Skip to main content
Games Radar Newsarama Total Film Edge Retro Gamer
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The smarter take on movies
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
A screenshot shows a close-up of Nora's crying eyes in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Adventure Games Life is Strange developers made one of the most beautiful games of 2025, and it’s all because Lost Records: Bloom & Rage understands the magic of childhood
Josh O'Connor as Jud Duplenticy and Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Movies The 25 best movies on Netflix to watch this week
Superman 2 concept art by Jim Lee showing Superman holding a screwdriver and buddying up to Lex Luthor, who is clad in his purple and green battle armor
DC Movies James Gunn can't share his whole Spotify Wrapped because "ALL" the top songs are in Man of Tomorrow
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry
Movies The It factor: Why Hollywood can't get enough of adapting the works of Stephen King
Pluribus
Apple TV Plus The 25 best shows on Apple TV to watch right now (December 2025)
Cartman, Eric, Kenny, and Kyle in an episode of South Park
Animated Shows The 25 best South Park episodes of all time, mmkay
Hollow Knight: Silksong bug suspended in silk strands
Platforming Games Silksong devs "maybe" aren't going to The Game Awards and think they're "safe" from a GOTY win because of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is "exceptional and broadly palatable"
Russell Crowe in Gladiator
Streaming Services The 20 best movies on Paramount Plus to watch right now
The 30 best horror movies of all time: pictures from The Wicker Man, The Shining, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Hereditary.
Horror Movies The 30 best horror movies that will haunt you long after the credits roll
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Platforming Games The 10 best games like Hollow Knight to play after you beat Silksong
Kyle MacLachlan as Special Agent Dale Cooper giving a thumbs up during Twin Peaks.
Streaming Services The 25 best shows on Paramount Plus to watch right now
Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson at gunpoint in The Long Walk
Drama Movies Hideo Kojima shares lengthy review of Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, and it sounds like he's a huge fan: "It's a meta, philosophical film about friendship and growth"
Denzel Washington as David King in Highest 2 Lowest.
Apple TV Plus The 10 best movies on Apple TV to stream right now (December 2025)
Shadow (Keanu Reeves) in Sonic 3
Movies Every upcoming video game movie you need to know about in 2026 and beyond
Michael Fassbender in The Killer
Thriller Movies The 25 best Netflix thrillers to watch right now
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies

Radiohead: Songs That Could Be Movies

Features
By Sam Ashurst published 19 February 2011

From Pablo Honey to The King Of Limbs...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Optimistic

Optimistic

From: Kid A

The Song:

The Movie Version:

When John Crumb is sentenced to 1000 years on the prison ship 0pt1m15t1c for a crime he didn't commit, he immediately starts devising an escape plan.

But his plot to wrestle the controls from his captors goes awry, and he crash-lands 0pt1m15t1c onto a prehistoric planet earth.

Suddenly, Crumb finds himself having to fight dinosaurs, prison guards, and the murderous alien survivors of the wrecked prison ship in his search for civilisation.

Rescuing a walkie-talkie from the wreckage, Crumb makes contact with Cassandra - the only guard on the ship to treat him like a human being - who guides him through the wilderness.

But is Cassandra all she seems? And is the planet as far from home as it appears?

Key Quote:

Crumb: "Flies are buzzing around my head. Vultures circling the dead."
Cassandra: "Try the best you can. The best you can is good enough."

Page 1 of 10
Page 1 of 10
Lotus Flower

Lotus Flower

From: The King Of Limbs

The Song

The Movie Version:

Dr. Pablo Lotus has lived his life free of all emotional attachments, choosing to focus exclusively on his work as a botanist.

But when his beautiful lab assistant Patricia Flower accompanies him on a research trip to Australia, Vietnam and India, he finds himself falling in love.

The new feelings stir up more than emotions, however.

Lotus finds himself having powerful visions of a desolate earth that has been entirely reclaimed by wildlife. Great buildings have turned from grey to green. Seas are choked with algae. Cars lie rusted and filled with flowers. And at the centre of every vision - a strange man in a bowler hat, dancing between the blooms.

As the visions become more and more extreme, Lotus decides to end the relationship with Patricia. He walks away from her, immediately bumping into a man in a bowler hat. And the man starts to dance...

Key Quote:

Lotus: "There's an empty space in my heart, where the weeds take root."

Page 2 of 10
Page 2 of 10
Morning Mr Magpie

Morning Mr Magpie

From: The King Of Limbs

The Song:

Download The King Of Limbs here .

The Movie Version:

Mary Magpie is married to Martin Magpie - an corrupt banker whose financial dealings exploit the poor and reward the rich.

Mary has a luxurious life, with plenty of distractions to stop her from considering the implications of her husband's actions.

But a series of events directly linked to the government's austerity cuts effect her sanity.

Her mother dies of a heart attack after she's sacked from her beloved librarian job, her father is stabbed in a mugging and left to die after short-staffed ambulance drivers fail to reach him in time, and when Mary goes to spread their ashes on their favourite National Trust beauty spot she finds it's been turned into an office block.

Devastated, she decides to go on a rampage of revenge, ending with a confrontation with her husband over breakfast.

It's Kill Bill meets Falling Down, essentially.

Key Quote:

Mary: "You stole it all, give it back."

Page 3 of 10
Page 3 of 10
Just

Just

From: The Bends

The Song:

The Movie Version:

Andrew Byrne is a chronic masturbator, finding it impossible to form meaningful relationships with other people, or even hold down a job.

His one successful relationship ended when his first love, Sarah, caught him masturbating at a family dinner.

He seeks counseling, and makes progress with a psychiatrist who helps him control his urges, to the extent he's even able to find work as an office assistant.

But when his psychiatrist retires, replaced by the most beautiful woman Andrew has ever seen, Byrne falls into a spiral of sex addiction - his repressed urges forcing him to seek out more and more dangerous highs.

Key Quote:

Sarah: "You do it to yourself, you do. And that's what really hurts."

Page 4 of 10
Page 4 of 10
Creep

Creep

From : Pablo Honey

The Song:

The Movie Version:

When the demon Nelumbo Nicifera is given a glimpse of heaven as a punishment for refusing to torture a lost soul, he falls in love with an angel he sees in his vision.

Resolving to escape hell and invade heaven so that he can be with his new-found love, Nicifera takes on giagantic devils and huge seraphims alike, on the path to a third-act confrontation with God and Satan themselves.

Key Quote:

Nicifera: "I don't belong here."

Page 5 of 10
Page 5 of 10
Paranoid Android

Paranoid Android

From: OK Computer

The Song:

The Movie Version:

Generation X slacker Bobby Guts is the lead-singer of punk band Paranoid Android.

When the band gets one too many bad reviews, Bobby and the band tool up and decide to invade the local newsroom, taking the camera crew hostage and forcing them to broadcast their music non-stop live.

When other local bands - Pig Skin, The Panic, The Vomit - hear about the situation they join Paranoid Android in broadcasting their music to the nation.

Key Quote:


Bobby Guts: "When I am king you will be first against the wall."

Page 6 of 10
Page 6 of 10
House Of Cards

House Of Cards

From: In Rainbows

The Song:

The Movie Version:

Thriller following the lives of several swingers in seventies suburbia, and how their key-swap parties affect the society that surrounds them.

When investigative reporter Danielle Davies finds herself in the home of a prominent politician after a particularly intense key-swap party, she discovers documents that could bring down parliament, the government and the House Of Lords.

Key Quote:

Danielle: "Your ears should be burning."

Page 7 of 10
Page 7 of 10
Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was

Bullet Proof... I Wish I Was

From: The Bends

The Song:

The Movie Version:

In the future war of 3023, cyborg solider B225 is a genetic and scientific freak.

Through an accident of design, he's the only cyborg solider that can experience pain.

As a result, he's experimented on mercilessly - with army scientists considering him to be the key to unlocking the secret to defeating enemy cyborg soldiers.

But when B225 can't take it anymore, he escapes and goes on the run.

Finding himself in the middle of a worldwide war, he starts to wish he was back in the lab...

Key Quote:


B225: "You have turned me into this!"

Page 8 of 10
Page 8 of 10
There There

There There

From: Hail To The Thief

The Song:

The Movie Version:

A pirate ship is shipwrecked on a strange desert island.

When the pirates start to explore, the landscape seems to shift and change around them. Night falls, and strange green creatures start to attack them, killing several members of the crew, before apparently vanishing into the woods when dawn breaks.

It's Pirates Of The Caribbean meets Evil Dead 2, basically.

Key Quote:

Blackbeard: "Just because you feel it, doesn't mean it's there."

Page 9 of 10
Page 9 of 10
Pyramid Song

Pyramid Song

From: Amnesiac

The Song:

The Movie Version:

Experimental animation featuring literal adaptations of Pyramid Song's lyrical imagery.

Despite being entirely silent for its duration, it wins the best screenplay, film, director and music Oscars.

It breaks all box office records and inspires Michael Bay to quit the film industry in disgust.

Suffice to say, it's the greatest film of all time.

Key Quote:

Opening dedication: "There was nothing to fear, nothing at all."

Page 10 of 10
Page 10 of 10
Sam Ashurst
Social Links Navigation

Sam Ashurst is a London-based film maker, journalist, and podcast host. He's the director of Frankenstein's Creature, A Little More Flesh + A Little More Flesh 2, and co-hosts the Arrow Podcast. His words have appeared on HuffPost, MSN, The Independent, Yahoo, Cosmopolitan, and many more, as well as of course for us here at GamesRadar+.

Read more
The Long Walk
The best Stephen King adaptations ranked, from Carrie to The Long Walk
 
 
Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise in It: Welcome to Derry
The It factor: Why Hollywood can't get enough of adapting the works of Stephen King
 
 
Mario stands next to the queen bee in a bee outfit in the Honeyhive Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy, from the Nintendo Switch eShop
Super Mario Bros' legendary themes have ensured they're unforgettable after 40 years: "Koji Kondo wrote Mario music with such light-hearted joy"
 
 
A screenshot shows a close-up of Nora's crying eyes in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Life is Strange developers made one of the most beautiful games of 2025, and it’s all because Lost Records: Bloom & Rage understands the magic of childhood
 
 
Tyriq Withers as Cameron Cade in HIM
HIM director reveals the unusual influences behind the trippy new horror movie, from 90s Nike campaigns and Busta Rhymes to Mozart and Goya: "I had a reference for everything"
 
 
Still from the Jacob's Ladder 4K restoration re-release
The best Silent Hill movie is the underrated '90s horror that originally inspired the games, and it's now back in theaters with a terrifying new restoration
 
 
Latest in Movies
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Disney and OpenAI strike a deal that will allow users to generate videos of Disney Princesses, Darth Vader, Mickey Mouse, Deadpool, and more
 
 
Fallout season 2
The official Fallout season 1 recap is filled with AI and thinks the show is set in the 1950s
 
 
Godzilla Minus One
James Cameron "can't wait" to see the Godzilla Minus One sequel, and he even wants to get involved
 
 
David Corenswet as Superman in first look at James Gunn's new movie
Superman confirmed to appear in Supergirl as Milly Alcock reveals her first day on set was opposite David Corenswet
 
 
Milly Alcock as Supergirl
First Supergirl trailer features the DCU's Krypton, Jason Momoa's Lobo, and a reluctant superhero who wants to party
 
 
Supergirl poster
James Gunn wants DCU's Supergirl to prove not every female superhero lead has to be "perfect"
 
 
Latest in Features
A medieval town with a cathedral and thatched houses in Total War: Medieval 3 concept art
Total War's new engine will power Medieval 3, put the series on console, and let mods thrive: "We're playing long-term"
 
 
Arrow keys of Endgame Gear keyboard with keycaps and switches removed
2025 may have been the year the Hall effect keyboard went mainstream, but 2026 will be the year it flourishes
 
 
Photo of the Legend of Zelda Sidon amiibo sitting in the branches of a Christmas tree.
Amiibo make the perfect stocking presents, here's where to get every Switch 2 figure
 
 
Despelote screenshot featuring a kid kicking a ball with GamesRadar+ Best of 2025 badge in upper right
From Despelote to Ooo, the best games under 2 hours of 2025 are truly timely
 
 
Arian S Cartaya, Clara Stack and Amanda Christine on their bikes in It: Welcome to Derry
I've fallen in love with It: Welcome to Derry's new Losers, so it sucks that season 2 will be set before they were born
 
 
Gaming books stacked on a wooden desk with Fallout and Pokemon figures on top
These are the gaming books you need to read this holiday season, from my shelf to yours
 
 
  1. Key art for Skate Story showing the glass skater boarding through a dark underworld filled with spikes towards a door of light
    1
    Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
  2. 2
    Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
  3. 3
    Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"
  4. 4
    Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: "The series' atmosphere has never been better, while being dragged down by a boring overworld and clunky psychic powers"
  5. 5
    Routine review: "This imperfect but wonderfully atmospheric moon-based horror leaves a strong impression"
  1. Freddy Fazbear in Five Nights at Freddy's 2
    1
    Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
  2. 2
    Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
  3. 3
    Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
  4. 4
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  5. 5
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  1. Noah Schnapp as Will Byers and Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna in Stranger Things season 5
    1
    Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
  2. 2
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  3. 3
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  4. 4
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  5. 5
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...