had been privy to, I guess, the **ONE** commercial ever shown that hyped this as a monster movie, so the vampires did not take me by surprise whatsoever. However, I had many, many fun experiences seeing this with other folk who thought they were in for a good gangster movie, and literally jumped out of their seats when Salma Hayek suddenly threw back her head and sprouted fangs, shouting “JESUS CHRIST!”
Heheh. Good times.
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### Author:  [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/25 "2007-05-24T17:44:43Z")
**The Prestige** gets my vote.
It starts out as a dramatic depiction of rivalry between 19th century stage magicians, then suddenly
Tesla shows up and the movie becomes science fiction
which didn’t necessarily ruin the movie for me, but it was a far cry from anything I expected when I started it.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/26 "2007-05-24T21:10:21Z")
Smilla’s Sense of Snow
Murder mystery into :eek:
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/27 "2007-05-24T21:26:24Z")
[QUOTE=ouryL]
Smilla’s Sense of Snow
Murder mystery into :eek:
[/QUOTE]
I didn’t see the movie, but that’s pretty much the way the book goes, too.
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/28 "2007-05-24T21:26:27Z")
**The Crying Game.** The first part, where Fergus is guarding Forrest Whittaker seems like a whole different movie than the second part where Fergus is mooning around Forrest’s old haunts.
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### Author:  [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/29 "2007-05-24T21:34:20Z")
From what’s been discussed here, it seems like in nearly every case, a movie will transform from light to dark.
I’d love to see a movie that did the opposite. One that started out as a dark, disturbing horror movie or thriller, and then turns into a hilarious absurd comedy. Are there any like that?
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### Author:  [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/30 "2007-05-24T21:59:21Z")
_Clerks 2_ started out as a typical Kevin Smith movie where the characters discuss fanboy topics in humorous ways. Then halfway through it turns into a rom-com type thing.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/31 "2007-05-24T22:03:12Z")
[QUOTE=xizor]
_Clerks 2_ started out as a typical Kevin Smith movie where the characters discuss fanboy topics in humorous ways. Then halfway through it turns into a rom-com type thing.
[/QUOTE]
You mean when the donkey shows up? 😃
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/32 "2007-05-24T22:05:22Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
From what’s been discussed here, it seems like in nearly every case, a movie will transform from light to dark.
I’d love to see a movie that did the opposite. One that started out as a dark, disturbing horror movie or thriller, and then turns into a hilarious absurd comedy. Are there any like that?
[/QUOTE]
The opening scene in _Harold and Maude_ qualifies, I guess, although it only lasts a few minutes. Likewise the ending.
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### Author:  [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/33 "2007-05-24T22:14:29Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866]
**The Crying Game.** The first part, where Fergus is guarding Forrest Whittaker seems like a whole different movie than the second part where Fergus is mooning around Forrest’s old haunts.
[/QUOTE]
Then Miranda Richardson pops up and it changes _again_.
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### Author:  [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/34 "2007-05-24T22:48:08Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
From what’s been discussed here, it seems like in nearly every case, a movie will transform from light to dark.
I’d love to see a movie that did the opposite. One that started out as a dark, disturbing horror movie or thriller, and then turns into a hilarious absurd comedy. Are there any like that?
[/QUOTE]
When I watched [The Scout](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299977/) I thought it was going to turn dark. Early on there’s a scene where Brendon Fraser’s character is watching King Kong on television, and Albert Brook’s character refers to him as “King Kong” at least once during the film. There’s also a lot of business with a psychiatrist where Fraser has a definite disconnect.
When Fraser has his meltdown at the end of the movie and climbs up onto the top of the upper deck in Yankee Stadium I was sure that, like Kong, Fraser was falling off the roof to his death. Boy, was I surprised. He comes down on his own and pitches the game. What the hell? They set me up for the switcheroo, and then didn’t pull it.
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### Author:  [@BlueSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlueSilver)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2007, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/35 "2007-05-24T23:29:49Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
From what’s been discussed here, it seems like in nearly every case, a movie will transform from light to dark.
I’d love to see a movie that did the opposite. One that started out as a dark, disturbing horror movie or thriller, and then turns into a hilarious absurd comedy. Are there any like that?
[/QUOTE]
The joy of going from a comedy to horror is that surprise “gotcha” moment where you realise that what you thought was your comfortable couch is now actually a rollercoaster. I think a committed transition from straight-faced horror to comedy would just disappoint most people. The closest example I could come up with for that would be [April Fool’s Day](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090655/) .
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### Author:  [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/36 "2007-05-25T00:37:51Z")
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned _Fight Club_. The ads for it made it look like a masculine empowering movie, but in the middle it undergoes a major shift that made the movie a lot more interesting.
Also, not quite the same thing, but I was amused by the big switch in…setting?..that _Blazing Saddles_ undergoes at the end, where the big brawl between the townsfolk and crooks literally breaks the fourth wall and spreads out through the movie lot. The final duel between the hero and villain occurs outside the movie theater showing the very film we are watching!
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### Author:  [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/37 "2007-05-25T00:37:54Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers]
From what’s been discussed here, it seems like in nearly every case, a movie will transform from light to dark.
I’d love to see a movie that did the opposite. One that started out as a dark, disturbing horror movie or thriller, and then turns into a hilarious absurd comedy. Are there any like that?
[/QUOTE]
Check out _Mute Witness_.
For about the first hour or so, it’s an incredibly intense suspense thriller and then it abruptly shifts gear into a campy, black-comedic chase thriller. The shift in tone is unexpected enough that a lot of horror fans felt cheated that the carefully built atmosphere of impending doom was dispelled in favour of light(er) comedy. However, I really got a kick out of the change up and I appreciate that it really takes balls to risk alienating your audience like that.
It’s not a masterpiece by any means but it is fascinating and well worth seeking out.
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### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2007, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/38 "2007-05-25T04:43:28Z")
Vanilla Sky. Started out as a drama with Tom Cruise playing an obnoxious rich prick who gets disfigured in an accident, but it morphed into… something unexpected. I loved it for having the balls to do that, even though it pissed off most of the people in my theater audience (and I suspect didn’t do well at the box office as a result). I realize it was a remake of a Spanish film, Abre Tus Ojos (Open Your Eyes), but I haven’t seen that one.
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### Author:  [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/39 "2007-05-25T04:55:42Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin]
The Japanese Film [Ôdishon / Audition](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0235198/) takes a very abrupt turn from comedy to horror. I’m still not over it.
[/QUOTE]
I was going to mention this. The most disturbing movie I’ve ever seen.
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### Author:  [@Jeffr062](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeffr062)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2007, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-completely-change-course-spoilers/405330/40 "2007-05-25T05:08:10Z")
[QUOTE=Rich Mann]
_Little Murders_, with Elliott Gould, Donald Sutherland, Alan Arkin and a lot of very recognizable character actors.
It starts out as a light, quirky, surreal, romantic comedy and suddenly (with a bang) switches to a very, very, dark comedy. So, still technically a comedy, but you _will_ be shocked at the big swerve if you see it.
I haven’t seen it in decades and I would dearly love to find it and see it again someday.
[/QUOTE]
Well its on DVD at Amazon for 9.98
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