Inside Llewyn Davis is perhaps one of the best films on this list, and yet, despite the fact that it's a solid flick, it's hard to pretend that this movie - written and directed by the Coen Brothers - doesn't feel a little bit pointless. Granted, given that the story is centred around a folk singer who finds himself caught in limbo, there's probably a good reason why Inside Llewyn Davis lingers on the "well, that went nowhere" spectrum - Davis himself, after all, spends the entire movie going nowhere; he's neither good enough nor bad enough to find his place as a legitimate musician. The plot here is noticeably thin. Llewyn (Oscar Issac) spends much of his time sleeping on people's couches, arguing with his ex-girlfriend, and occasionally taking a gig; the movie is purposely (and somewhat beautifully) etched in a state of melancholia, which only further serves to generate the feeling of aimlessness that comes hand to hand with a viewing of the film. So despite the fact that Inside Llewyn Davis clearly isn't a bad movie, for some reason it's still near on impossible not to come away wondering why the movie was made... or why it actually exists at all. Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
