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- The Shawshank Redemption
- Columbia Pictures
18 Movies That Rely Heavily On The Narrator
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Narration is a vital, yet often-overlooked, aspect of cinematic storytelling. Great voiceover narration can take an interesting film and give it legendary status. For example, the unique perspective of The Usual Suspects delivered one of the most-talked-about twists of the '90s. And who can deny that The Shawshank Redemption helped cement Morgan Freeman as one of the most iconic narrators of our time?
There are a handful of filmmakers who have really honed in on their ability to create epically narrated films: Tim Burton, the Coen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, David Fincher, and Guy Ritchie, to name a few. Each of them has used unique (and oftentimes unreliable) narrators, who make fans question the events unfolding on screen just as much as they help to understand them.
While audiences may grow tired of unnecessary exposition, some movies rely on their narrators in order to convey the events in the most effective and engaging way possible.
- 180 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Red (Morgan Freeman) - a fellow inmate and friend of Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a banker who is serving two life sentences for killing his wife and her lover.
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? First of all, it's hard to find a better narrator than Morgan Freeman. His voice alone adds a certain gravitas to the film. In addition, Red also adds a small distance from Andy's life. Viewers don't know what's going on in Andy's head any more than Red does as he recounts his friend's eventual escape from prison.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice.
I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a gray place dares to dream. It was like some beautiful bird flapped into our drab little cage and made those walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free.
- 263 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Gordie (Wil Wheaton) - as an adult (played by Richard Dreyfuss), looking back on his childhood after the loss of his older brother
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? Viewers meet adult Gordie, now a professional writer, at the beginning of the film as he learns of a recent murder. This compels him to recount the story of when he was 12 and his three close friends went to find the body of a local boy who had died. Adult Gordie's commentary provides a perspective of appreciation of his friends and of that time in his life that the pre-teens aren't able to comprehend as they're living in it.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?
Although I hadn't seen him in more than ten years, I know I'll miss him forever.
- 376 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? The Grandpa (Peter Falk) - reading a fairy tale story his grandson (Fred Savage) and providing commentary along the way
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? The beauty of The Princess Bride is that it's a story within a story. The film begins with a grandfather coming to read a story to his sick grandson about Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright). The viewer is quickly sucked in, only to be jolted out from time to time by the child's objection. Fortunately, Grandpa is there to remind him - and the audience - not to get too hung up on the details, and instead enjoy the fantasy story.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
Grandson: Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try to stay awake.
Grandpa: Oh, well, thank you very much, very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming.Grandpa: It was ten days to the wedding. The King still lived, but Buttercup's nightmares were growing steadily worse.
Grandson: See, didn't I tell you she'd never marry that rotten Humperdinck?
Grandpa: Yes, you're very smart. Shut up. - 449 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), who is the focus of the film throughout his decades with the mob. Henry's wife, Karen (Lorraine Bracco), also narrates some scenes.
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? By having Henry look back on his life of crime, the audience knows that he's going to survive in order to be able to be able to tell the story. Still, that doesn't take away from the danger, panic, and paranoia that plagues his life as we we see it unfold in real time. Henry's voice provides context that makes the mob world feel even more severe than what we see on screen.
Karen's narration, on the other hand, adds an element of uncertainty, of both Henry's account and her own well-being.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
Henry: As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster.
Henry: One day some of the kids from the neighborhood carried my mother's groceries all the way home. You know why? It was outta respect.
Karen: There are women who would have left the minute their boyfriend gave them a gun to hide. I didn't.
- 542 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) - the “new kid" among a rag-tag group of young baseball lovers, looking back on his childhood (played as an adult by Arliss Howard)
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? While the film primarily shows the dynamics and drama of the school-age boys who play ball at the sandlot, the narration from adult Scotty provides a more mature perspective. In youth, every moment and experience feels like the biggest thing in the universe. As an adult, he's able to reflect on these moments with humor and sincerity. Adult Scotty is also able to wrap up the story with details about what happened to the kids after they grew up.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
You see, for us, baseball was a game. But, for Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, baseball was life.
Even though Bill loved the Murderers' Row ball, he was still plenty mad about me having swiped his Babe Ruth autographed ball and ruining it. So, I didn't feel too bad when he grounded me for a week instead of the rest of my life.
- 660 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? The unnamed main character (Edward Norton)
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? The twist of the Narrator's identity is one that truly shocks first-time watchers of the film. As Edward Norton's character narrates his own journey, with lines heavily influenced by the writing style of the Fight Club novel by Chuck Palahniuk, he leads viewers to believe that he's somewhat of an innocent bystander in the chaos that Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) instigates. After being set up by this narration, the movie's infamous twist changes how the audience perceives the story - and also shocks the Narrator himself.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
And then, something happened. I let go. Lost in oblivion. Dark and silent and complete. I found freedom. Losing all hope was freedom.
When you have insomnia, you're never really asleep... and you're never really awake.
If you wake up at a different time in a different place, could you wake up as a different person?
- 758 VOTES
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- Deadpool
- 20th Century Fox
Who Is The Narrator? Deadpool himself, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) - a smart-mouthed superhero who is virtually indestructible
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? Deadpool is beloved for breaking the fourth wall and chatting with the audience. He'll make snarky comments about other characters, drop a solid pop culture reference, or just share what he's thinking in the moment. This style of direct address, even popping up to shoo the audience away after the credits, makes Deadpool, and his films, incredibly unique among superhero movies.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
[while cutting off his own arm] Did you ever see 127 Hours? Spoiler alert.
I know right? You're probably thinking, ‘Whose balls did I have to fondle to get my very own movie?’ I can't tell you his name, but it rhymes with 'Polverine.'
You're still here? It's over. Go home! Oh, you're expecting a teaser for Deadpool 2. Well, we don't have that kind of money. What are you expecting, Sam Jackson show up with an eyepatch and a saucy little leather number? Go, go.
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Who Is The Narrator? Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) - a disabled, small-time crook who is interrogated by detectives seeking to figure out the identity of the the elusive crime lord Keyser Söze
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? Just like Agent Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), the audience only ever gets to see Verbal's version of the story, as he's the one who is telling the police detective what happened. In this way, viewers can become detectives themselves, trying to piece together the clues.
At the end of the film, when it's revealed Verbal was not telling the truth, viewers get to feel the same disbelief and and indignation that Kujan feels as he realizes he was lied to.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
After that my guess is that you will never hear from him again. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. And like that... he is gone.
How do you shoot the devil in the back? What if you miss?
A man can convince anyone he's somebody else, but never himself.
- 962 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) - the main 9-year-old character, as an adult (voiced by Jean Shepherd)
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? A Christmas Story follows young Ralphie, who is determined to get the Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle for Christmas. Most people can relate to getting this excited about a certain toy as a kid, whether that was the new Barbie Dreamhouse or a special LEGO set. Thus, it's easy to see the innocence of this desire represented by child Ralphie, but it's nicely balanced out by the wisdom in grown-up Ralphie's narration.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man.
Aunt Clara had for years labored under the delusion that I was not only perpetually 4 years old, but also a girl.
Oh my god, I shot my eye out!
- 1035 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) - an affluent teenager who may come across as vapid, but is actually introspective and eager to learn
What Does Her Voice Add To The Story? On the surface, Cher appears to be an utter stereotype - a rich Valley girl who is more concerned about appearances than substance. However, her narration helps show that Cher is, in her way, a rather deep thinker. She is concerned with the the world at large, as well as the state of her friendships. While still funny and filled with Valley girl-isms, Cher's voice helps lift Clueless from a gimmicky modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma to an introspective story about growing up.
What Are Her Most Iconic Lines?
Everything I think and everything I do is wrong.
So okay, I don't want to be a traitor to my generation and all, but I don't get how guys dress today. I mean, come on, it looks like they just fell out of bed and put on some baggy pants and take their greasy hair - ew - and cover it up with a backwards cap and like, we're expected to swoon? I don't think so.
- 1143 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) - a young man in a futuristic society who enjoys partaking in wanton violence with his “droogs”
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? A Clockwork Orange has long been controversial for its graphic and extreme violence, which is no more than a gleeful pastime for Alex and his friends ("droogs" in the stylized slang Alex uses). It might be easy to dismiss him as unsympathetic, even while watching him become imprisoned and forced into a torturous attempt to “cure” him of his dark impulses through psychological conditioning. No matter where the viewer's sympathies lie, because Alex acts as the narrator, it's hard to be sure if some of his graphic “fantasies” are actually happening or not.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
I woke up. The pain and sickness all over me like an animal. Then I realized what it was. The music coming up from the floor was our old friend, Ludwig van, and the dreaded Ninth Symphony.
I was cured, all right!
- 1247 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? The Stranger (Sam Elliott) - a bar-dwelling cowboy only seen in the final scenes of the film
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? One of the reasons the narrator makes such an impact is because of the sheer power of the legendary low drawl of Sam Elliott. In addition to his vocal gravitas, he also gives a removed perspective to the sequence of events. As director and co-writer Joel Coen explained: “It's as if someone was commenting on the plot from an all-seeing point of view. And at the same time rediscovering the old earthiness of Mark Twain.”
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
Way out west there was this fella... fella I wanna tell ya about. Fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least that was the handle his loving parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. Mr. Lebowski, he called himself 'The Dude.'
The Dude abides. I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that. It's good knowin' he's out there. The Dude. Takin' 'er easy for all us sinners.
- 1331 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Turkish (Jason Statham) - a small-time criminal who gets in over his head in pursuit of a big score
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? There's a lot going on in Snatch - a diamond theft, illegal boxing, rival gangs… It can be a lot to follow. Thankfully, Turkish is there to help keep everything straight. Sometimes he'll explain things that the audience might not be familiar with, or he'll translate when some of the folks on screen have a particularly thick accent or dialect. All of his commentary adds humor to some potentially intense scenes.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
My name is Turkish. Funny name for an Englishman, I know. My parents to be were on the same plane when it crashed. That's how they met. They named me after the name of the plane. Not many people are named after a plane crash.
Have you ever crossed the road, and looked the wrong way? A car's nearly on you? So what do you do? Something very silly. You freeze. Your life doesn't flash before you, 'cause you're too f*ckin' scared to think - you just freeze and pull a stupid face.
- 1432 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) - a materialistic yuppie who claims to moonlight as a serial killer
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? Patrick's narration shows the audience how dark, and progressively more desperate, his thoughts get over the course of the film. It also offers a look into his compulsive behaviors and the dissociation he has from his physical body.
One aspect that makes Patrick all the more notable is that he's an unreliable narrator - leaving the audience unsure whether he really did kill all those people, or whether it was all in his head the entire time.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
I have all the characteristics of a human being: blood, flesh, skin, hair; but not a single, clear, identifiable emotion, except for greed and disgust.
There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman. Some kind of abstraction. But there is no real me; only an entity, something illusory. And though I can hide my cold gaze, and you can shake my hand and feel flesh gripping yours and maybe you can even sense our lifestyles are probably comparable... I simply am not there.
- 1524 VOTES
Who Is The Narrator? An omniscient observer of the Tenenbaum family (voiced by Alec Baldwin)
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? It could be hard for an audience to keep straight the many members of the extremely eccentric Tenenbaum family. To help with this, writer and director Wes Anderson uses a narrator to introduce the family members, as well as give a brief insight into each of their lives, revealing some secrets about the characters that even the other Tenenbaums don't know about.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
All memory of the brilliance of the young Tenenbaums had been erased by two decades of betrayal, failure and disaster.
Among the few possessions he left to his heirs was a set of Encyclopedia Britannica in storage at the Lindbergh Palace Hotel under the names Ari and Uzi Tenenbaum.
Margot Tenenbaum was adopted at age 2. Her father had always noted this when introducing her.
- 1621 VOTES
Who Is The Narrator? Mark “Rent Boy” Renton (Ewan McGregor) - a tragic, but endearing, drug addict living in Edinburgh
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? Trainspotting gives an intimate look into the world of substance use, and Mark's narration helps show the human behind this ongoing struggle, which is particularly illuminating for viewers who don't have personal experience with addiction. Mark's experiences show how the hopes of living a better life can be derailed by getting pulled back into old habits by the people one is surrounded with.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?
People think it's all about misery and desperation and death and all that sh*t, which is not to be ignored, but what they forget is the pleasure of it. Otherwise we wouldn't do it. After all, we're not f*cking stupid.
- 1726 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) - a new girl at school who gets taken in by a cruel, popular clique known as “the Plastics”
What Does Her Voice Add To The Story? Having Cady as the narrator allows the audience a window into her thoughts, as well as a grounded perspective on some of the more vicious aspects of teen social life. We're also able to “see” a scene through her imagination, like when she envisions how the animal world would settle high school drama.
What Are Her Most Iconic Lines?
Calling somebody else fat won't make you any skinnier. Calling someone stupid doesn't make you any smarter. And ruining Regina George's life definitely didn't make me any happier. All you can do in life is try to solve the problem in front of you.
With Regina's blessing, I started talking to Aaron more and more. On October 3rd, he asked me what day it was.
- 1822 VOTES
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Who Is The Narrator? Edward Bloom (played by Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, and Perry Walston at various ages) - the bombastic, tale tale-telling father of William
What Does His Voice Add To The Story? The story revolves around William (Billy Crudup) drifting away from his father, who has told the same fantastical tales about his life for decades. However, by the time the audience gets to know Edward, he's a sick man, recounting the stories to his son for likely the final time. As his narration brings his hyperbolic anecdotes to life, the audience has to decipher how much stock to put in his wildly impressive portrayal of himself.
What Are His Most Iconic Lines?
They say when you meet the love of your life, time stops, and that's true. What they don't tell you is that when it starts again, it moves extra fast to catch up.
It was that night I discovered that most things you consider evil or wicked are simply lonely, and lacking in the social niceties.
There's a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny is lost... the ship has sailed and only a fool would continue. Truth is... I've always been a fool.
