25-07-2025
15 Films That Change Tone Midway Through
Recently, u/WongoKnight asked r/MovieSuggestions for "movies that wildly change tone," and we thought we'd share some of the to suggestions.
"The first thing I thought of was From Dusk Till Dawn."
–EuphoricAudience4113"I still remember sitting in the theatre trying to figure out if I just totally missed something somehow."–FelixTheJeepJrOverview: After committing a string of crimes throughout the southwest, the Gecko brothers are on the run from the police and the FBI, but when they head down to the border of Mexico, they encounter something they were definitely not expecting.
"I came here to suggest Sinners, which is a homage to From Dusk Till Dawn."
–FeloniousFunkOverview: Two brothers return to their Mississippi hometown in an attempt to leave their troubles behind, only to discover a more fierce evil is there to welcome them home.
"Parasite fits your description."
–Critical-Dreamer"After watching that, I turned to my son and said 'Well that went in 500 directions I never expected'.'–txcowgrrlOverview: A down-on-their luck family begin working for a wealthy family one by one and start to enjoy the luxuries of their host's affluence, but not everything is as it seems.
Full Metal Jacket
–SMFPolychronopolous"Really feels like two movies in one in a way I can't quite explain."–CruisePack40Overview: We witness a US marine as he goes through the gruelling boot camp training for the Vietnam war, and follow he and his fellow recruits all the way to the streets of Hue.
"Sorry to Bother You has the most sudden and extreme tonal shift I've ever seen in a movie."
–0xsl4ck3rOverview: We follow telemarketer Cassius Green as he discovers an innovative way of selling. After becoming more distant from his family and friends, everything becomes more intense when he becomes aware of a disturbing scheme.
"Predator. Starts off as a Band of Brothers war film, turns into a stalker horror film, ends as a last man standing/survival film."
–ShoNuff_da_MasterOverview: When a team is on a rescue mission in Central America, they soon realise they are being targeted by an otherworldly foe.
"Mulan. Once they stumble over the village the singing stops for the rest of the movie. Even if the cross-dressing scheme is funny, the guys still spend the third act of the movie acting like honourable warriors instead of goofballs."
–StarsForgetOverview: When her father is called up to the military to help fight agains the Hun, Mulan disguises herself as him and takes his place in the battalion.
"The Abyss. It starts out like a normal '90s disaster flick (underwater facility is in danger, panic ensues) and turns out to be something so much better."
–Lucy_LasticOverview: When a team of divers is sent to search for a missing submarine, they encounter aquatic dangers, the like of which they've never seen before.
"Hard Candy took a left turn for me. I loved how when shit changed to serious, the colour tone shifts to blueish."
–VicariousWolfOverview: A 32 year-old photographer invites a 14-year-old, who he had been chatting to online, into his home, but she has an idea of his intentions and endeavours to punish him for it.
"District 9. It goes from weird alien apartheid documentary to crazy action movie with wild alien weaponry. It's so well done that I don't think people notice the shift."
–blokedogOverview: Wikus Van De Merwe is a government agent in charge of relocating an alien species living in an district of Johannesburg, but, after a small mistake, he ends up being the target of a nationwide manhunt.
"Psycho. This is one of those movies I wish I could have completely erased from my mind and go in watching completely blind."
"I feel like I had already seen most of it from pop culture references in The Simpsons and Cheers and other things. I just heard the shower sting during an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie a couple of days ago while watching with my nieces, Lol. Still, Psycho is a fantastic movie that starts off as this thriller/noir and then completely shifts."–TheAxis1985Overview: A secretary is on the run after stealing a vast sum of money. When she stops to stay at a motel, she encounters far more than she bargained for.
"Click. This one is definitely one of the most surprising of all time. Goes from a standard and amusing Sandler fart-comedy movie (and that's all it was ever marketed as), to a heavy emotional drama."
–TerrorFirmerIRLOverview: When an overworked architect discovers a universal remote that allows him to pause and fast forward time, the realities of his newfound power become more and more devastating.
"The Frighteners. Starts off as a fairly goofy supernatural comedy and then gets dark."
–Global-Resident-9234Overview: After his wife is killed in a car accident, Frank realises that he can communicate with ghosts, something that becomes vital when people start getting killed by a mysterious spirit.
"One Cut of the Dead. I feel so lucky to have seen it in a theatre with people. We were like, 'oh that was neat,' and then the shift happened and we were like, 'wait what...,' and then it clicked into place and we were like 'omg!!'"
–Sad_Chocolate1612Overview: When filming a low-budget zombie movie in an abandoned WWII Japanese facility, things start to go horribly wrong for the crew.
"Audition. I still remember the jump scare when the person in the bag moves and you suddenly realise something is very, very wrong."
–HumberGrumbOverview: A widower begins to audition girls to be his new wife. After choosing one, he discovers she is not all that she seems.
H/T to u/WongoKnight and r/MovieSuggestions for having the discussion!
Any more to add? Let us know in the comments below!
