Hi there,
I hope my title as well as the examples shown in the picture get the idea across of what I’m looking for. Doesn’t matter what the genre is, I am just looking for movies which are shot in this grim lighting.
Also, for fun, try and guess which movies the pictures come from.
Answer
Suspiria (2018)
Black Swan
The Road
This is the extreme end of things but nearly every Zack Snyder movie, extreme because it specifically goes heavy on editing saturation, contrast, etc., that takes away the aspects of realism for this look to instead make it stylized in an exaggerated way on purpose.
Joker (2019) plays with this look.
A lot of noir-esque stuff will use this kind of look to varying degrees too. Dark City (1998), and a lot of the future/neo-noirs will do this even when bright cyberpunk lights are present. Zone 414 (2021) is another one. Live by Night (2016) uses it during the criminal activity scenes to contrast against the brighter, roaring world of the rich.
I think there are a lot of better examples out there that I’m just not thinking of at the moment.
Edit: Adding Prisoners (2013), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), Children of Men (2006), and Taxi Driver (1976) to the list.
3 - The Road
Also what I was going to recommend :)
The latest blade runner has this in spades: Bladerunner 2047
2049
Thanks. Love Cunningham’s law
Children of Men (2006)
The subject matter in COM is, in many respects, bleak. Can’t really describe the settings as such
Se7en (1995)
And from two years earlier: The Crow
Equilibrium (2002)
Stalker seems to fit the bill nicely. Bit on the older side but didn’t stop me enjoying it. Similar vibes the road without being quite as dark thematically.
Children of Men (2006)
Saw 1-4 kinda fit this description. For 1 it was pretty much budget lighting and the director of 2-4 kept the grading familiar.
The Platform (2019).
So Michigan winters!
The Remains of the day
The Others
Wind River
The Night of the Hunter
M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari
I think you will love all of these
On board / Gemide
Uzak
Once upon a time in Anatolio
Someone already mentioned Nil By Mouth
The House That Jack Built
Winter Sleep
Dunno : Trainspotting ?
A newer one : Banshees of Inisherin