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The Sharp Left Turn – From Psycho to Barbarian

What do these films have in common? They all take sharp left turns, pinballing audiences across the proverbial enger seat. Think of a sharp left turn (you might call it something else) as a dramatic shift that changes the genre, tone, setting, and/or protagonist at a critical plot point. For instance, a third of the way into Psycho, Hitchcock shocks the viewer by killing off its protagonist in cinema's most famous shower scene. Here are a few of my favorite films that feature a "Sharp Left Turn." What are yours?

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Barbarian

2022

★★★★½
Parasite

2019

★★★★★
Psycho

1960

★★★★★
The Place Beyond the Pines

2012

★★★★½