The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009)

"The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus," another piece in Terry Gilliam's vast filmography of odd and otherworldly films, is evocative of many of his prior works. The dystopian science fiction setting of films like "Brazil" or "12 Monkeys," albeit with a more mystical, old-world flavor instead of the bleak sci-fi backdrop.

A wandering circus group led by Doctor Parnassus picks up a mystery visitor with a shady past in the first act. Most of our protagonists have something to hide along the road, and the Devil himself is tailing them, duking it out with the Doctor for the souls of the innocent. Heath Ledger's abrupt and terrible death partway through production, while playing Tony Shepard, had a significant impact on the 2009 release. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell were all cast in the role to assist finish the picture, which added a dimension of surrealism to the film by altering Tony's appearance periodically.