A cinephile will experience any film while immersed in the theatrical experience, complete with popcorn, obviously. Some cinephiles have their niche, like film noir or independent historical fiction films, while others enjoy any movie with compelling, dramatic stories. Regardless of their niche or not, all cinephiles believe a movie has to be experienced in a movie theater, first and foremost. Most movie-goers want a movie they can follow, where the plot is explicit from the start. But sometimes, as any cinephile will tell you, watching a movie where absolutely nothing happens is just as exciting as any other film.
In fact, during the early days of the pandemic, Netflix saw a surge in views for The Office, as Uproxx explains. When the world was first in quarantine, a lot of downtime became available to many. But quickly work-from-home became the new norm, with some people playing The Office in the background while they worked. This leisurely viewing was occurring on the silver screen long before the pandemic hit nearly three years ago. Films like Pauline at the Beach or the animated feature My Neighbor Totoro are magical films where absolutely nothing happens. Yet, films that have no plot serve a purpose, much like The Office during quarantine: to allow the viewer to casually enjoy a story without thinking. Here are the best movies where nothing really happens.
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13 Clerks
Miramax
The directorial debut of Kevin Smith was so iconic that it became a trilogy, a comic series, and a TV series, as Den of Geek explores. Clerks’ success spans nearly three decades because it remains relevant to individuals who have a dead-end job. In the film, Dante (Brian O’Halloran) and his best friend, Randall (Jeff Anderson) try to fill their workday with any activity, including roof hockey. Silent Bob (Smith) and Jay (Jason Mewes) are local drug dealers who instigate trouble for Dante and Randall.
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12 Lost in Translation
Focus Features
Director Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation is a multi-genre classic from the early-2000s set in Tokyo, with no shortage of pastel wigs and karaoke. Bob (Billy Murray) is desperate to revive his acting career, so he does what any actor who needs a miracle does: he flies to a foreign country to be the face of an established product. During his stay in Tokyo, he continues to cross paths with Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in their respective hotel. The most intriguing part about the film is at the end when Bob whispers something into Charlotte’s ear before they part ways, an improvised moment between Murray and Johansson that will forever remain a secret between them.
11 The Station Agent
Next Wednesday Productions
Before he became a household name for his role as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones, actor Peter Dinklage starred as Finbar McBride in the directorial debut from Tom McCarthy, The Station Agent. Finbar lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, where he owns and operates a model train store with his best friend, Henry (Paul Benjamin). Although he has a love for railroads, he feels judged for his height and keeps to himself. Yet, this changes when he meets Emily (Michelle Williams), a librarian with a horrible boyfriend.
10 Right Now, Wrong Then
Jeonwonsa Film
South Korean films have been dominating streaming services for years. According to DW, the term for South Korean popularity in Hollywood is called “Hallyu.” The film Right Now, Wrong Then dissects the idea of a chance meeting between two people and is broken into two parts. During the first part of the film, Ham Cheon-soo (Jae-young Jeong), a director, meets Yoon Hee-jeong (Kim Min-hee), a local artist, whom he quickly falls in love with. Yoon breaks off the intense relationship with Ham at a gallery opening. In the second part of the film, an unexpected twist happens that you have to see to believe.
9 My Neighbor Totoro
Studio Ghibli
The third film from Studio Ghibli is possibly one of the most well-known films from the studio. My Neighbor Totoro follows two sisters who have recently moved into a new house, closer to the hospital where their mother is healing. Their adventures include taking a cat-shaped bus in the rain and helping their crops grow up into the sky. Sugoi Mart’s review of the film says, “My Neighbor Totoro is the right amount of adventure, fantasy, comedy, drama, and slice of life that you need in one film.”
8 Before Sunset
Warner Independent Pictures
Part of director Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Before Sunset continues the story of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Céline (Julie Deply) nine years after their initial meeting. Jesse is now a successful author on a book tour across Europe when he happens to bump into Céline at a book reading. As they spend the day together in Paris, they both discuss their lives since they first met in Vienna. Jesse is married with a son and Céline is an environmental activist.
7 Amour
Les Films du Losange
A romantic drama in French, Amour centers on a married couple in their 80s named Anne (Emmanuelle Riva) and her husband Georges (Jean-Louis Trintignant). They are retired piano teachers living in Paris. After a necessary surgery, Anne is left paralyzed on her right side. Georges becomes her caregiver and hires nurses to help where he cannot. Unfortunately, Anne suffers a stroke and the care she needs is too much for Georges.
6 The Big Lebowski
Gramercy Pictures
Before he was the first villain in the MCU, Jeff Bridges starred as The Dude in The Big Lebowski. The Dude is an avid bowler who prefers to wear loungewear even when he isn’t lounging. While he is not the first to don loose pants in public, the success of The Big Lebowski sparked a religion called Dudeism, whose philosophy is close to Chinese Taoism, the philosophy of balance. Dudeism, however, relies on humor to promote this balance.
5 Inside Llewyn Davis
StudioCanal
A Coen Brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis stars Oscar Isaac as Llewyn, a struggling folk artist in the 1960s. After a series of couch-surfing and rescuing a cat who does not want to be rescued, Llewyn arrives at his sister’s house, only to be encouraged to give up his music career for something more stable and lucrative. He eventually gives up on his music career until his sister tells him she got him a gig where he sees a not-yet-famous Bob Dylan perform.
4 Tokyo Story
Entertain Me Productions
Shūkichi (Chisû Ryû) and Tomi Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) are a retired couple who live in Japan with their daughter, Kyôko (Kyôko Kagawa). On a trip to Tokyo to visit their other children, Tomi and Shūkichi realize that their children have little time or energy for them. While their adult children are welcoming, they are busy working and raising their own children. The themes explored in Tokyo Story are loneliness and aging.
3 L’Avventura
Cino del Duca
A boating trip around Sicily turns ill-fated in L’Avventura. Anna (Lea Massari), her best friend Claudia (Monica Vitti), and her boyfriend Sandro (Gabrielle Ferzetti) join their friends on a yacht when Anna suddenly goes missing. In the search for Anna, Claudia and Sandro develop feelings for one another. Despite Claudia’s betrayal, she fears Anna’s return and Sandro choosing Anna over her.
2 Archipelago
Artificial Eye
Before his success as an MCU anti-hero, Tom Hiddleston starred in a couple of films directed by Joanna Hogg. One of these films is Archipelago, which takes place on the Isles of Scilly. Edward (Hiddleston) is about to travel to the continent of Africa to volunteer with an organization. Before he leaves, his mother and sister offer to have a family send-off at their cottage on the Isles of Scilly.
1 Pauline at the Beach
Les Films Ariane
During a family summer vacation, Pauline (Amanda Langlet) and her cousin Marion (Arielle Dombasle) reflect on their ideal romance while also experiencing the trials of those romances. Pauline, a teenager, listens while Marion and her friends, who are older and more experienced, discuss love. Marion believes love can come in an instant, while Pauline believes that love comes with time. Another French film on our list, Pauline at the Beach is as languid as it is original.
