Beneath The Tides: Fives stories that provoke and resonate but do they entertain?

The essence of movies lies in storytelling, primarily because people crave entertainment and the chance to immerse themselves in different worlds and experiences. While not the sole reason, I've always believed that individuals seek out these narratives because of an inherent desire to feel something, to embark on an emotional journey or rollercoaster ride. We often remember movies the same way we remember people, which is how they make us feel.

Films that immediately come to mind for me when it comes to good emotional journeys include the 2007 masterpiece Atonement, Million Dollar Baby, The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas, Up, Dark City, Oldboy, The Irishman, and many others. Some directors deliberately go out of their way to get an emotional response from the audience, I mean look at any Asian film.