10 great movies that break the fourth wall
Miscellaneous / / March 05, 2022
"Fanatic", "Blow Kiss", "Amelie" and other tapes, the characters of which are so bold that they directly address the audience.
Usually movie characters do not look towards the camera, because for them it does not exist. But sometimes the directors make an exception and allow the characters to speak to the audience from the screen. And if you suddenly witnessed such a reception, know that the so-called fourth wall is breaking in front of you.
1. Fanatic
high fidelity
- UK, USA, 2000.
- Drama, melodrama, comedy, music.
- Duration: 113 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.5.
Experiencing the departure of a girl, Rob, the owner of a vinyl shop, decides to once again clean up his records. At the same time, he recalls his top 5 most offensive breakups and tries to identify patterns in failures.
In the cult film adaptation of Nick Hornby's bestselling book, John Cusack's character talks about his misfortunes directly to the camera. Moreover, this technique was carefully transferred to the serial remake "music lover» with Zoe Kravitz, where the heroine also speaks directly to the audience.
2. Tonya vs everyone
I, Tonya
- USA, UK, Qatar, 2017.
- Biography, sports, comedy, drama.
- Duration: 119 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.5.
Talented figure skater Tonya Harding became the first American woman in the world to perform a difficult element of skating - a triple axel. Alas, she became famous not only for her sporting achievements, but also for a grandiose scandal. The girl so wanted to get to the Olympics that she was ready to take any measures to eliminate her main competitor, Nancy Kerrigan.
In the history of Tony Harding, there are so many blank spots and omissions that director Craig Gillespie decided to abandon a coherent narrative and presented the plot as a tangled tangle of facts and fiction. And from time to time, he deliberately breaks the fourth wall so that each character can express their opinion about what is happening, looking directly into the camera. Who to believe is up to the viewer.
Watch on iTunes →
Watch on Google Play →
3. Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
- USA, 2005
- Thriller, comedy, crime, detective.
- Duration: 103 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.5.
Fraudster Harry Lockhart, escaping from the police, gets to audition for a new detective film. He impresses the producers so much that he is cast and sent to Hollywood. But there the hero, along with a new acquaintance, is involved in a dark story.
In Shane Black's black comedy, the hero Robert Downey Jr. now and then breaks the fourth wall, commenting on what is happening on the screen. It is unlikely that the director was going to lay a deep meaning in this technique, but watching the film is even more fun.
Watch on iTunes →
Watch on Google Play →
4. funny games
funny games
- Austria, 1997
- Thriller, drama, crime.
- Duration: 108 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.6.
An ordinary Austrian family comes to rest in their house by the lake. Soon they meet a couple of young people. One of them asks the hostess for four eggs. And with this simple request, the main nightmare in the lives of the heroes begins.
In this incredibly violent film, Michael Haneke transforms the audience from mere observers into accomplices. The killers they don’t just torture their victims, but at the same time look into the eyes of the viewer, ask him questions about who should be killed first, rewind what happened or even ask: “You probably would like to stop watching this movie?"
By the way, 10 years later, Haneke shot an English-language remake of his own film, where he repeated all the flirting with the fourth wall. But the new version has already impressed viewers much less.
5. Short game
The Big Short
- USA, 2015.
- Drama, comedy, biography, history.
- Duration: 130 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.6.
In 2005, hedge fund manager Michael Berry discovers that the US real estate market is on the brink of collapse. He realizes that this is a chance to earn huge money, and invests almost all of his company's funds in bonds that will be paid in case of default. Upon learning of Barry's actions, several businessmen decide to gamble against the rest of the market.
Director Adam McKay has to chew on some rather complex financial terms for the public during the course of the story. And so that the audience does not fall asleep in the process, the characters from time to time address them directly through the screen.
Sometimes the main plot is even simply paused and random celebrities like the actress burst into the narrative. Margot Robbielying in a foam bath. And explain to the audience the most puzzling parts of what is happening.
6. Ferris Bueller's day off
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- USA, 1986.
- Comedy.
- Duration: 103 minutes.
- IMDb: 7.8.
Instead of passing his final exams, Ferris Bueller decides to skip school and goes to Chicago in the company of his best friends. But his sister is sleeping and sees how to frame her brother, who always gets away with everything.
At the very beginning of the film, director and screenwriter John Hughes uses the fourth wall breaking technique to bring us to the side of the hero Matthew Broderick. After all, he shares his most intimate thoughts with the audience, as if dedicating the audience to the number of close friends. And we immediately understand that in front of us is a rebel who does not follow conventions and rules.
Watch on iTunes →
Watch on Google Play →
7. Deadpool
Deadpool
- USA, 2016.
- Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Adventure.
- Duration: 108 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.0.
Former commando Wade Wilson falls in love with Vanessa Carlisle, but their happiness does not last long: the hero is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Hoping to be cured, he agrees to take part in a painful experiment to turn people into mutants. As a result, he not only gets rid of the disease, but also receives superpowers, but his body is covered with terrible scars.
The disfigured Wade is unable to show himself to the bride, who considers him dead. Then he puts on a mask, takes the name Deadpool and opens the hunt for the organizer of the experiments, Ajax, thinking that he will help him regain his former appearance.
Perhaps the most striking example of breaking the fourth wall in popular culture is the behavior of Deadpool, a Marvel character. He knows he's in the comic and jokes about it all the time. Of course, this trait of the hero was preserved in both films.
Watch on iTunes →
8. Annie Hall
Annie Hall
- USA, 1977.
- Melodrama, comedy.
- Duration: 93 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.0.
In the life of comedian Alvy Singer, suffering from neurosis and looking everywhere for anti-Semitic conspiracies, there were several lovers. But Annie Hall remained the main one among them, and he himself recalls the beginning and end of their relationship with humor.
Woody Allen broke the fourth wall several times in his cult comedy Annie Hall. The director explained this by the need to address the audience directly, who, in his opinion, could have the same feelings and problems as his hero.
Watch on iTunes →
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python And The Holy Grail
- UK, 1975
- Comedy, fantasy, adventure.
- Duration: 91 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.2.
The project of the famous British Comedian troupe "Monty Python" in a humorous way beats the famous legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and talks about the wanderings of heroes in search of the Holy Grail.
This technique is used several times in the film. So, in one of the scenes, a monster is chasing the characters, but then suddenly disappears, because the animator became ill with his heart. Well, or take at least the finale, in which one of the heroes kills the historian who is broadcasting. Because of this, the knights are arrested, and one of the policemen covers the camera lens.
10. Amelie
Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain
- France, Germany, 2001.
- Melodrama, comedy.
- Duration: 122 minutes.
- IMDb: 8.3.
Sweet eccentric Amelie Poulain secretly helps other people and changes their lives for the better. But one day she meets a guy who is just as unusual as herself, and decides to get to know him better.
Amelie, performed by the charming Audrey Tautou, seems to live in her own fairy-tale world. Therefore, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet from time to time destroys the wall that separates the heroine from the viewer, and as if invites us to beautiful Paris “from a postcard”. This helps create an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy on screen.
Watch on iTunes →
Read also🎥🎥🎥
- 30 good movies based on real events
- Top 10 behind-the-scenes movies in Hollywood
- 6 Sweet and Innocent Movies with a Dark Story Behind
- Unreliable narrator and genre change: how filmmakers deceive the viewer's expectations
- Why there are fewer screamers and other scary tricks in horror films