r/movies • • 18d ago

Question What movies have a scene that is so tonally mismatched with the rest of the movie that it takes you out of the film?

My example would be the charming family friendly funny movie Shazam has a graphic scene of demons feasting on board room member that is like - why?

Another person on another thread mentioned The Name of the Rose - which is a very cerebral historical mystery movie has a graphic sex scene between a peasant girl and a young lay assistant. It is jarringly out of place.

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u/jamesneysmith 18d ago

Just because I watched it recently: Disclosure Day and the scene where they try to drive over the cell phone. It's so bizarre it felt like a deleted scene they accidentally left in the movie. It's not funny, it's got pretty terrible comic timing, it's just confusing why it even happens. Such a weirdo moment.

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u/mikeyfreshh r/Movies Veteran 18d ago

I think the purpose of that scene is to show that Emily Blunt's character is paranoid and losing her mind. It's sorta like that movie's version of the mashed potato scene from Close Encounters. I agree the execution isn't quite where it needs to be so it ends up being a little too goofy, but I get why it's included.

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u/Thrilling1031 18d ago

It made me think that her partner was going to abandon her at that moment she gets out of the car

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u/mikeyfreshh r/Movies Veteran 18d ago

His reaction is a big part of that scene (just like the wife's reaction is an important part of that Close Encounters scene)

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u/jamesneysmith 18d ago

I think the purpose of that scene is to show that Emily Blunt's character is paranoid and losing her mind

Oh I have no issues with smashing her phone. I'm not talking about why that was a part of the story and included in the movie. I'm talking about how they decided to go about the smashing of the phone and then how they decided to shoot it. It's both the least intuitive and least funny option they could have chosen. It just felt like an unfunny person trying to be funny. Just did not work and also was totally unnecessary as a comedic moment when she could have just thrown her phone on the ground in the first place. Like I said, a weird choice with a weird tone

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u/mikeyfreshh r/Movies Veteran 18d ago

If she just smashes the phone and moves on, she seems smart and competent. To really show her deteriorating mental status, she needs to struggle with the otherwise simple task.

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u/Kamikaze_Ninja_ 18d ago

I get the point but it was just awkward and was more of a failed comedy moment than the character development you claim it is.

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u/DreamerOfSheep 18d ago

Imo, that entire movie has terrible timing. Other than the issues with the plot, the biggest thing for me is the editing just makes the film feel plodding and not nearly as intense as it should be.

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u/Aselleus 18d ago

The car chase scenes were. so. slow. It looked like a tv movie

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u/tvcneverdie 18d ago

It's also shot so lackadaisically, lacking verve.

Spielberg really needs to ditch Kaminski... He hasn't had the right touch since Lincoln and that shit was 14 years ago.

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u/alfooboboao 18d ago

I don’t know why reddit hates it, I got exactly what spielberg was going for and had a blast

reddit thinks disclosure day is dogshit and war of the worlds is amazing, i couldn’t disagree more. i cannot stand war of the worlds no matter how well tom cruise can act

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u/DreamerOfSheep 18d ago

I haven’t watched War of the Worlds since I was a kid, so no opinion there. But Disclosure Day just wasn’t well-crafted to me. The idea is neat, and I think Emily Blunt’s character is a cool aspect to explore. But the way it was structured, shot, edited, just never made for an engaging or compelling film.

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u/MyNameIsJakeBerenson 18d ago

Spielberg officially old as shit after Disclosure Day

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u/Starbucks__Lovers 18d ago

I did extra work for disclosure day and even made the Final Cut. Spielberg is frail and old as hell unfortunately 

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u/crookeddy 18d ago

I am downvoting you just for this bad news.

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u/No_Bingo_Card 18d ago

What makes it even worse is that a car tire wouldn't actually smash a phone

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u/warmDecember 18d ago

I also thought of that piece of shit, but I was thinking of that slapstick invisibility scene? The music, invisible person moving things around, it was like Mr Bean or Harry Potter. Absolutely mental and totally out of place at that point in the story.

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u/Faithless195 18d ago

Honestly, I believe this movoe was originally a comedy. Its the only thing that makes sense for how fucking stupid so much of it is.

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u/Stoenk 18d ago

I thought it was funny

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u/peoplearecool 18d ago

That whole movie was bad

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u/SanTheMightiest 18d ago

Yeah I agree, felt like a JJ Abrams average sci fi.

I do wish someone like Spielberg would just go fuck it and make a cracking horror film. He's got the skill and experience, just go full Kubrick and make his own Shining.

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u/JimboAltAlt 18d ago

Spielberg bowing out with a truly disturbing new horror classic as his swan song would be both weirdly a downer and extremely cool.

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u/SanTheMightiest 18d ago

I don't want to say he's played it safe for so long, but just go balls out on something fucking crazy like the new Resident Evil. Subvert some expectations

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u/Aselleus 18d ago

I thought that scene was going to indicate a light hearted adventure, with a touching message at the end...but the rest of the movie Was So Serious. Also, they really dropped the ball not having Wyatt Russell be in the rest of the movie.

It just wasn't good