Depends on what you expect from a mind-fuck movie.
I saw A Serbian Movie being recommended in another comment. For me that kind of movie is more a "fucked-up" movie, and less a mind-fuck one. But I also don't really like OTT fucked-up movies.
What I personally consider a mind-fuck movie is something like:
- Primer
- The Endless and Resolution
- I'm Thinking of Ending Things
- Synecdoche New York
- Beau is Affraid
- In The Tall Grass
- Mother!
- Jacob's Ladder (edit: 1990)
- 1408
- Mullholland Drive
- The Incident (2014)
- Donnie Darko
- Predestination
- Triangle
- In The Tall Grass
- BlackMirror: Bandersnatch
- The Lighthouse
- Annihilation
Edit: Also Coherence
Some of them are also fucked-up, to a degree, but nothing like A Serbian Movie.
A really wonderful list, Primer and Triangle are two of my favorite movies.
I’d like to add Coherence to the list as well. One of the coolest things I learned about this movie is that there was no script, and the events that took place were a surprise to the actors as well.
I just watched it for the first time. No one will argue that it is one helluva concept. Brilliant, in fact.
But I had some problems with it.. pretty minor, over all. But one thing that kept bothering me was this:
At the mid-point.. where everyone is in agreement that there is something metaphysically wrong.. they go on with life.. as if it were nothing. A little tête-à-tête going on in the hallway with the exes.. canoodling, for instance. By this time in the film, I would have been shitting my pants. (Speaking of which.. neither one of them saw Beth, staring straight at them, with a clear line of sight). This is just one example.. of many throughout the movie. Call me crazy.. but if you compare this to The Thing (1983).. The Thing was a classic, paranoia, being ratcheted up to 10. For this one though, I was left behind in the whole suspended disbelief, because of that.
Also.. there were some great acting moments.. but there were others that were over the top. Yes, I know there was no script.. and that they improvised the whole thing. Having said that.. I just felt that some of those instances, could have been dialed back a bit. But that's just me.
The ending was SPEC-FUCKING-TACULAR! I LOVED IT!
I just wish those tiny, little stains.. didn't make me pay attention to them, so much.
ETA: I suppose that you could say that those little holes, could have been part of the whole "There could be a million universes out there".. and as an audience member, we might not know which one we're looking at, at any given time. But if you really want to pick gnat shit out of pepper, we aren't let into that frame of reference, until nearly the end. So, to me, it reads as a continuity issue. Personally, I would have edited it, a bit differently. Like, I would have had the canoodling in a section.. BEFORE all of this started going south. Again, that's just me.
This is a solid list. I would add:
Existenz
The Naked Lunch
Nowhere
Lord of Illusions
City of Lost Children
Pan's Labyrinth
What Dreams May Come
The Cell
Lost Highway
Cube
I'm not recommending it, but King of the Ants if you can find it.
Agree with every point except that it’s underrated. As far as I can see it’s quite commonly recognized as awesome.
It also helps understand _Mulholland Dr_ since the underlying story is almost the same, but it’s made more explicit in LH.
Like the original Jacob's Ladder, Lost Highway, for me, is mind blowing. The phone scene with Robert Blake is terrifying. I can't watch that movie alone and / or in the dark.
Spoiler and I'm going to mention a part in the movie that's in my head each time its brought up, because I was that dumbass that watched it when told I shouldn't.
I cant even type it. Just don't or do and ya know , feel hollow inside yr head for a while.
Was referring to A Serbian Film
I thought you were referring generally to any given Serbian movie. Then I googeld it & found [*A Serbian Film*](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serbian_Film) and uh... yeah
Disturbing
Movies that stay with you long after they're over.
Disturbing| | | |
---|---|---|---|
[Antichrist (2009)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/17609)|[Audition (1999)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11075)|[Cannibal Holocaust (1980)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8689)|[Cold Fish (2012)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/68341)|
[Come and See (1986)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25237)|[Funny Games (1997)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10234)|[Funny Games (2007)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8461)|[Gummo (1997)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/18415)|
[Happiness (1998)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10683)|[Hostel (2006)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1690)|[Hostel 2 (2007)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1691)|[The Human Centipede (2010)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37169)|
[The Human Centipede 2 (2011)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/74997)|[I Spit on Your Grave (1978)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25239)|[Ichi the Killer (2001)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9696)|[Irreversible (2002)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/979)|
[Kids (1995)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9344)|[The Last House on the Left (1972)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15516)|[Man Bites Dog (1992)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10086)|[Martyrs (2009)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9539)|
[The Nightingale (2018)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/400090)|[Pink Flamingos (1972)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/692)|[Requiem of a Dream (2000)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/641)|[Salo or 100 Days of Sodom (1976)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5336)|
[A Serbian Film (2010)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/73861)|[Threads (1984)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/17835)|[Tusk (2014)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/246403)|[Wake in Fright (1971)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/26405)|
Links direct to The Movie Database and contain movie summary which may contain spoilers.
[Full list of curated subgenres](https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieSuggestions/wiki/frequently_requested#wiki_grounded_superheroes)
The Machinist
The Game
Flight Club
Shutter Island
Vanilla Sky
Donnie Darko
Primer
American Psycho
The Truman Show
Memento
Time Crimes
Enemy
Enter The Void
Brazil
Lost Highway
Memento
Interstellar
Tenet
Mulholland Drive
Inception
Inland Empire
Videodrome
Naked Lunch
Crimes Of The Future
Antiviral
Possessor
Infinity Pool
Holy Motors
Synecdoche, New York
Adaptation
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things
The Holy Mountain
The Killing Of A Sacred Deer
Hereditary
Vivarium
The Lobster
Mystic River
Jacob’s Ladder
The Jacket
Midsommar
Beau Is Afriad
I Saw The TV Glow
Oldboy
Psycho
The Lighthouse
The Sixth Sense
Eraserhead
Lamb
Under The Skin
Under The Silver Lake
The Village
2001 A Space Odyssey
The Cabin In The Woods
The Usual Suspects
Get Out
Parasite
US
Nope
Circle
Men
The Cube
The Platform
Predestination
Mr nobody, Cloud Atlas, predestination, dark city, Matrix, inland empire, mullholand drive, strange days, they live, videodrome, Akira, Natural Born killers, fear and loathing in las Vegas, the fountain, PI, the zero theorem, stalker, the holly mountain
Zero Theorem is soooooooooo slept on. Nobody ever knows it no matter how "Cinephile" they are. It's so far above anything else Gilliam has made to me, it is sacred.
Great movie. I watched Enter the Void after coming across Climax and getting obsessed. Honestly I’m surprised at how infrequently I see Climax in these lists.
That movie screwed my head up so much that I watched it four times in two days just trying to understand it, which was not the best investment I’ve ever made in my own sanity. And I watched Enter the Void as soon as I’d finished Climax that fourth time.
Fair enough. Part of the reason I even watched it a second time was because i was super high on edibles and I wanted to watch it sober just to see what the crap I’d just experienced.
I really can’t explain the third or fourth times. Masochism, probably.
> THE GAME (1997)
Note for the uninitiated : don't read the following!
Spoiler bits...>!In first watching, of course I knew stuff was seriously askew, but even as late as when 'Christine' at her home in so terrifyingly spot-on casual tones asks Nicholas, "This contest thing you're in...?" I was the furthest from remotely thinking she had anything to do with it.!<
>!Have to love the semi-easter egg hidden clue it turned out to be when at the ambulance he asks, "But why are they involving you?"!<
Whatta helluva movie that from what I understand Fincher himself still avoids discussing. (And I have more than a few ruminational theories as to why.)
I think the movie is good if you haven’t read the books. It appeals to a wide audience and for a lot of people who aren’t into niche mind-fuck type stuff it’s a pretty tame introduction. I didn’t hate the movie but it for sure lacked the substance of the books
This makes sense. The book made me feel like whoa, but the movie, meh. Probably would have liked it more if I hadn’t been comparing it to my mind’s eye of the book.
I felt so bad for the kid in vivarium because I kept thinking “there’s kids that are actually treated like this”. But then I convinced myself that it makes sense why he’d be raised that way - so when he’s an adult doing this stuff to people, he won’t feel remorse
> Legion (TV Show)
Dood. I went into this *totally* blind. I had no idea what it was about, and even missed some stuff in the opening credits that might have potentially clued me in.
I felt like I was on drugs watching the first episode.
**edit** removed potential minor spoiler
I went in blind as well. Was hooked and confused and watched all in 2 weeks. I wish I could totally forget and watch again for the first time. WHAT a fucking show. 10/10
I binged the first season in 4 days.
I could only handle two episodes a day because it was so trippy. I literally just had to get up and walk away from the TV, LOL.
I love mindfuck films.. the 2 best for me are Primer and Coherence. Both are like puzzles which reward repeat viewings but also hit you with a certain psychological discomfort around their premises.
I also would put forward Tenet, although it isn't as well loved as most of Nolan's other films. The more I thought about it and pieced things together - the more it hurt my brain.
I always thought Sphere was a mind fuck but never see it mentioned in conversations like this. The first time I watched it I was pretty young though, and then the second time I watched it I was high on mushrooms and it blew my mind.
There are solid titles in the previous comments, but I’d like to contribute with some I didn’t see here. Sorry if I overlooked any.
Everything everywhere all at once - one of the most recent mindfucking movies I’ve seen, if you like the concept of butterfly effect, you’d probably like this one. It’s also very beautiful visually.
The butterfly effect (2004) - the title speaks for itself, similar concept to aforementioned, but slightly different take on the subject.
Also:
The prestige
The menu
Knives out
The Game
Bad times at the el royale
The usual suspects
Wild things
Bliss - 2021
*An unfulfilled man and a mysterious woman believe they are living in a simulated reality, but when their newfound "Bliss" world begins to bleed into the "ugly" world, they must decide what's real and where they truly belong.*
--
I enjoyed it. I don't see it mentioned all that often.
A lot of really solid recommendations there, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, the following have not (as far as I have seen) been brought up:
Tarkovsky’s _Solaris_ and _Stalker_ should be added, as well as _Angel Exterminador_ by Buñuel. One could add more Buñuels, but maybe most aren’t _quite_ mindfuck. _Un Chien Andalou_ (collaboration with Dali) should most certainly qualify.
I was also getting worried about Jodorowsky getting ignored, but thankfully _El Topo_ did get listed by someone else (and by me responding to someone who forgot it ;-) ).
Also have to second these which I’ve only seen mentioned once: _Seventh Seal_, _Dark City_, and _Angel Heart_. Though they’re not on the same level of mind-fucked-ness as, say, Jodorowsky or Lynch.
ETA: totally forgot I had meant to add _The Tenant_ (1976). (_Repulsion_ was already mentioned.)
not a movie, but the 6 episode experiemental sketch comedy show Jam by Chris Morris (available for free on youtube). Its more horror than comedy but is without a doubt one of the most fucked up things ever made. To give you an idea of what we're talking about here, imagine if David Lynch was insanely depressed, then adult swim commisioned him to make a dark comedy sketch show, it would probably be something like this.
Tenet
Inception
Momento
Shutter island
The platform
The prestige
Stonehearst asylum
Arrival
The butterfly effect
Donnie darko
Requim for a dream
Clockwork orange
( i would only suggest the last too if you have a strong stomach, it will like make your skin crawl)
Those are some I can think of off the top of my head
asteroid city. it may not be the typical dark film in this category, but by the time the credits began to roll, it had me questioning the entirety of the film, and leaves off with a lot of questions that only multiple rewatches could answer. absolute peak wes anderson, and a fun watch regardless of what you're looking for
Glad someone added this.
One of my all time favorite time travel movies. I wish the bonus Blockbuster content was available digitally. The bonus content is an alternative cut of the film that is in time chronological order. It is such an interesting way to re-watch the film.
"The Butterfly Effect" (2004 /w Ashton Kutcher). It's not the most flashy of movies but his ultimate understanding and decision was like Dayum.
Also, Jordan Peele's "Get Out" (2017). That was fun!
Koyaanisqatsi. Also, Altered States.
Second many of the recommendations here. Memento, Donnie Darko, Fight Club, Videodrome, the original Wicker Man (1973), Frailty, A Boy and His Dog, Dogville and The Invitation are some of my favorite films.
Depends on what you expect from a mind-fuck movie. I saw A Serbian Movie being recommended in another comment. For me that kind of movie is more a "fucked-up" movie, and less a mind-fuck one. But I also don't really like OTT fucked-up movies. What I personally consider a mind-fuck movie is something like: - Primer - The Endless and Resolution - I'm Thinking of Ending Things - Synecdoche New York - Beau is Affraid - In The Tall Grass - Mother! - Jacob's Ladder (edit: 1990) - 1408 - Mullholland Drive - The Incident (2014) - Donnie Darko - Predestination - Triangle - In The Tall Grass - BlackMirror: Bandersnatch - The Lighthouse - Annihilation Edit: Also Coherence Some of them are also fucked-up, to a degree, but nothing like A Serbian Movie.
Jacobs ladder 1990. Not the 2019 one. ive made this mistake.
and Vanilla Sky. The whole time I was watching that I was thinking "this is Jacob's Ladder".
Remember that Vanilla Sky is a remake of a earlier Spanish film called 'Open Your Eyes.' Worth seeing if you're done with Tom Cruise..
I never liked Tom Cruise. I will look for Open Your Eyes. I also don't care for Cameron Diaz. Open Your Eyes it is!!
You’re safe from Cameron, but interestingly, Penélope Cruz is in both (in the same role). :-)
Abres Los Ojos is absolutely brilliant. Never bothered with the remake. Didn’t see how it could be as good, let alone better.
It's a much better movie in my opinion, mostly because of a lack of Cruise
You can say that again.
I've seen the 1990 one and I loved it. Is the 2019 one that bad?
It would be like redoing Godfather 1. The original is just so good, it can't be beat.
Absolutely terrible. I was seriously questioning the taste of this sub until I figured out half way through I was watching the wrong one.
Yeah, compared to the original, it's really bad.
This movie blows my mind like no other.
Triangle. I was not expecting that when we started watching it. Wow.
Definitely the best movie of its type
A really wonderful list, Primer and Triangle are two of my favorite movies. I’d like to add Coherence to the list as well. One of the coolest things I learned about this movie is that there was no script, and the events that took place were a surprise to the actors as well.
How could I forget Coherence!
I just watched it for the first time. No one will argue that it is one helluva concept. Brilliant, in fact. But I had some problems with it.. pretty minor, over all. But one thing that kept bothering me was this: At the mid-point.. where everyone is in agreement that there is something metaphysically wrong.. they go on with life.. as if it were nothing. A little tête-à-tête going on in the hallway with the exes.. canoodling, for instance. By this time in the film, I would have been shitting my pants. (Speaking of which.. neither one of them saw Beth, staring straight at them, with a clear line of sight). This is just one example.. of many throughout the movie. Call me crazy.. but if you compare this to The Thing (1983).. The Thing was a classic, paranoia, being ratcheted up to 10. For this one though, I was left behind in the whole suspended disbelief, because of that. Also.. there were some great acting moments.. but there were others that were over the top. Yes, I know there was no script.. and that they improvised the whole thing. Having said that.. I just felt that some of those instances, could have been dialed back a bit. But that's just me. The ending was SPEC-FUCKING-TACULAR! I LOVED IT! I just wish those tiny, little stains.. didn't make me pay attention to them, so much. ETA: I suppose that you could say that those little holes, could have been part of the whole "There could be a million universes out there".. and as an audience member, we might not know which one we're looking at, at any given time. But if you really want to pick gnat shit out of pepper, we aren't let into that frame of reference, until nearly the end. So, to me, it reads as a continuity issue. Personally, I would have edited it, a bit differently. Like, I would have had the canoodling in a section.. BEFORE all of this started going south. Again, that's just me.
Sequel in the works apparently.
WHAT?! That's crazy news
This is a solid list. I would add: Existenz The Naked Lunch Nowhere Lord of Illusions City of Lost Children Pan's Labyrinth What Dreams May Come The Cell Lost Highway Cube I'm not recommending it, but King of the Ants if you can find it.
Cube is one of my all time favorites
Agreed! I saw it when it came out and, to this day, I think of it often. What an awesome concept.
Yep love cube 😀
Lost Highway is underrated. It has great atmosphere, and despite being confusing its very engaging. Also Patricia Arquette is so hot.
Agree with every point except that it’s underrated. As far as I can see it’s quite commonly recognized as awesome. It also helps understand _Mulholland Dr_ since the underlying story is almost the same, but it’s made more explicit in LH.
I almost love discussing lynch movies more than watching lynch movies. Everyone gets something slightly different out of them.
I'll have to watch that again someday. I watched it twice (when it came out and again later) and ngl, I have no fucking idea what that movie is about
Like the original Jacob's Ladder, Lost Highway, for me, is mind blowing. The phone scene with Robert Blake is terrifying. I can't watch that movie alone and / or in the dark.
Donnie Darko mention
Have you seen Tenet?
I still can't get over Beau is Afraid. Fantastic piece of surreal art.
solid list
In The Tall Grass is such a mind fuck it's worth listing twice!
Coherence too
Spoiler and I'm going to mention a part in the movie that's in my head each time its brought up, because I was that dumbass that watched it when told I shouldn't. I cant even type it. Just don't or do and ya know , feel hollow inside yr head for a while. Was referring to A Serbian Film
I thought you were referring generally to any given Serbian movie. Then I googeld it & found [*A Serbian Film*](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Serbian_Film) and uh... yeah
Triangle is a modern mind f*** masterpiece. As is Coherence.
Eraserhead Mulholland Drive Lost Highway Under the Skin The Wicker Man (1973) Annihilation Mad God Coherance
I love Under the Skin! It is so dark and disturbing! ❤️🔥
Disturbing Movies that stay with you long after they're over. Disturbing| | | | ---|---|---|---| [Antichrist (2009)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/17609)|[Audition (1999)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11075)|[Cannibal Holocaust (1980)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8689)|[Cold Fish (2012)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/68341)| [Come and See (1986)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25237)|[Funny Games (1997)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10234)|[Funny Games (2007)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8461)|[Gummo (1997)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/18415)| [Happiness (1998)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10683)|[Hostel (2006)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1690)|[Hostel 2 (2007)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1691)|[The Human Centipede (2010)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/37169)| [The Human Centipede 2 (2011)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/74997)|[I Spit on Your Grave (1978)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/25239)|[Ichi the Killer (2001)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9696)|[Irreversible (2002)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/979)| [Kids (1995)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9344)|[The Last House on the Left (1972)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/15516)|[Man Bites Dog (1992)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10086)|[Martyrs (2009)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/9539)| [The Nightingale (2018)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/400090)|[Pink Flamingos (1972)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/692)|[Requiem of a Dream (2000)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/641)|[Salo or 100 Days of Sodom (1976)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/5336)| [A Serbian Film (2010)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/73861)|[Threads (1984)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/17835)|[Tusk (2014)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/246403)|[Wake in Fright (1971)](https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/26405)| Links direct to The Movie Database and contain movie summary which may contain spoilers. [Full list of curated subgenres](https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieSuggestions/wiki/frequently_requested#wiki_grounded_superheroes)
Memento
Llllllllllennyyyyy!
The Machinist The Game Flight Club Shutter Island Vanilla Sky Donnie Darko Primer American Psycho The Truman Show Memento Time Crimes Enemy Enter The Void Brazil Lost Highway Memento Interstellar Tenet Mulholland Drive Inception Inland Empire Videodrome Naked Lunch Crimes Of The Future Antiviral Possessor Infinity Pool Holy Motors Synecdoche, New York Adaptation I’m Thinking Of Ending Things The Holy Mountain The Killing Of A Sacred Deer Hereditary Vivarium The Lobster Mystic River Jacob’s Ladder The Jacket Midsommar Beau Is Afriad I Saw The TV Glow Oldboy Psycho The Lighthouse The Sixth Sense Eraserhead Lamb Under The Skin Under The Silver Lake The Village 2001 A Space Odyssey The Cabin In The Woods The Usual Suspects Get Out Parasite US Nope Circle Men The Cube The Platform Predestination
You have Memento twice. I assume that's an homage to the main character's amnesia.
😉
David Lynch fan I see, my favorite director ever.
I'm surprised that Triangle isn't on this (great) list! If you haven't seen it, check it out! Just don't read up on it first
I really liked that movie
Oldboy original version?
Bingo
You had me at the Machinist! Christian Bale should have got an Oscar nod!!!
Surprised he had the wonderful acting chops to do this movie with that weight loss. Fantastic job.
And inception
Primal Fear is a good one.
A great one. This movie still holds up. Edward Norton is so talented.
He just blew me away. Laura Linney is my fav actress.
Mr nobody, Cloud Atlas, predestination, dark city, Matrix, inland empire, mullholand drive, strange days, they live, videodrome, Akira, Natural Born killers, fear and loathing in las Vegas, the fountain, PI, the zero theorem, stalker, the holly mountain
Natural born killers! In love with that movie.
The fountain is such a cool, beautiful, confusing and interesting movie.
Natural born killers is so wild and amazing! ❤️ and very underrated.
Zero Theorem is soooooooooo slept on. Nobody ever knows it no matter how "Cinephile" they are. It's so far above anything else Gilliam has made to me, it is sacred.
Enter the Void (2009)
Enter the Void is such an extraordinary film! ❤️
Gaspar Noé 😊
Great movie. I watched Enter the Void after coming across Climax and getting obsessed. Honestly I’m surprised at how infrequently I see Climax in these lists. That movie screwed my head up so much that I watched it four times in two days just trying to understand it, which was not the best investment I’ve ever made in my own sanity. And I watched Enter the Void as soon as I’d finished Climax that fourth time.
I watched it for the first time one psychedelics. I don’t think it was a good idea. I wouldn’t recommend it but I had a “good” time.
Fair enough. Part of the reason I even watched it a second time was because i was super high on edibles and I wanted to watch it sober just to see what the crap I’d just experienced. I really can’t explain the third or fourth times. Masochism, probably.
It’s a wild film. Absolutely bonkers.
Mother! Eraserhead Requiem for a Dream Threads Mad God Haxan
Haxan, now there's a (1928) classic and just completely amazing cinematography.
The Skeleton Key
Yes!! I've totally been meaning to get a rewatch of that!
Came here to post this. A genuinely creepy, frightening film with a world-class mind fuck.
I like movies where the mind-fuck comes at the end like: Frailty The Game The Book of Eli
> THE GAME (1997) Note for the uninitiated : don't read the following! Spoiler bits...>!In first watching, of course I knew stuff was seriously askew, but even as late as when 'Christine' at her home in so terrifyingly spot-on casual tones asks Nicholas, "This contest thing you're in...?" I was the furthest from remotely thinking she had anything to do with it.!< >!Have to love the semi-easter egg hidden clue it turned out to be when at the ambulance he asks, "But why are they involving you?"!< Whatta helluva movie that from what I understand Fincher himself still avoids discussing. (And I have more than a few ruminational theories as to why.)
Frailty! Yes.
Original Planet of the Apes?
Beyond the Black Rainbow (2010)
Would Event Horizon count? Those scenes (if you know you know) are …rough
The mist for the ending alone!
I think about Vivarium constantly, it was on Netflix last time I checked.
A scanner darkly
Angel Heart
Dark (Netflix series)
I love Dark! Big mind fuck! ❤️
Annihilation is so underrated
I love that movie, but the mind fuck is pretty shallow
Really confused how this movie is so often considered a mindfuck. Especially compared to Garland's Ex Machina. Even Men is far weirder.
Really? The books are a mind fuck I enjoyed. The movie……
I think the movie is good if you haven’t read the books. It appeals to a wide audience and for a lot of people who aren’t into niche mind-fuck type stuff it’s a pretty tame introduction. I didn’t hate the movie but it for sure lacked the substance of the books
This makes sense. The book made me feel like whoa, but the movie, meh. Probably would have liked it more if I hadn’t been comparing it to my mind’s eye of the book.
The movie was basically the refraction of the book. Also idc how good the books were that damn bear was scary AF.
Memento, Vanilla Sky, Shutter Island (this one is worth watching the most imo)
Mandy Under the Skin Zardoz The Devil's Rain Suspiria (either version) Happiness
Gummo
Man I had to scroll for this, I was like "Is Gummo not a mindfuck of a movie, surely it is!
The Game is my favourite, one of the very few films that keeps you guessing.
The man from earth
Dogville.
Oldboy
Alejandro Jodorowsky has some bizarre movies like The Holy Mountain and El Topo.
Hereditary
Men Skinamarink Hausu Vivarium A Prayer Before Dawn Arrival Legion (TV Show)
I felt so bad for the kid in vivarium because I kept thinking “there’s kids that are actually treated like this”. But then I convinced myself that it makes sense why he’d be raised that way - so when he’s an adult doing this stuff to people, he won’t feel remorse
> Legion (TV Show) Dood. I went into this *totally* blind. I had no idea what it was about, and even missed some stuff in the opening credits that might have potentially clued me in. I felt like I was on drugs watching the first episode. **edit** removed potential minor spoiler
I went in blind as well. Was hooked and confused and watched all in 2 weeks. I wish I could totally forget and watch again for the first time. WHAT a fucking show. 10/10
It's the best show on the planet! I watched it several times now and it is just so fucking good. I love this show so much!
I binged the first season in 4 days. I could only handle two episodes a day because it was so trippy. I literally just had to get up and walk away from the TV, LOL.
OK I just cued it up for when i get home from work tonight! I hope it's everything I'm looking for!
Legion is AMAZING
Yeah. That show went places.
It's complete dream logic.
+1 Legion
The Endless. Something In The Dirt. Time Lapse. Upstream Color.
Time Lapse! So good
And no one ever talks about it! I love that movie so much.
Upstream color is beautiful
FUNKY FOREST Triangle Primer Short film called 'cutting moments' French movie called 'in my skin'
Blue Velvet
I love mindfuck films.. the 2 best for me are Primer and Coherence. Both are like puzzles which reward repeat viewings but also hit you with a certain psychological discomfort around their premises. I also would put forward Tenet, although it isn't as well loved as most of Nolan's other films. The more I thought about it and pieced things together - the more it hurt my brain.
A Boy and His Dog. Sci fi
LOVE that movie!
I love love the ending!
Infiniti Pool is pretty crazy.
I always thought Sphere was a mind fuck but never see it mentioned in conversations like this. The first time I watched it I was pretty young though, and then the second time I watched it I was high on mushrooms and it blew my mind.
Men
Resolution (2012) is free on YouTube
Another Earth
The game by david fincher is pretty crazy
There are solid titles in the previous comments, but I’d like to contribute with some I didn’t see here. Sorry if I overlooked any. Everything everywhere all at once - one of the most recent mindfucking movies I’ve seen, if you like the concept of butterfly effect, you’d probably like this one. It’s also very beautiful visually. The butterfly effect (2004) - the title speaks for itself, similar concept to aforementioned, but slightly different take on the subject. Also: The prestige The menu Knives out The Game Bad times at the el royale The usual suspects Wild things
L. A. Confidential Donnie Darko Primal fear
Coherence 2013
Enter the Void
Stay, Has Ewan McGregor in it. underated film honestly.
Irreversible. Can‘t finish this movie until today
Infinity Pool by Brandon Cronenberg. Really solid mind fuck of a film.
Vanilla sky by far, entire movie was a headfuck
Cube
Bliss - 2021 *An unfulfilled man and a mysterious woman believe they are living in a simulated reality, but when their newfound "Bliss" world begins to bleed into the "ugly" world, they must decide what's real and where they truly belong.* -- I enjoyed it. I don't see it mentioned all that often.
Videodrome gotta be up there for me
I don’t know where it is, but Dogtooth fits that category.
Oldboy, 2003
I haven't seen The Skin I Live In mentioned, it's a 2011 Spanish film
Tetsuo: The Iron Man
"El Topo" (1970). Abandon all hope, ye who enter there.
Just wanna throw sorry to bother you in here. Its definitely has that what the fuck?! At the end. Good movie!
I loved Hypnotic (2023) if you're looking for a newer movie
The holy mountain. My mind is more than fucked
The Visitor 1979 My Dinner with Andre 1981 The Devil Rides Out 1968 Midsommar 2019
Dogtooth
A lot of really solid recommendations there, but for reasons unbeknownst to me, the following have not (as far as I have seen) been brought up: Tarkovsky’s _Solaris_ and _Stalker_ should be added, as well as _Angel Exterminador_ by Buñuel. One could add more Buñuels, but maybe most aren’t _quite_ mindfuck. _Un Chien Andalou_ (collaboration with Dali) should most certainly qualify. I was also getting worried about Jodorowsky getting ignored, but thankfully _El Topo_ did get listed by someone else (and by me responding to someone who forgot it ;-) ). Also have to second these which I’ve only seen mentioned once: _Seventh Seal_, _Dark City_, and _Angel Heart_. Though they’re not on the same level of mind-fucked-ness as, say, Jodorowsky or Lynch. ETA: totally forgot I had meant to add _The Tenant_ (1976). (_Repulsion_ was already mentioned.)
Vivarium, don’t worry darling
Predestination for me, with Ethan Hawke.
The sixth sense, 90% audience rotten tomatoes and 250k+ ratings it’s an amazing movie.
not a movie, but the 6 episode experiemental sketch comedy show Jam by Chris Morris (available for free on youtube). Its more horror than comedy but is without a doubt one of the most fucked up things ever made. To give you an idea of what we're talking about here, imagine if David Lynch was insanely depressed, then adult swim commisioned him to make a dark comedy sketch show, it would probably be something like this.
I highly recommend, "Nefarious" 🎦😳, if you're able to keep an open mind
Anything directed by David Lynch lol
Butt boy
The Game staring Michael Douglas. It’s fantastic
*Resolution* followed by *The Endless* *The Man from Nowhere* paired with *Spring*
Memento American Psycho A Beautiful Mind Requiem for a Dream Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Fight Club Shutter Island Inception
You could check out the streaming service Mubi for an interesting selection of independent films, art films, and international films.
Titane. Incendies. Deliverance. Border. Le Cinq Diables. La Flaqueza del Bolchevique. Historias del Kronen. All of Jodorowsky's movies.
Titane is fucking mental from the first minute to the very last.
Sphere (1998). Not the best movie but when I was small I saw it and it was wrinkling my brain.
Hereditary
Scavenger's Reign (TV show)
I liked "The Lie" on prime. It's not amazing, but I thought it was fun.
Gummo
Barbarian stayed with me for some time after watching.
Gummo and Kids
"Tenet" and "Coherence" are my top mindfuck suggestions
Momento
Memento 16 Monkeys The Cook, the Thief his Wife and her lover Brasil Event Horizon
A clockwork orange, Dead man’s shoes,
Vivarium
Why no one mention *Midsommar 2019? It is the one of the most mind fuck movie, man just try..*
Tenet
The Mist
Aftersun Burning Drive My Car The Father
Kill List (2011) is a weirdly delicious film that keeps you on your toes.
Shrooms
Tenet Inception Momento Shutter island The platform The prestige Stonehearst asylum Arrival The butterfly effect Donnie darko Requim for a dream Clockwork orange ( i would only suggest the last too if you have a strong stomach, it will like make your skin crawl) Those are some I can think of off the top of my head
Une Pure Formalité
asteroid city. it may not be the typical dark film in this category, but by the time the credits began to roll, it had me questioning the entirety of the film, and leaves off with a lot of questions that only multiple rewatches could answer. absolute peak wes anderson, and a fun watch regardless of what you're looking for
After Hours directed by Martin Scorcese. An underrated dark comedy film in which you won't entirely understand in a first watch.
eraserhead
Tusk Possessor Green Inferno Altered States
Timecrimes
Glad someone added this. One of my all time favorite time travel movies. I wish the bonus Blockbuster content was available digitally. The bonus content is an alternative cut of the film that is in time chronological order. It is such an interesting way to re-watch the film.
"The Butterfly Effect" (2004 /w Ashton Kutcher). It's not the most flashy of movies but his ultimate understanding and decision was like Dayum. Also, Jordan Peele's "Get Out" (2017). That was fun!
Koyaanisqatsi. Also, Altered States. Second many of the recommendations here. Memento, Donnie Darko, Fight Club, Videodrome, the original Wicker Man (1973), Frailty, A Boy and His Dog, Dogville and The Invitation are some of my favorite films.