Echoes of the Willow

What’s the weirdest movie you’ve ever watched?

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By Michelle Allen

I have a confession to make.

When someone recommends a movie and says, “It’s a little weird,” I immediately become curious.

How weird are we talking?

Are we talking “I need to watch that again because I’m confused?” weird?

Or “Who approved this script and why was everyone involved allowed to continue?” weird?

When I saw this prompt, the answer came to me immediately:

Napoleon Dynamite.

Now, before anyone comes after me, let me be clear… I don’t hate the movie. In fact, my kids absolutely love it.

I, however, spent most of the movie wondering, “What exactly am I watching?”

There’s a guy who draws ligers, keeps tater tots in his pocket, and somehow becomes a local hero because of a dance routine. Then there’s a llama named Tina, a friend selling homemade glamour shots, and an uncle convinced he’s one invention away from becoming a millionaire.

The plot isn’t exactly action-packed. In fact, if someone asked me to explain the storyline, I’d probably struggle. Yet somehow the movie works.

Maybe that’s what makes it so memorable.

The weirdest part is that even though I thought it was strange, I still quote parts of it years later. And every time one of my kids brings it up, I can’t help but laugh about some of the ridiculous scenes.

I suppose there are two kinds of weird movies. The ones that make you turn them off halfway through, and the ones that leave you scratching your head but somehow keep you watching.

For me, Napoleon Dynamite definitely falls into the second category.

To this day, I’m not entirely sure why it’s so popular.

But I also can’t imagine the world without Napoleon feeding Tina her dinner and asking people if they’ve got any “good skills.”

Gosh!

Movies don’t always have to make sense. Sometimes they’re meant to surprise us, challenge us, confuse us, or leave us staring at the credits wondering if anyone else understood what just happened.

And let’s be honest… those conversations afterward are often more entertaining than the movie itself.

Question for readers: What’s the weirdest movie you’ve ever watched? Did you love it, hate it, or spend the entire movie wondering what on earth was happening?