Nicolas Winding Refn's neon-soaked fairytale was possibly the most divisive film of 2013 stripped back and bare, boos rained down upon it. Refn's never been known for his accessibility, but many expected him to dilute his emotional coldness after Drive's monstrous success. Yet Refn didn't. Instead, he further swaddled himself in inaccessibility to the extent that the cerebral, uninviting Valhalla Rising looked like a bunting-laden reception by comparison. If his dedication to Alejandro Jodorowsky came at the start of Only God Forgives, we might've known what to expect. But we didn't. Instead, he shot emotional coldness writ large, giving you a film which kept you at a distance and featured few sympathetic characters. Between Ryan Gosling's ashen-faced, monosyllabic Julian, his oedipal nightmare of a mother and the impenetrable, one-track mind of the karaoke-singing Chang, there was no real 'in' for the audience. Bereft of meaning, many went away furious and appalled at the vengeance porn enacted onscreen. But still, it had its apologists. Led by The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw, a minority of critics felt it belonged in the same bracket as The Shining and Taxi Driver, a piece of formal brilliance damned in its own time. Yet much like most films on this list, it depends what mindset you brought to the screening. It demanded attention, and even then it could let you down. But to others, it was phenomenal, rife with harrowing symbolism and stellar, distinct performances. Of course, neither side knew what the other was going on about, but that's kind of the point, apparently.
Durham University graduate and qualified sports journalist. Very good at sitting down and watching things. Can multi-task this with playing computer games. Football Manager addict who has taken Shrewsbury Town to the summit of the Premier League.
You can follow me at @Ed_OwenUK, if you like ramblings about Newcastle United and A Place in the Sun. If you don't, I don't know what I can do for you.
