When it comes to genre films, we often know what to expect. When you sit down for a blockbuster action film you're probably after some elaborate fight scenes, extended car chases and giant explosions.
But sometimes we fancy something a bit out of the ordinary, a movie that takes your expectations and turns them completely on their head. With the arrival of Matthew Vaughn's Kingsman: The Secret Service in Sky Store, we look at some of the best genre films to think outside the box:
Kingsman: The Secret Service (spy movie)
Vaughn's Kingsman takes a leaf out of the James Bond book of spy movies, but mixes it up with a contemporary twist, imaginative action and a heavy dose of comedy.
Taron Egerton's troubled inner city kid Eggsy is far from your typical hero, and Colin Firth blew our mind in some of the most insane action sequences we've ever seen. This is espionage, but not as you know it.
The Babadook (horror)
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This low-budget Australian gem avoids over the top gore and made-you-jump moments for an unsettling and tense atmosphere that builds slowly to fever pitch.
The tale of a mother and son suffering from exhaustion, isolation and a creeping terror from a strange children's book delivers subtle and thoughtful horror with some fantastic and intense performances from its small cast.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (comedy)
Wes Anderson spins a delicate and fantastical tale with the all-star cast of The Grand Budapest Hotel, a caper that mixes whimsy and laugh-out-loud comedy with moments of tragedy as it follows the adventures of lobby boy Zero.
With its episodic and non-linear timeline, its memorably eccentric characters and beautiful design, this is far from your run-of-the-mill comedy. Keep an eye out for appearances by Tilda Swinton, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Harvey Keitel, Edward Norton and many more.
Big Hero 6 (comic book movie)
Superhero films have become part of the cinematic landscape, from gritty DC Comics adaptations to the runaway success of Marvel's cinematic universe. Disney's acquisition of Marvel has resulted in a film very different from either of these.
Big Hero 6 is the first animated Disney film to feature Marvel characters. What we got was a heart-warming film combining the best of Disney with fast-paced superhero action that is bags of fun for viewers of all ages.
Inception (action)
Christopher Nolan is known for his thoughtful and original approach to cinema, and a perfect showcase of that is this tale of a dream of thieves who infiltrate the minds of their victims.
Leonardo DiCaprio leads a motley cast of their most daring mission yet, with dream sequences that allow for some of the most original action set pieces you could ever wish for and where even gravity proves to be an illusion.
Gone Girl (thriller)
David Fincher's stylish thriller was a huge hit in 2014, with blistering performances from Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck.
What begins as a simple missing person's case becomes something very different as suspicion falls firmly on the husband of the victim. We can't in good conscience spoil the twists and turns here, so just sit back and sink into a dark world of failed dreams and privilege gone sour.
Lucy (sci-fi)
Science fiction has been the home of some badass action heroines, from Ripley to Sarah Conner and Katniss Everdeen.
Luc Besson's sublimely pulpyLucy brings a modern twist to the sci-fi genre, as Scarlett Johansson's titular character kicks her way through an army of gangsters while an experimental drug continues to expand her mind and transform her into something much more than human.
Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Babadook, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Big Hero 6, Inception, Gone Girl and Lucy are all available in Sky Store now.
