11) Ex Machina – Saturday Night Fever
Ex Machina may not be the most original sci-fi film ever made, drawing its inspiration from a number of classics including Stanley Kubrick at his most iconic, but Alex Garland’s first foray into feature film directing will undoubtedly wind up on many of this year’s best film lists by the time January rolls around.
Themes of consciousness and what it means to be human will stick in your mind long after the credits have finished, but the one scene that really stands out the most is also the strangest.
Oscar Isaac’s character seems a little off from the moment we meet him, but nothing could prepare audiences for a bizarre dance interlude that puts both the lead character and the viewers at distinct unease. The scene shouldn’t work, but it somehow fits the detached tone of the film in an incredibly eerie way that builds the tension further.
That open vest though…
– David Opie
10) Ant-Man – Death By Thomas
Ant-Man was always going to be a tough sell. How do you build respect for a character named after a small insect? Sure, we already have Spider-Man, (yes, I’m aware he’s an arachnid), but after audiences became used to thunder gods and super soldiers, a guy who can shrink to the size of an ant doesn’t exactly demand respect.
Despite the directorial changes made midway through the filming of Ant-Man, Marvel managed to rectify this by carefully balancing the inevitable comedic elements with scenes that featured genuinely thrilling action. Those worried that Edgar Wright’s departure would ruin Ant-Man had nothing to fear, as the hilarious final showdown between Scott Lang and Yellowjacket proved.
The scene depicted above had audiences in stitches, although I would now think twice before showing the Thomas The Tank Engine Show to children.
– David Opie