If you've ever said, "Oh, that movie makes me want to watch this one," or instantly sought out IMDb to see where else that actor or actress has been in, this list is for you. During the days of movie rental stores like Blockbuster and Family Video, movie lovers had to preplan their marathons or, in the early days of Netflix, compile a queue of DVDs to get in the mail: easier to execute with franchise films, but not so much for stand-alone films. In the age of streaming, binge-watching hours and hours of a television series has never been easier. Movie binges are no exception.
Like scrolling through social media or YouTube videos, movie fans are just as susceptible to following down the rabbit hole into a movie marathon. These films mimic the idea that if you give a mouse a cookie, it will want a glass of milk. If you watch this film, you'll watch this one next, a mindset well-known to the genre of movie lovers that thrive on rewatching movies.
'Pitch Perfect' (2012)
And we're not talking about watching the second and third films in succession. Pitch Perfect is the highest-rated of the three films. It's become one of the most iconic girl-power films about friendship and finding yourself. Throughout the film, Jess (Skylar Astin) tries to win Beca (Anna Kendrick) over, one of his methods being the power of movies. It eventually works as she sits through The Breakfast Club during the film's third act.
Here's where the rabbit hole begins. After watching Pitch Perfect and seeing callbacks to The Breakfast Club in the final act, you'll want to see it. It's difficult to watch a '80s John Hughes movie and stop at one. Viewers will need more Molly Ringwald or move over to Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and from there, it's a "choose your own adventure" movie night, all starting from Pitch Perfect.
'The Big Short' (2015)
A pivot for director Adam McKay, The Big Short was a film that shocked audiences in a good way. Never had a film explained the housing market crash in such an attention-grabbing format. One of which included Margot Robbie in a bathtub explaining subprime mortgages. The film is full of epic fourth wall breaks and cameos by various stars.
Robbie's cameo came a few years before her fourth-wall-breaking film, I, Tonya, hit the screen: her quick stint in The Big Short and its cinematic style pushed viewers toward that film. Once there, they decide between returning to a similar McKay's films like Vice, or audiences will jump on the Sebastian Stan biopic train and stream Hulu's Pam & Tommy.
'Knives Out' (2019)
With an epic ensemble cast, Knives Out quickly became one of the best whodunit films of the decade. As fans rewatch the movie in preparation for the sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery arriving later this year, the question of what else Chris Evans has been in that's not Marvel arises: what did he star in before Captain America?
Sci-fi drama Push came out in 2009 and is one of those trailers shown on dozens of DVD trailers. The film is about two young Americans in Hong Kong trying to find a girl before a shady government organization does. mid-2000s teens will recognize that girl as actress Camilla Belle, star of the horror remake When a Stranger Calls. The movie came out in 2006 and was an introductory horror film for most middle-school kids. From this part of the rabbit hole, movie marathoners will most likely call back to other films of their childhood, horror or not.
'The Hangover' (2009)
Again, not a film you'll watch the second and third installments for the rabbit hole plunge. The first movie will always be the best for its impact on moviegoers and the bachelor party genre. With this digression in films, someone at The Hangover movie night will point out that director Todd Phillips also did Joker. "What?" "Yes," they'll say and proceed to stream it. A stark difference from The Hangover, Joker earned Phillips a well-deserved Oscar nomination.
After the visceral ending of Joker, audiences were desperate for more. Phillips announced more would come with a sequel in the coming years. Most recently, rumors have sparked that Lady Gaga will be joining as Phillips' version of Harley Quinn in a musical sequel. Whether that rumor comes true or not, anyone watching Joker now will jump ship to Gaga in A Star is Born. From the last note of the film, Gaga's immaculate performance had fans ugly crying around the world, leading to streaming more movies that elicit the same response.
'Elvis' (2022)
After hitting the movie theater this weekend, many moviegoers will return to other musical biopics like Bohemian Rhapsody or Rocketman. Many fans from the Elvis Presley generation will dive into his films. For the fans of IMDb rabbit holes following a theater movie, Elvis provides just that. While Austin Butler excels as the leading man in his portrayal of Elvis, Olivia DeJonge as the one and only Priscilla Presley deserves credit as well. Upon looking into the young starlet's filmography, audiences will remember her from M. Knight Shyamalan's The Visit.
The Visit is a middle-of-the-road film for the legendary director, but marks an usual filmmaking style for him — found footage. While this isn't the best found-footage film, it will lead viewers to return to the original horror film that put the genre on the map — The Blair Witch Project. After getting in a good scare, those still focused on continuing the rabbit hole may jump to other found footage films like Searching or Paranormal Activity.