10 Brilliant Films That Were Intentionally Boring

With the vaguely titled Somewhere, Sofia Coppola examines boredom, privilege, laziness and adolescent daydreams with a kind of molasses slowness that no one else can touch. Though, that’s good because not many filmmakers are really trying to touch it anyway. Whether or not the slow burn journey from nowhere to the possibility of somewhere is worth taking is going to vary wildly from viewer to viewer.

Somewhere takes an empathetic look into the orbit of actor Johnny Marco (played by Stephen Dorff). He has a Ferrari to drive around in, and a constant stream of girls and pills to stay in with. Comfortably numbed, Johnny drifts along. Then, his 11-year-old daughter from his failed marriage (played by Elle Fanning) arrives unexpectedly. When spending time with her, Johnny's latent humanity suddenly awakens.

What happens in this film is something marvelous: a story that never raises its voice or panders to your emotions, but that nonetheless has the power to refresh your perceptions and deepen your sympathies. As it proceeds from one careful, watchful, slow shot to the next, a sad and affecting story emerges, about a father’s loneliness and a daughter’s devotion. Unflinchingly honest and confidently challenging, this is an all around incredible film.