15 Insane Movies That Shouldn't Have Worked

He was dead...but he got better.

Crank 2 Jason Statham
Lionsgate

As Hollywood has proven time and time again, there is an incredibly fine line between madness and genius, and for every ambitious project that hits the mark, there are countless failures that fly too close to the sun.

These 15 movies, among some of the most ludicrous and challenging ever made, succeeded with critics and audiences alike in spite of their often bizarre narratives and eccentric styles. Some, on the other hand, were simply inconceivable feats in terms of their technical mastery and the fearlessness with which they broke new cinematic ground.

The sheer economics of filmmaking dictates that most of these demented visions aren't high-budget affairs, but a few blockbusters did make the cut regardless. It's probably fair to say you didn't catch many of these movies in cinemas, though.

If the tone was slightly different or the performances weren't quite so committed, these films could so easily have failed, but thanks to the gusto of those in front of and behind the camera, these 15 cinematic oddities endure as cult classics and surprise smash hits all the same...

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Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.