A Cosmic Shutter

As far as post-war Russian cinema is concerned, Andrei Tarkovsky towers over any other name one could mention. Tarkovsky is often considered on of the top 5 filmmakers of all time, appearing in lists with the likes of Bergman, Kurosawa, Ozu, and Kubrick. Tarkovsky's masterpieces are often considered Miiror, Stalker, and Ivan's Childhood. An often under appreciated film would be Tarkovsky's Solaris, a science-fiction film based on the Russian novel of the same 

name. Solaris centers around a Soviet psychologist, Kris Kelvin, who is chosen to undergo a single man mission to investigate mysterious messages from scientists aboard a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. Aboard this space station, Kelvin begins to experience strange phenomena that begin to tear down his psych.

Another director who is often considered on the of best (but not quite near the top as tarkovskey), is American director Martin Scorsese, who is best known for his gritty dramas. However when Scorsese released Shutter Island he took a step out of his forte and created a refreshing (and underrated in my personal opinion) thriller/horror film. Shutter Island follows Teddy Daniels, a US Marshall sent to investigate the disappearance of a patient of the island's hospital for the insane. After mysterious clues and inconsistent truths, Daniels begins to question his own sanity.

In both these films we see a professional being sent to a setting where it is never 100% clear what's going on. The protagonist receive little to no help from characters outside themselves. Isolation is a key theme here in both films. In Solaris, Kelvin is the only sane member aboard the space station, even after the materialization of his deceased wife Kelvin is isolated by the crippling loneliness he felt on earth. In Shutter Island, Teddy trusts no one but his partner, the only person who eases Teddy's paranoia in the slightest, so once his partner disappears from the island Teddy's composure is is lost. This is actually where the two films contrast as well, Kelvin keeps a calm head in Solaris, analyzing the strange events and calculating how to react, keeping consistent with his characteization as a veteran doctor. However in Shutter Island, Teddy lashes out and acts out of anger and must control his outbursts, contradicting his nature as a detective. Both films end with a twist as well, However Solaris's twist is post-plot, meaning the twist only affects the plot at the end. I don't want to to give away Shutter Island's twist, but to those who have seen they will see how this contrasts as well.

Both these films are underrated works of outstanding directors. With Hallowing approaching fast on our calendars I recommend these two films for a night of comfy movie watching