Media Things You Would Consider "Peak Fiction"

[Earthflax]

Adding on to previous post (pagebreak cooked me), Beowulf is so good that it's missing a portion and still among the oldest and best-known pieces of literature. The Epic of Gilgamesh is also incredible in terms of what it teaches and how.

There are plenty of films which I'd consider peak fiction. To name a few:

English-Language Movies I'd consider peak fiction

Dr. Strangelove - Cynical and brooding but at the same time an absolutely hilarious film; the black comedy and political satire genres pay homage to this film in so many ways.
2001: A Space Odyssey - This movie and Dune (novel) did untold things for the sci-fi genre, and it's super apparent based on the way it looks. So, so good.
Interstellar and Blade Runner - Sci-fi often fails to really portray humanity and human connection very well; these two movies tie it very intricately into the movie in a way that the message cannot exist in a vacuum.
Memento - Christopher Nolan is batshit insane but it panned out here; the parallel plotlines and how the converge is just chef's kiss
Taxi Driver - Robert De Niro my goat.
The Green Mile
No Country for Old Men - Best villain in all of fiction, ever.
Dune parts 1 and 2 - The novel did crazy things for the sci-fi genre, and as good as it is it is also insanely complex. This normally bodes terribly for film adaptation, but these two movies didn't disappoint.
Pan's Labyrinth - Dark fantasy is a great genre that is normally terribly executed. This film bucks that trend and is the best film of this genre by far.
Howl's Moving Castle - Token animated film and among my favorite movies of all time

Then there are books. I think perhaps the peakest of peak literature is Infinite Jest; it is so insane and whimsical and impossible to read, but once you manage it it's like everything unlocks. I also love The Brothers Karamazov and the former two books are my favorites of all time. On the more palatable side, I think The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is incredible; it's short, sweet, and discusses the human condition on a very deep level nonetheless.

 

[Coeur7]

Do you know Tarkovskiy's Solaris? Not Anglo, so you wouldn't have listed it. If you like sci-fi movies about "human connection" (I also think Blade Runner and A Space Odyssey are fantastic), it should appeal to you...

 

[Gyarikkuho]

Lord of the rings is amazing
All the movies and books ofc

 

[Earthflax]

Do you know Tarkovskiy's Solaris? Not Anglo, so you wouldn't have listed it. If you like sci-fi movies about "human connection" (I also think Blade Runner and A Space Odyssey are fantastic), it should appeal to you...

I've read Solaris but haven't seen any film adaptations. I loved the book; in my head I group it with Ubik by Philip Dick and The City and The City by China Mieville, as I read them around the same time and they all deal heavily with themes of reality and memory.

 

[Coronis]

I know its been said to death, but sherk 2 really is a perfect sequel. I don't think its possible to make a better sequel then it. (and best sequel ≠ best movie. It's much more easier to make a perfect sequel then a perfect movie and I definitely don't think sherk 2 is the best movie ever made)

tbh, I somehow ended up watching Shrek 2 before watching the original as a child. (would have been 6 - twin sisters 5 at release vs 9 and 8 so maybe does make some sense) Always felt weird going back and watching Shrek (still great) but yes Shrek 2 is ridiculously good. The cast feels much stronger outside of Shrek/Donkey/Fiona. (Also I Need a Hero is so peak its like the peakiest peak of the movie).

So many good takes. The Sopranos is amazing. I am a huge ATLA fan too! I just recently started watching One Piece (only on episode 47 or so), so I am hoping I get the peak fiction experience

I honestly get a little jealous when I see someone starting OP for the first time - you’re so lucky to experience that! Hold on, you’re in for the ride of a lifetime.

 

[PacificMarill]

tbh, I somehow ended up watching Shrek 2 before watching the original as a child. (would have been 6 - twin sisters 5 at release vs 9 and 8 so maybe does make some sense) Always felt weird going back and watching Shrek (still great) but yes Shrek 2 is ridiculously good. The cast feels much stronger outside of Shrek/Donkey/Fiona. (Also I Need a Hero is so peak its like the peakiest peak of the movie).




I honestly get a little jealous when I see someone starting OP for the first time - you’re so lucky to experience that! Hold on, you’re in for the ride of a lifetime.

I am on episode 50ish right now, and am really enjoying it! The Sanji intro arc was my favorite so far!

 

[Cancel cult]

I said this earlier, but a series of unfortunate events. specifically, the tv show. count Olaf is in my opinion the best villain ever written. I cannot recommend this enough.

 

[Lightniong]

Let’s do something no one’s done before

It just got that vibe to it, like every song is trying to make you reminisce of the good old days, and how simple things were. It helps you cope with what troubles your going through, and it will make you cry repeadedly. Not my favorite album, but it’s absolutely peak fiction, and I don’t see much people talking about it.

 

[TheShield]

he man is what you would call peak fiction. The storylines are freaking awesome, the characters are cool as heck (especially Orko) and lots more, y'all should watch it sometime

 

[Leif98]

Laputa - Castle in the Sky

There is like 1 scene in the entire movie that I would change or alter, everything else is amazing
It instills such a sense of wonder an escape for me, the entire opening credits scene is a masterpiece of its own, the cozy town and landscape at the beginning are great, the amazing airship designs, how weird and mysterious the floating island actually is, and the characters are also great.
Magnificent music to go along with it, and you actually have 2 versions of the OST, though I prefer the original.

 

[obii]

video game: super mario world - im actually playing this for the first time (was an n64 kid) and im blown away by how magical the game feels, the platforming is perfect and the difficulty increases at a reasonable level, discovering secrets make the world feel much bigger yet more deliberate than tons of open world games out there today

tv show: true detective s1 - i thought itd be hard for something to top mindhunter but the mixture of mystery and character drama makes this perfect in almost every way. i was breathless at the end of that 1 ep...

anime: gintama - might be a polarizing pick but my sense of humor completely aligns with how stupid this show is most of the time, reminds me of me goofing off with my friends or family. i swear i could watch the main trio narrate paint drying and id love it. and this doesnt even get into how amazing the serious arcs are

manga: berserk/nana - cant pick between the 2 but nana is prob the best character drama ive ever read

comic: batman arkham asylum by grant morrison - batman with a tinge of horror... always liked batman but i didnt love the noir detective comic stuff/storylines since i felt they werent very interesting and relied more on the hero aesthetic than anything, this comic sort of turns that stuff upside down and does a more "mature" (i hate that word lmao) take on batman and his rogues gallery. its incredible and written beautifully and the art is some of the most unique things ive ever seen

book: the road by cormac mccarthy - this book genuinely sounds like music. the way the sentences are crafted and how every word is chosen perfectly... i know some ppl hate his use of polysyndetons but i think its effective since the moments in which they are used literally leave u breathless. its one of the best examples of form supporting the narrative. i actually couldnt read anything afterwards LOL bc they all sounded so boring and clunky in comparison. only toni morrison, nabokov, and pynchon survived

havent watched enough films to pick 1 but the witch by eggers, shoplifters, and persona (1966 or w,e year it was) stand out to me