Dogtooth!

If you haven't seen Dogtooth, then you haven't seen anything like Dogtooth. It is one of the few movies I've ever come across that I can call truly singular. If you're already a fan of bizarre cinema, then stop reading now and stream this already. If you need more convincing, keep reading.

To watch Dogtooth is to peek in on a very private family as if they were an exhibit in some sort of humanoid zoo. The gist is this: Dad runs the show and wants nothing more than to raise his children without any outside influence. Mom is along for the ride, and the kids (more like 18- to 20-year-olds) just don't know any better because Dad has done such a good job of this. The kids are convinced that the world outside of their driveway is perilous beyond belief (just wait until you find out what their primary threat is!). Words are given new meanings; a "zombie" is "a little yellow flower." The parents stage little contests for the children. Competition is fierce; the winners are awarded stickers, which are highly coveted in their little microcosm. If this sounds boring, it's not. You will be surprised and sometimes altogether shocked at every new scene. You NEVER know what the hell you are about to witness.

As a whole, the film is very unsettling and disturbing. The frame of the camera, by default it seems, tends to cut characters off right above their shoulders, resulting in a reoccurring sense of depersonalization. Luckily, the film also has a dark sense of humor. You might be gasping in horror one second, but you'll be laughing uncomfortably the next. Thematically, I was reminded of the infamous Fritzl case. Although the movie doesn't quite reach that level of horror, it is similarly perverse.

Oh, and it features the single-best dance routine I've seen in a movie in a long, long while. 

Still not convinced? This stunning Greek film is now up for an Oscar at the 2011 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.

WARNING: Aberrant sex and some shocking violence.

DOGTOOTH TRAILER