Movies which don't tread new ground, but feel refreshing because of how well they are made

We got the DVD of Knives Out in my store yesterday, and I started talking with a coworker about how fun and well-executed it was, despite not trying anything really new. It hit all the main points of a whodunit, but it still felt refreshing because it was an original property in a world of franchises, and was just really well made. All the actors looked like they were having a good time, and all the details added up to a satisfying ending.

Other examples:

John Wick - a very simple revenge story at its core. Sure, it hinted at the wider universe that got fleshed out in the sequels, but mostly you just had a guy who lost a loved one avenging their murder. How many times have we seen that before? Yet John Wick stood out for multiple reasons: no tacked on love story, realistic gun use, and not-shaky cinematography, to name a few.

Mad Max: Fury Road - A post-apocalyptic chase scene from franchise that had been dead 20 years. It didn't try to do much, but what it did, it accomplished well and with style.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. - unfortunately shadowed by other releases, this spy flick felt refreshing to me for one reason: it was the first spy film I'd seen in years that didn't have some conspiracy or mole in the spy organization (I'm looking at you Mission Impossible franchise). Not to mention great performances from the leads.

What are some other films like this?

Submitted February 23, 2020 at 12:24AM by High_Stream https://ift.tt/2Ve20cn