7. The Exterminating Angel
The Exterminating Angel was a jarring, absurd film that reaped a few prohibitions amid some heavily Catholic populations. A criticism of the rich and Spanish military, Luis Buñuel took his film to Mexico for fear of it being destroyed like his previous Viridiana. What resulted from his free creative control over the film is one of the most bewildering, fascinating films of all time.
Why We Need It: Because Luis Buñuel's strange classic is bizarre enough that a modern-day revival seems a natural and good thing to do. Buñuel's nonsensical, pitch-black comedy about a group of dinner guests who find themselves unable to leave the parlor for unknown reasons is an eyebrow-raising farce. And its criticism of the rich and elite is re-appropriation in-waiting for this Too Big To Fail world.
But With Who?: A good crop of unknown actors does an audience good. And with a great director at the helm, we need no top-billing names. The only name we need is Michael Heneke's.
The Spin: Haneke understands absurdity so deeply that it isn't a stretch to utilize his resting perspectives on action and characters' psychologies in this remake. Most of the film would still take place in one room while the characters, in apocalyptic fashion, begin to descend into claustrophobic madness. And Heneke is just the man to make the audience feel as trapped as the blithering dinner guests in what would surely be an epic remake.