10 Horror Films That Are Really Something Else
8. From Dusk 'Till Dawn
The first half of Robert Rodriguez's film focuses on a pastor's family being forced to smuggle two bank robbers across the Mexican border. Based on that premise (and the fact the script was penned by Quentin Tarantino), you'd have no reason to suspect From Dusk 'Till Dawn is anything but a crime drama.
That's why it throws you off when the second-half turns into a full-blown vampire flick, with zero warning. One minute, you're watching a gritty thriller. The next, you're watching a guy called Sex Machine blast a demon with his d*ck gun.
It's not just the genre that changes, but the style as well. Once the undead are introduced, the lighting becomes garish, the dialogue is quippier, the performers act over-the-top, and there's A LOT more Dutch angles. First-time viewers are usually baffled by this change-up, since there wasn't the slightest indication the story had paranormal elements until... it did.
Not everybody is a fan of this switcheroo, but it's commendable how effectively Rodriguez and Tarantino pulled the wool over viewers' eyes. Many films since have done the genre-flip, but none pulled it off as brazenly as From Dusk 'Till Dawn.