Photo Credit ( Pixabay )

When someone cites “visually stunning films,” it’s easy to equate them with films that lack true content and instead rely heavily on graphics without depicting anything truly substantial. The fact that these films are visually appealing does not diminish their ability to present a compelling story.

In fact, the majority of the films here are considered to be among the best of the last four years, and for good reason. The beautiful partnerships between these filmmakers, cinematographers, production, art and costume designers, colorists, and so on are generally centered on a story, with the goal of capturing and expressing it in the most fantastic and overpowering visual experiences possible.

Over the last few years, many filmmakers have created entirely new storytelling formats, experimenting and flirting with unconventional mediums and styles. Here are the 25 most visually spectacular films from 2010 to 2014, in no particular order.

1. Her (2013)

In a picture with such a strong concept and narrative, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema faced the challenge of making the visual storytelling almost as essential.

One of the most intriguing elements he added to the film is the color scheme. The color blue would be a logical option given that it is set in the future (but not that far) and is so relevant in terms of depicting technology. Instead, Van Hoytema completely ignored stated color and created a warm setting, emphasizing the fact that “Her” outperforms such genres, using minimum lighting and LEDs to provide color to specific sequences.

By understanding how to adapt to the filmmaker, Spike Jonze, who is well-versed in setting the tone for metamodernism, the film got a smooth and tranquil quality that highlighted the most emotionally compelling components of the narrative.

2. Laurence Anyways (2012).

One of the most remarkable aspects of Xavier Dolan’s cinematography is that it is not his primary concern. Focusing more on the actors and dialogue, he allows his camera to linger on them, capturing stunning shots that complement his tales.

His involvement with LGBT themes and iconography encourages him to mix adrenaline with emotional intimacy. Xolan and cinematographer Yves Bélanger apply innovative techniques to various moments, focusing on the portrait of the main character particularly through huge levels of investment.

Assigned as one of the—if not THE—primary LGBT filmmakers to watch out for, in less than five years after his debut, his films have already been attributed with innate features such as being elegant and compassionate, yet full of intricacies that aren’t too far from surrealism. Pushing continual boundaries and other aspects of his aesthetic are easily mistaken for overwhelming, spanning nearly three hours while honoring LGBTQ individuals in a beautifully basic way.

3. Melancholy (2011)

Lars Von Trier, a provocateur and visual poet, presents “Melancholia” in true art-film form, about an impending rogue planet that is poised to collide with the Earth.

His original idea was his own experience with depression and how this mental disease can make it appear as if a person is serene even in the middle of chaos. Following “Antichrist” and last year’s “Nymphomaniac,” his second piece in the tentatively termed “Depression Trilogy” focuses on sound and music more than any of his other work, employing Wagner and blending him with Nazi Germany aesthetics as metaphors.

Chilean cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro contributes to pushing boundaries with flowing compositions, spontaneous handheld camerawork, and lighting that makes the end of the world appear sophisticated.

A superb example of merging flair and substance, von Trier conveys a controversial and difficult subject masterfully, leaving the audience speechless long after the film has ended.

4. The Great Beauty (2013).

Even as a popular director, this has become Paolo Sorrentino’s most well-known film, with its renown expanding alongside its cinematography. What distinguishes this work from so much other visual poetry is its effort to provide the spectator with a rich background, achieving more by complementing the image with present-day Rome in a timeless form.

Considered a reworking of Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita,” it depicts the city like no other film in recent memory. The details also contribute to its uniqueness, and the nearly three-hour runtime allows the audience to fully comprehend how meticulously it was done, particularly in the hands of cinematographer Luca Bigazzi, who continues to use tilting and panning at the same time, a common feature in Sorrentino’s films.

5. Frances Ha (2012).

Noah Baumbach’s first digital film is a monochromatic experience. Baumbach emulated the French New Wave production approach, using a tiny team and minimal equipment and shooting in somber black and white.

Using the Canon 5D as a tool, professional black-and-white cinematographer Sam Levy (also known for his work on “Wendy and Lucy”) altered the camera’s midtones and emphasized its natural video noise, which resembled true film grain. This makes more sense given that the director normally favors visual spectacles and natural-looking photos; therefore, he doesn’t mind the 5D’s flaws and enjoys the occasionally underexposed shots. There were numerous repercussions, the most significant of which was the amount of effort spent understanding how the camera interacted with various lighting sources and textures.

While this is a beautiful film to look at, Baumbach’s usage of black and white meant he didn’t have to worry about color temperature, certain tints, and so on, which was both practical and helped to emphasize the tale, making it an even more sensitive comedy.

6. Blue: The Warmest Color (2013)

The images for this film had to portray the numerous stages of falling in and out of love. The continuous hand-held views follow the actors around like a documentary, and the frequent usage of close-up shots is employed not just to capture the audience’s attention but also to better depict emotions, which is beautiful to watch on its own.

Light is quite natural because it is largely emitted through windows and doors. The English translation of the title contains a larger motif: it is general knowledge that blue is a “cold” hue that is seldom used to express love. This truth has a strong connection to how the story unfolds, as it appears in so many components surrounding the two major characters.

We watch this color, which was initially connected with happy things, fade away as the film’s mood darkens and issues and concerns arise. It is one of the most visually striking films in recent memory, packed with symbolism and spectacular photography.

7. The Tree of Life (2011).

Terrence Malick is a well-known artist, philosopher, and filmmaker who concentrates on style before turning to substance. His work has long served as an inspiration to budding filmmakers, but most fail terribly. Even the more superficial “To The Wonder” (2012) was amazing, but it didn’t have the same impact.

Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer, was chosen as the director of photography, and he employed little lighting other than natural light. He further claimed that if they were inside a house and the lighting wasn’t working, Terrence would rewrite it outside or shoot it on a different day when the sun was shining.

It also helped that they installed windows in specified locations, which became the primary sources of light. Using a combination of 35mm and normal 65mm film, Malick’s need to express himself through breathtaking sights results in another cinematic marvel, exciting and majestic, while narrating the emotional story of a Texas family.

8. Gravity (2013).

Emmanuel Lubezki, a cinematographer, chose digital over traditional film stock and once again showed himself as one of the greatest in the field. Despite the fact that practically everything on screen is fabricated, the CGI and overall presentation are excellent. The intricate intersection of contradiction realism and animation techniques required Alfonso Cuarón (director) and his team to pre-visualize the film shot by shot before beginning filming.

Lubezki, with his lighting talent, made being in space appear natural by using the sun as the primary light source, creating deep shadows and tremendous contrast. He also created a box with an LED screen and shot the actors inside it while projecting the backgrounds of the scenes and providing visual cues for acting, which contributed to the success of the visuals.

The camera never stops moving, floating about the protagonists and giving the sensation that it lacks gravity, with angles pivoting completely through three dimensions. While we might debate whether or not it is a good film, it is surely impressive.