inspired by @tutuzondo, instead of doing visually pleasing films here's a thread of lowkey/not so lowkey films i think y'all should watch that are not bad visually.

Beyond the Black Rainbow dir. Panos Cosmatos (2010)

it's a science fiction horror film that's all about control, repression. Cosmatos stated that its about social control mechanisms and how religion affects our consciousness and society.

and the visuals reflect that, they're moody, colourful and hypnotic.

The Burial of Kojo dir. Blitz Bazawule (2018)

again no words can describe this stunning film. a poetic masterpiece that offers you glimpses at spirituality, love, betrayal and death.

with gorgeous imagery that transports you into this realm of magic and realism, The Burial of Kojo is one 2018's best offerings. period.

Immortals dir. Tarsem Singh (2011)

Tarsem Singh's retelling of Greek myths is a visual spectacular, though the story is a bit meh Henry Cavill before superman is alright.

S1C1L14N GH05T 5T0RY dir. Fabio Grassadonia and Antonio Piazza (2017)

horrific real life Italian story about the mafia kidnapping and killing a young boy because he's seen too much is framed as a dark fairy tale fantasy.

the mysterious forest and the mystical lake create an intense fantasy that's grounded in realism and young love.

My Blueberry Nights dir. Wong kar-wai (2007)

"i wonder how you'll remember me... as the girl who liked blueberry pies? or the girl with a broken heart?"

it's got that Wong kar-wai magic for me, visually its warm and romantic with characters who are sad, lonely and heartbroken searching for something in someone and excuse me but the music in this is just as fantastic as the visuals.

Tangerine dir. Sean Baker (2015)

shot with three iPhone 5S smartphone, Sean Baker captures the hidden world of a trans sex worker who goes on a quest to find her pimp/boyfriend who is cheating on her.

Baker frames it as a buddy comedy but its a rare view into this world that rarely gets seen in cinéma. the cinematography is very street with filters & warm colours that create the films distinctive look which makes it standout not just visually but thematically too.

Prospect dir. Zeek Earl & Chris Caldwell (2018)

focuses on a father and daughter team who travel to some foreign moon to mine gems, this sci-fi pic rather places focus on the characters development instead of the special effects but that doesn't mean the film isn't good looking.

it's green tones highlight the greed theme that's part of the film.

Monsters dir. Gareth Edwards (2010)

Gareth Edwards' debut seees him be the writer, cinematographer, production designer, and visual effects artist...

...while also serving us a really great film about aliens and relationships, the fear, beauty and awe of strange new things.

Equals dir. Drake Doremus (2015)

its a visually slick science fiction romantic drama from Derek, its futuristic aesthetic is a feast for the eyes.

beautiful gowns...

Upstream Color dir. Shane Carruth (2013)

Shane Carruth is no stranger to experimental science fiction, with his debut "Primer" tackling time travel this time with "Upstream Color" Shane tackles behaviour.

its obscure and sometimes overwhelming with beautiful visuals steeped with naturalistic tones that match the films "returning to nature" / "breaking the cycle" themes.

should i continue.

Besouro (The Assailant) dir. João Daniel Tikhomiroff (2009)

this action drama film is fantastic. Huan-Chiu Ku, who did Kill Bill's choreography is responsible for the film's fight scenes and it's a feast for the eyes.

also a very important film the Brazilian martial art capoeira, which was invented by Afro-Brazilians slaves to protect themselves against the slave owners.

A Field Day in England dir. Ben Wheatley (2013)

atmospheric, well shot, striking, thrilling and EXPERIMENTAL!

a great psychological horror film.

lmao a wild film.

Aloys dir. Tobias Nölle (2016)

Tobias Nölle's Swiss film features a gloomy atmosphere and tackles its character's depression and grief by making him go on a journey that heightens his emotions and introduces him to new ones.

which makes the film walk a fine line between gloomy and hopefulness.

La Jalousie dir. Philippe Garrel (2013)

this French drama film features characters who make choices that aren't very good for them but watching them is compelling.

with its black and white picture the film feels like a classic French film and not just in picture but in design and construction.

Let the Corpses Tan dir. Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani (2017)

its a stylish French western about a gang of robbers who find some gold and get involved in a day long gun fight with cops.

there's some double crossing that happens, some mess nje.

Love dir. Gasper Noé (2015)

its one Gasper's sexually graphic films with music by Lawrence Schulz & John Carpenter (yes that John Carpenter) and its about love...

...so of course its use of warm colours and silhouettes to enhance the erotica and romance make sense. some scenes are mesmerizing and compelling, while others fall flat but it's still a superb personal film.

A Single Man dir. Tom Ford (2009)

Tom Ford's directorial debut is a stylish tale about a depressed gay professor in 1962.

some frames are sensual colourful and vivid while others are icy cold and bleak. Ford jumps continuously between the two tones.

Kaboom dir. Gregg Araki (2010)

Araki is not stranger to queer cinéma and with Kaboom its his most eccentric film yet.

the colours and tones match the wild nature of the film, its got bright and trippy colours that are equally matched by the music.

The Darjeeling Limited dir. Wes Anderson (2007)

The Darjeeling Limited carries Wes Anderson's distinctive visual style, and this might be my favourite offering from him because it's just a good feel good Owen Wilson movie man!

the vibrant colours, and the warmth they envoke is magnificent. the yellows, browns, reds, blues and greens enhance the colourful characters and screenplay.

Resolution dir. Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson (2012)

directed by my faves Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, Resolution has that distinctive visual style which is natural and warm coupled with some heavy themes, family drama and some unseen mystical force.

the naturalistic tones here are used to enhance the surrealism and fantasy of the whole film. the natural lighting helps to highlight the surroundings while adding some mystic air of the film.

A Coffee in Berlin dir. Jan-Ole Gerster (2012)

Jan-Ole Gerster's A Coffee in Berlin is kinda sad and tragic but in a funny kind of way. Tom Schilling is fantastic in this, and really hits a home run in the final act.

i think because it's in black and white it makes the reality of Niko even sadder and is an amplifier for the tragedy but you can't help but root for our lad.

Nightcrawler dir. Dan Gilroy (2014)

not only is this film striking in terms of story, the visuals aren't so too shabby. Gilroy crafts an image of a city full of violence, greed and opportunities for those willing to go out and take them by any means necessary.

the city is restless and you can tell by the slick visuals that portray it as a morally corrupt character that's willing to consume news no matter how unethical the journalism behind the news is.

Ms. Purple dir. Justin Chon (2019)

Tiffany Chu's Kasie struggles with emotional wounds in Justin Chon's stellar film.

a vibrant film full of colour that sometimes finds itself switching between the highly saturated neon night world of Kasie and her desaturated reality filled with sadness childhood traumas that must be overcome.

Lust, Caution dir. Ang Lee (2007)

Ang Lee uses sex as a weapon in this wonderful erotic espionage period piece. the story and direction are impeccable and so are the visuals.

cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto and designer Lai Pan craft sensual imagery that's grand, full of drama and romance with hints of danger that's hidden in the shadows and mirror reflections.

Lost River dir. Ryan Gosling (2014)

Ryan Gosling's feature directorial debut is a fantasy mystery drama that's more about visually looking good rather than the story but Gosling with the help of cinematographer Benoît Debie and composer Johnny Jewel craft imagery and sound...

that is fantastical, colourful and moody that transport you to this part of America that feels like its a hidden world full of broken characters.

Lie With Me dir. Clément Virgo (2005)

a film that's got some explicit sex scenes and intense emotions. Barry Stone's cinematography is soft, with dreamy sex scenes with a warm afternoon feel.

Lie With Me's use of colours and lighting is impressive and creates a mood that is erotic, sometimes sad and sometimes romantic. the warm afternoon tones of the reds and browns switched between the natural sunlight tones and cold blues.

Revenge dir. Coralie Fargeat (2018)

Coralie Fargeat's rape and revenge action film takes colours usually associated with high octane action films and adds that flair of horror in the contrasts.

Robrecht Heyvaert's cinematography gives the film a very exploitation-esque lense in the first half but slowly transforms the film into an action spectacular that takes the desert tones and makes them harsh.

The Tribe (Plemya) dir. Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy (2014)

Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy's Ukrainian drama film is one of last decades most innovative and bold drama films. in The Tribe (Plemya) blue is the warmest colour, it's also the harshest and coldest.

the blues are bleak and muted, cinematographer Valentyn Vasyanovych draws out the anxiety and coldness from the blue but also slightly draws out the warmth from the earth tone colours.

Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo dir. Olivier Ducastel (2016)

Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo follows Théo & Hugo who meet at a sex club/orgy and spend the next two hours getting to know each other

Olivier Ducastel opens the film with a very explicit 18 min orgy that's full of red and blue...

... with a sensual dreamlike effect given off by the lights and this sensuality is carried through the entire film this time enhanced by the natural tones and white tones.

Don't Come Back from the Moon dir. Bruce Thierry Cheung. (2017) or (2019) if you're a purist like me.

this film feels great and heavy at the same time, feels very personal and the music helps move you on a emotional level. its got a very authentic Americana spirit to it...

with a soft grainy texture. it uses the white to balance out the warm tones of brown, dusty yellow that sort of create this dusty small town-fantastical aura to the film.

an impressive use of natural and artificial light to enhance the environment.

Thirty Years of Adonis dir. Scud (2017)

a very interesting film, i mean it is done by SCUD so enough said really.

great use of colour and nudity to tell the spiritual and personal story of its main character.

Ema dir. Pablo Larraín (2019)

Larraín's Ema is bursting with fire, dance and sexual energy with some colourful cinematography that highlights the characters journey

there's such a great use of colour in this film and it's not just style over substance but there's meaning to every colour in the frame either to show contrast, internal conflict, emotions during sex scenes or power dynamics between characters.

November dir. Rainer Sarnet (2017)

November is an Estonian fantasy film that follows villagers who are absolute assholes. i mean they scam satan, steal from Jesus, their ancestors and each other and one of them turns into a werewolf.

shot in black and white Rainer Sarnet's surreal pic never fails in creating amazing contrasts and shadows with its pictures. the use of black and white highlights the folklore essence of the film.

The Wild Goose Lake dir. Diao Yinan (2019)

The Wild Goose Lake is an exciting crime noir about criminals and the wreckage their actions cause and there's some stuff about interpersonal connections.

drenched in neon, blood, betrayal and wetness, The Wild Goose Lake is visually arresting with the amazing using of colour and night.

it uses rain and shadow to highlight the criminals and their complex nature.

Paris, Texas dir. Wim Wenders (1984)

Wim Wenders worked with cinematographer Robby Müller aka the “master of light” on Paris, Texas and the results are amazing.

it's clear with an Americana spirit that feels timeless and the use of colour mainly green and red is just *chef's kiss*

Müller's cinematography enhanced the human experience and he his lens offered a layer of sensitivity to the film.

Her dir. Spike Jonze (2013)

Spike's 2013 feature is romantic, kinda sad with an overflow of warmth and honestly.

the film is set in a not too distant future and it moves away from the dystopian look of it's peers but rather it settles for an intimate and nostalgic look.

cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema used the camera in such a wonderful way that allowed for intimacy and relationships to be captured.

there's a lovely softness to the film, captured through colour, framing and lighting.

Baskin dir. Can Evrenol (2015)

this Turkish horror film from Can Evrenol is nightmare horror at it's best.

a couple of policemen investigate a disturbance only for them to enter a hellish nightmare which they can never escape from, they descend to hell itself even.

Baskin uses the blues, reds and earthy oranges to drive it's nightmarish point across.

the close ups unsettles you, there's also this fantastical/dream-like texture to the film which helps with its loop/endless cycle element.

Arrival dir. Denis Villeneuve (2016)

Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” is thought provoking and profound. the film tackles time and memory in such an artful way, it questions morality and psychology but is never too complex not to be understood.

cinematographer Bradford Young uses used grays, blues and browns to create the films uniquely naturalistic look.

"The way we approached photographing the film was to be very raw yet naturalistic, exploring the darkness as unknown rather than a frightening premise.” - Young.

"...memory is a strange thing, it doesn't work like i thought it did.

we are so bound by time, by it's order."

The Matrix dir. The Wachowskis (1999)

"The Matrix" is about a man trying to escape a false reality by shedding an identity assigned to him by machines.

The Wachowskis forever changed the game with this magnificent piece of sci-fi action, that wasn't just your typical hollywood blockbuster but it was also a profound piece of storytelling that serves as an allegory for transness.

"I don't know how present my transness was in the background of my brain when we were writing it but it all came from the same kind of fire," - Lilly Wachowski.

"Trans people exist — especially me and Lana — in this space where the words didn't exist, so we were always living in a world of imagination." - Lilly Wachowski.

with cinematography from Bill Pope The Matrix perfectly captures that machine world. the use of green, black and the films ability to switch between the green-tinged code of the matrix and grim yet clear reality.

The Matrix fight scenes are some of the most iconic in cinéma and infused with the cyberpunk aesthetics the film is unforgettable experience.

This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection dir. Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese (2020)

this Lesotho feature is poetic and arresting with a haunting performance from screen legend Mary Twala Mhlongo.

the film follows Mantoa as she waits for death while trying to save her land.

the film is rich with colour and naturalism, cinematographer Pierre de Villiers keeps you enthralled with the imagery that takes you in and out Mantoa's grief will simultaneously spellbinding you with vivid pictures.

rich landscape and close-ups of Mary Twala Mhlongo >

“this is not a death march, this is the march of the living and the dead."

Hero (Yīng Xióng) dir. Zhang Yimou 2002

cinematographer Christopher Doyle known for his work with auteur Wong kar-wai was in top form here.

Hero (Yīng Xióng) is one of the most visually pleasing films of the 2000's.

it's this technical and visual expression of these characters who are living the world Zhang Yimou has crafted.

Doyle crafts and composed some of his most spectacular shots in this film. Hero is atmospheric and dreamlike.

the magnificently composed shots of the individual stories that are presented with individual colours convey that dreamlike atmosphere that's also got a hint of romantism.

a beautiful cinématic tragedy.