The Rise of Absurdist Storytelling in Modern Cinema

In a world saturated with predictable superhero sagas and formulaic franchises, a rebellious wave of filmmaking is crashing through Hollywood and beyond: absurdist storytelling. Picture this: a woman resurrected with the brain of a child embarks on a global odyssey of self-discovery in Poor Things (2023), or a multiverse-hopping laundromat owner battles existential threats with everything from hot dog fingers to googly-eyed rocks in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). These aren’t just quirky diversions; they represent a seismic shift towards narratives that defy logic, embrace the surreal, and mirror our chaotic reality. As 2024 draws to a close, this trend shows no signs of fading, with box office successes and critical darlings proving that absurdity sells.

What began as niche arthouse fare has infiltrated the mainstream, captivating audiences weary of realism. Directors like Yorgos Lanthimos, the Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), and even Greta Gerwig are wielding absurdity as a scalpel to dissect society, identity, and the human condition. From festival triumphs to billion-dollar grosses, absurdist films are redefining cinematic entertainment, blending dark humour, visual invention, and philosophical depth. This rise isn’t accidental—it’s a response to our fractured times, and it’s poised to dominate 2025 and beyond.

At its core, absurdist storytelling draws from the Theatre of the Absurd pioneered by Samuel Beckett and Eugène Ionesco in the mid-20th century, where meaninglessness reigns and characters grapple with life’s futility. In cinema, it manifests as narratives unbound by conventional plot logic: exaggerated performances, dreamlike sequences, and worlds where rules bend or break entirely. Think talking animals in The Lobster (2015), where singles must find a partner or transform into beasts, or the cannibalistic dinner party in The Menu (2022). These films don’t spoon-feed resolutions; they provoke discomfort and laughter in equal measure, leaving viewers to ponder the madness of existence.

Historical Roots and Evolution

Absurdism in film isn’t new. Luis Buñuel’s surrealist masterpieces like Un Chien Andalou (1929) shocked with eye-slicing imagery and illogical jumps, while David Lynch’s Eraserhead (1977) plumbed industrial nightmares. The 1990s brought Charlie Kaufman’s meta-scripts for Being John Malkovich (1999), twisting reality through portals and celebrity doppelgangers. Yet, the 2020s mark a renaissance, amplified by streaming platforms hungry for bold originals.

Post-pandemic cinema accelerated this pivot. Lockdowns amplified feelings of isolation and unreality, priming audiences for stories that echo our disorientation. Films like The Father (2020), with its dementia-induced reality warps, paved the way, but 2022-2024 exploded the genre. Everything Everywhere All at Once grossed over $140 million worldwide on a $25 million budget, snagging seven Oscars including Best Picture. Its multiverse mayhem—complete with Raccacoonie, a raccoon chef voiced by Ke Huy Quan—proved absurdity could be both populist and profound, tackling immigrant struggles amid cosmic chaos.

Key Players and Breakout Hits

Yorgos Lanthimos: The Absurdity King

No one embodies this rise like Yorgos Lanthimos. His Poor Things, starring Emma Stone as the Frankensteinian Bella Baxter, earned $117 million globally and 11 Oscar nominations. Lanthimos’s signature style—stilted dialogue, brutal humour, and opulent production design—creates a Victorian fever dream where Bella evolves from infant-minded curiosity to liberated force. Collaborations with screenwriter Tony McNamara infuse Greek weirdness with sharp satire on patriarchy and exploration.

2024’s Kinds of Kindness doubles down, anthology-style tales of cults, resurrection, and jealousy starring Stone, Jesse Plemons, and Willem Dafoe. Early reviews hail it as Lanthimos’s most unhinged yet, blending Dogtooth-esque confinement with biblical undertones. Searchlight Pictures’ backing signals studios betting big on his vision.

The Daniels and Multiverse Mayhem

The Daniels redefined absurdity for mass appeal. Everything Everywhere‘s bagel-induced apocalypses and butt-plug weapons earned it cult status, influencing Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Their next project, rumoured for 2026, hints at more genre-bending, possibly blending horror and comedy.

Emerging Voices: Saltburn, The Substance, and Beyond

Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (2023) revels in class-war absurdism: Barry Keoghan’s Oliver Quick infiltrates an aristocratic family, culminating in grave-desecrating vampirism. Its Prime Video release sparked memes and discourse, grossing modestly but culturally exploding. Similarly, Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance (2024), with Demi Moore as a fading star splitting into a younger self, delivers body-horror absurdity that won Moore a Best Actress nod at Cannes.

Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (2023) layers meta-absurdity: a 1950s UFO convention interrupted by quarantine, starring everyone from Tom Hanks to Scarlett Johansson. Its meticulous frames and deadpan wit grossed $53 million, appealing to fans craving stylistic escape.

Why Absurdism is Thriving Now

Several forces fuel this surge. First, cultural fatigue: audiences reject MCU fatigue and reboots, craving originality. Nielsen data shows genre films like horror-comedies outperforming straight dramas in 2023. Absurdism fits perfectly, offering escapism laced with relevance—Poor Things critiques bodily autonomy amid Roe v. Wade echoes, while EEAAO navigates generational divides.

Streaming wars demand buzzworthy content. Platforms like A24 (backing Lanthimos and The Substance) and Neon thrive on festival hits that go viral on TikTok. Gen Z, raised on memes and irony, devours this: Saltburn’s bathtub scene became a sensation, driving views.

Technologically, VFX advancements enable wild visions affordably. Poor Things‘s steampunk Lisbon and EEAAO‘s multiverses showcase practical effects blended with CGI, making the impossible tangible.

Box Office and Industry Impact

Numbers don’t lie. Barbie (2023), with its doll-world absurdism directed by Gerwig, shattered records at $1.4 billion, satirising consumerism via Margot Robbie’s existential odyssey. Though pink-tinted, its corporate parodies qualify it as absurdist-adjacent, proving the style’s commercial viability.

Studios adapt: Warner Bros. eyes Lanthimos for a Batman spin-off rumoured absurd, per Variety reports. Independents like A24 report 30% revenue growth from these films. Critics, once dismissive, now laud them—Rotten Tomatoes scores hover at 90%+ for Poor Things (92%) and The Substance (91%).

• A24’s Dominance: Produced five top absurdist hits since 2022.
• Oscar Momentum: 15 nominations across EEAAO and Poor Things.
• Global Appeal: Lanthimos’s films top European charts.

Challenges persist: high concepts risk alienating casual viewers, as Asteroid City‘s softer box office shows. Yet, hybrid models—limited theatrical then streaming—mitigate risks.

Upcoming Absurdists to Watch

2025 promises more. Lanthimos’s Bugonia, a remake of Save the Green Planet! starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, twists alien abduction into corporate conspiracy. Ari Aster’s Eddington

blends Westerns with cosmic horror, starring Joaquin Phoenix. The Daniels’ untitled follow-up and Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme

with Benicio del Toro signal sustained momentum.