1. Stranger than Fiction (2006)
Premise: An introverted IRS agent begins hearing his life narrated by a disembodied voice, who says that he will soon die. With no time to wonder how he finds himself stuck inside someone else’s story, he scrambles to find the narrator before it’s too late.
This comedy-drama stars Will Ferrell as Harold Crick, who apparently also exists inside the narrator’s novel, and Emma Thompson as Karen Eiffel, the owner of the disembodied voice.
It’s a strange, singular sort of movie; poignant and quietly intelligent, with more than enough narrative weight to keep its audience guessing throughout.
Ferrell delivers an uncharacteristically reserved performance, perfectly capturing the gentle, unassuming nature of Crick and his subsequent panic as he tries desperately to prevent his impending death.
Verdict: Stranger than Fiction is a mundanely magical piece of storytelling, although it turns out to be disappointingly predictable in its ultimate execution.
And that’s our list. Think we missed one? Is there a premise that you think blows these out of the water? Drop it in the comments below!