A movie that leaves your brain in a knot is what is termed a Mind F*ck Film. What you thought was happening in the film was totally not, or it was, or wasn’t, maybe, you don’t know. You are left craving to understand more as you are starting at a wall in confusion. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. We’ll start with the popular ones and then move into the lesser known ones.

The Matrix Trilogy

Everyone knows about these movies. They were released at the turn of the millennium and blew people away with the visual effects. Also, many didn’t get a lot of the movie. Each part got progressively more difficult to understand. If you are still trying to wrap your head around these films, here’s a simplified explanation — The Matrix Explained.

Inception

A decade after the Matrix, Nolan makes another film about dreams and nails it. This movie also introduced us to Time Dilation in a beautiful way. In the end, the audience was left with that one question about the spinning top. Some were confused about the kicks and the other stuff with Limbo. Get all of those clarified here — Inception Explained.

Fight Club

This masterpiece by David Fincher went down as the most refreshing piece of film to mess with your mind. Starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton in the lead roles, the movie brings the kind of punch that leaves a lasting impact. It is a brilliant combination of direction and acting that will make you watch the film twice. If you still don’t get it after the second viewing, here’s an article that will fix you all up — Fight Club Explained.

Vanilla Sky

This Tom Cruise starrer is a remake of a Spanish film by the name Abre Los Ojos. The original movie, too, saw the beautiful Penélope Cruz playing the role of Sofía. Vanilla Sky has Cameron Diaz taking on the part of Julie, a person in a conflicted love interest with the lead character. A beautiful film that shows you how you can’t run away from your fears forever. Here’s an explanation which ties up the plot for you — Vanilla Sky Explained.

Shutter Island

This one is a phenomenal presentation by Martin Scorsese. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. There is also Mark Ruffalo way before his popularity sore as the Hulk, back then we knew him as the inspector from Zodiac. The film follows the lead character who travels to an island for the criminally insane to solve a case. The plot thickens to become something we can’t discuss much without giving out spoilers. If you are still wondering what that last line in the film meant, here’s an article that explains the movie for you — Shutter Island Explained.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The first thing you will notice about this impressive film is the cast. You have The Mask, Rose from Titanic who let Jack freeze to death, Frodo Baggins, Mary Jane Watson, and the future Hulk. The second thing you will notice is all the hair color. The third thing is that, not only is the concept fantastic, the shots were taken with bare minimum CGI. After all this, you will come to note that the events in the film are not in order. Remember her hair color we spoke about, here’s an article that sorts out the movie for you using just that — Eternal Sunshine Explained.

Mother!

Oh, brother! Did you watch the film and go — “wait did that all just happen?”. If so, then we are referring to the same movie by Aronofsky and not the Korean film. The film stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, and Michelle Pfeiffer. The events of the film make you squirm, and the end will make you want to throw something at the screen. But hand on, not just yet, there is an explanation for everything. He’s a handy walkthrough that will give you a perspective of what the film meant to convey — Mother! Explained.

Colossal

The superstar director Nacho Vigalondo, who gave us Timecrimes, brings us this surreal movie — Colossal. The film stars Anne Hathaway in the lead role. She plays an irresponsible woman who moves back to her childhood hometown. Just then, a mysterious creature shows up in Seoul. As the film proceeds, we are shown that there is a strange connection between her and this creature. In the end, the audience was left with far too many questions. Here’s a handy link that explains the film — Colossal Explained.

Enemy

If you thought Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival was complicated, you need to step back and brace yourselves, because “Enemy”, the Jake Gyllenhaal starrer is going to make your mind melt. The story follows a history teacher who happens to run into his doppelganger, and this sets off a series of chaotic events. If you still find it hard to sleep because of that giant spider at the end, join the gang. But if you want to simply understand what the hell all of that was, then check out this article — Enemy Explained.

After Life

This is director Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo’s only full-length feature film. She should make more for sure. The film stars Liam Neeson and Christina Ricci in the leading roles. Remember Black Snake Moan? Christina is battling death in this movie instead of lust but clothed the same. She’s in between life and death, and Liam’s character is able to talk to her because of his mysterious gift. There is a ton more to that than meets the eye. If you are still wondering what that last set of scenes were, give this article a read, and you’ll be all sorted out — After Life Explained.

Take Shelter

Michael Shannon is a fantastic actor. It’s sad that many refer to him as General Zod. That’s the same thing that happened with Ruffalo. This film is about a man who sees the arrival of an apocalyptic storm. Jessica Chastain plays the role of his supporting wife who helps him understand the meaning of the visions. The ending leaves you in doubt of what actually transpired. Here’s an article that throws light on that situation — Take Shelter Explained.

The Thirteenth Floor

The same year The Matrix was released, there was another film which had a similar concept. A world within a world. If you have watched Westworld, you will be able to connect to it rather quickly. In fact, this film is a precursor to the concept that Westworld has adopted. While it is nothing as impressive as The Matrix, it’s still good for a one time watch. In the end, you are left with a big question at hand. Here’s an article that helps with those open questions — The Thirteenth Floor Explained.

Stay

Marc Forster brings us Stay which stars Ewan McGregor,

Ryan Gosling and Naomi Watts in the leading roles. The film follows a psychiatrist who is trying to stop one of his patients from committing suicide. As the film progresses, the audience begins to doubt their own reality and their ability to understand movies. If you went through the same thing, don’t worry, you are not alone. Here’s an article that will put all your doubts to rest — Stay Explained.

Moon

Sam Rockwell is probably one of the more ignored actors of the time. He has done such versatile roles over the years. Finally, his performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri won him an Oscar, and now he has everyone attention. Moon is a film that is a lot less known but showcases Sam’s acting capabilities well. It’s the story of a man who is stationed on the Moon for 3 years. As he’s winding up his stay, he discovers something frightful. Kevin Spacey plays the voice of a computerized assistant. Take a look at this article which will help you with the plot and its various complexities — Moon Explained.

The Zero Theorem

On the topic of fantastic actors, this film stars Christoph Waltz — that guy who made you shit your pants in Inglourious Basterds. His role in Zero Theorem is nothing like the one in the Tarantino masterpiece. This film is largely unknown and even stars Matt Damon. The central plot revolves around an eccentric programmer who is waiting for a phone call that he once missed. Heads up, it’s not an easy movie to get. The film is architected in layers. The more you look, the more you will find. Here’s an article that will help you on that journey — Zero Theorem Explained.