# Movies that gradually change in tone (e.g., starts a comedy, ends a drama)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 10, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200 "2011-08-10T15:09:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Namkcalb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Namkcalb)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/61 "2011-08-11T07:34:49Z")
> [@Beadalin](#):
>
> [Audition](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audition_%28film%29). Starts out slightly sweet and then takes an abrupt turn into utter horror. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I watched it.
I came into this thread just to post that
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### Author:  [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/62 "2011-08-11T11:29:08Z")
Love and Other Drugs does this, too, and really pissed me off. I came to see the romcom in the ads, not this maudlin crap.
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### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/63 "2011-08-11T13:09:09Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#):
>
> \*\*Auto Focus \*\*starts out looking and sounding like Herbie the Love Bug and ends up like something directed (but not written) by David Lynch.
That’s another movie I meant to see and never got around to. I generally like Greg Kinnear, and I heard good things about the film. I heard it got kind of freaky and made Bob Crane look like a complete creep.
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### Author:  [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/64 "2011-08-11T13:40:04Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Even William Goldman sort of admits he made a mistake there. He said he should have put more foreshadowing in the early parts of the movie so the audience would have been prepared for the event you referred to. As I recall, he said he wanted to surprise the audience, which he did, but he did it so well he lost them and never got them back for the rest of the movie.
Do you mean George Roy Hill?
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### Author:  [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/65 "2011-08-11T13:46:31Z")
> [@Ronald\_C.Semone](#):
>
> Do you mean George Roy Hill?
No, he’s right; Goldman says it pretty much word-for-word in his book.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/66 "2011-08-11T14:04:34Z")
**Psycho**.
Starts as a crime drama which makes you think the movie will be focused around Janet Leigh embezzling $40K from her employer in Phoenix and dodging the law to hook up with her boyfriend in California.
To make a long story short… she never makes it.
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### Author:  [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/67 "2011-08-11T14:16:04Z")
> [@etv78](#):
>
> How did you NOT know that \*Life is Beautiful \*was a downer movie? It’s about the FRICKIN" HOLOCAUST!
The trailers I saw were all about Begnini acting cute with his boy.
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### Author:  [@Themenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Themenin)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/68 "2011-08-11T17:25:01Z")
[Shallow Grave](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111149/)
Goes from sarcastic sit-com to psychodrama, and you’re not quite sure how you got here from there.
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### Author:  [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/69 "2011-08-11T18:08:17Z")
> [@Hampshire](#):
>
> **Psycho**.
> Starts as a crime drama which makes you think the movie will be focused around Janet Leigh embezzling $40K from her employer in Phoenix and dodging the law to hook up with her boyfriend in California.
> To make a long story short… she never makes it.
Well, don’t leave us hanging, man … what happens?
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/70 "2011-08-11T18:09:02Z")
_Cocktail_ is a fun but predictable mentor/student fill about learning a fun trade until things go horribly wrong for each of the main characters.
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### Author:  [@Haunted\_Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haunted_Pasta)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/71 "2011-08-11T18:20:42Z")
_The Descent,_ although its two genres aren’t as far apart as a lot of others in this thread. The first (better) half was all atmospheric and psychological. The second half was just straight-up horror. The exact moment of transition about made me jump backwards through the wall, though.
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### Author:  [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/72 "2011-08-11T18:22:24Z")
I have to disagree about Hot Fuzz, it was a comedy from start to end. The actiony ending was just an in joke rather than a change in tone.
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### Author:  [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/73 "2011-08-11T18:24:50Z")
> [@Bayard](#):
>
> That’s another movie I meant to see and never got around to. I generally like Greg Kinnear, and I heard good things about the film. I heard it got kind of freaky and made Bob Crane look like a complete creep.
It’s fantastic. John Carpenter is Willem Dafoe’s second most creepy role, surpassed only by his Bobby Peru.
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/74 "2011-08-11T19:14:49Z")
> [@sauron](#):
>
> well, don’t leave us hanging, man … What happens?
scree! Scree! Scree!
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/75 "2011-08-11T22:02:22Z")
**Little Miss Sunshine** has many comedic moments, yet there is an undertone of sadness running through it the whole time. It leaves me with a lump in my throat by the end even after all the laughs.
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### Author:  [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/76 "2011-08-11T23:52:06Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> I assume you mean J.K. Simmons? Because otherwise that would be really, really strange!
I did indeed - thanks for the catch. And it would indeed be one of the Coens’ stranger efforts!
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### Author:  [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/77 "2011-08-12T00:22:47Z")
The cover of The Usual Suspects makes it look like some sort of screwball comedy, even the title sounds like it. If you ignore the VERY opening scene (with the fire), the first 15-30 minutes is actually rather funny, with the guys in jail and a small bit of the initial deal with the guy in California and stuff. Then it ditches that pretty damn fast.
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### Author:  [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2011, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/78 "2011-08-12T01:36:41Z")
**Sunshine**
[spoilers]Starts off 2001 but ended Alien[/spoilers]
\*\*Little Miss Sunshine \*\* is one of those “Sundance Film Festival ‘comedies’”. Sort of like Sideways or Garden State. They really aren’t funny.
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### Author:  [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2011, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/79 "2011-08-12T08:18:50Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#):
>
> In Bruges
These are films I would consider just all around hybrids, rather than films that transition from one genre to another.
> [@teela\_brown](#):
>
> _Burn After Reading_
> [@Tom\_Scud](#):
>
> _Lucky Number Slevin_ looks like a mistaken-identity/caper movie for a while, then becomes something a lot bloodier.
> [@Themenin](#):
>
> [Shallow Grave](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111149/)
> Goes from sarcastic sit-com to psychodrama, and you’re not quite sure how you got here from there.
Films I came in to mention.
> [@teela\_brown](#):
>
> The final fillip of humor by J. K. Rowlings makes it break the pattern, though.
WHAT???
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> I assume you mean J.K. Simmons? Because otherwise that would be really, really strange!
OK phew…
> [@RikWriter](#):
>
> From Dusk Til Dawn started out as a pretty heavy-handed crime thriller then abruptly turned into a somewhat dark-comedic vampire movie.
Films I didn’t think of but would count
> [@Cayuga](#):
>
> _Kindergarten Cop_. I know couple of people who were pissed off that the family comedy they took their kids to, about Arnold going undercover in a class full of adorable tykes, ended up as a tension-filled, violent action movie.
Another one. But only in retrospect. As a kid, it didn’t phase me. But as an adult I’m like, WTF?
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#):
>
> Art School Confidential starts off as kind of funny, quirky look at stereotypical art school types and then takes on a much darker tone.
Ooh I have to check this out now. Actually I was going to check it out anyway but forget about it.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [August 12, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-that-gradually-change-in-tone-e-g-starts-a-comedy-ends-a-drama/592200/80 "2011-08-12T12:07:49Z")
> [@The\_Tooth](#):
>
> It’s fantastic. John Carpenter is Willem Dafoe’s second most creepy role, surpassed only by his Bobby Peru.
Subject for a new thread: What _are_ Willem Dafoe’s creepiest roles? (His appearance in _Streets of Fire_ made as much impact as Ray Liotta’s in _Something Wild_–the first times those remarkable visages hit the big screen.)
I’d put in a vote for Gas in _eXistenZ_. Would _you_ let him do to you what Jude Law let him do? That’s a movie that changes tone: From Weird to Even Weirder. Then, Oh, You Thought _That_ Was Weird!
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