Yahoo Lifestyle 13 Movies That Left People Questioning, "What The Heck Did I Just Watch?"
Last month, Reddit user u/poweley asked the Movie Suggestion community to provide an example of a mind-bending movie that left them thinking about it for days. Well, let's just say they did not disappoint!
Here are a few from the list:
1.Predestination (2015)
Plot
This Australian sci-fi thriller starring Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook is about an agent's journey to complete his final time-traveling mission in an attempt to prevent the murder of 11,000 people.
Reactions
"Not just days but years later and every time this question comes up, it’s the 1st movie to pop into my mind. Absolute mind-fuck of a movie." —u/brianlangauthor
"The twist comes pretty early but then it just keeps twisting further and further." —u/secretagentcletus
Watch the trailer below:
2.The Game (1997)
Plot
This psychological thriller stars Michael Douglas as wealthy, selfish investment banker Nicholas Van Orton. He receives an interesting birthday gift from his estranged younger brother Conrad Van Orton (played by Sean Penn). The gift is a voucher for a "game" that ultimately leaves him questioning his reality and fearing for his life.
Reactions
"I still think about it, after rewatching it multiple times. It’s so layered with themes that can only be picked up with multiple viewings." —u/Fenceswindows
"That was an unexpected treat I came across on Netflix. So ANNOYED at myself for not seeing it before. Masterpiece of a film." —u/Mean-Consequence-379
Watch the trailer below:
3.The Prestige (2006)
Plot
Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale star in this period thriller about two former partners turned-rival magicians who find each other's diaries containing the secrets to their most popular tricks/illusions.
Reactions
"I still think about this movie a lot. There’s not one wasted second of this film. Every shot is relevant." —u/Chance5e
"First time I watched it, I got to the end and restarted it from the beginning. I rate it as one of Nolan’s best films. It’s nigh on perfect." —u/BarryCleft79
Watch the trailer below:
4.Midsommar (2019)
Plot
A folk horror starring Florence Pugh and Jack Reynor as a couple who head to Sweden to attend a nine-day midsummer festival at their friend's ancestral commune. What starts as a somewhat euphoric experience, quickly turns into a strangely violent competition.
Reactions
"I watched it four days ago, and I was telling someone about it earlier today. It’s gonna stick with me for a bit." —u/DahliaChild
"Such a mindfuck!" —u/kcatlin1977
Watch the trailer below:
5.Jacob's Ladder (1990)
Plot
A psychological horror starring Tim Robbins about a Vietnam vet haunted by the horrific things he's seen in combat and the death of his son, while suffering from a severe case of dissociation and unexplainable flashbacks.
Reactions
"I've watched it a few dozen times, and I'm still not entirely sure what's happening, but I never feel quite right afterward." —u/El-Viking
"Still my favorite movie of all time." —u/bwrusso
Watch the trailer below:
6.Oldboy (2003)
Plot
This is a South Korean action thriller adapted from a Japanese manga of the same name. After being released from jail, an obnoxious drunk named Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik) is abducted from the street. He wakes up in a sealed hotel room, where he remains for 15 years. While in the cell, he's drugged, has little to no human contact, and only has a TV to keep him company. He also learns his wife has been murdered, and he's been framed as the prime suspect. When he's randomly released, Dae-Su is given the opportunity to track down his jailor and seek revenge.
Reactions
"I gasped and clutched my hair. My cat was very concerned." —u/SevereResolve726
"One night, I watched Oldboy while my then gf was asleep. I got to the end and let out an audible gasp at that bit. I woke my gf up, and [let's just say I] wasn’t very popular [that night]." —u/BarryCleft79
Watch the trailer below:
7.Annihilation (2018)
Plot
It is a sci-fi horror film about Lena (Natalie Portman), a cellular biology professor and former U.S. Army soldier, who seeks to discover what happened to her husband Kane (Oscar Isaac) inside Area X. It's not at all what she expects; the area includes mutated plants and animals.
Reactions
"So good, so disturbing." —u/Heronmarkedflail
"Closest thing I’ve experienced to a movie making me feel like I’m on psychedelics." —u/archy_bold
Watch the trailer below:
8.The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Plot
A comedy horror about two longtime friends, Pádraic Súilleabháin (Colin Farrell) and Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson), whose relationship takes a drastic turn after one of them decides to abruptly end their friendship.
Reactions
"[It] really stuck in my mind for days trying to decipher its greater meaning." —u/sweetrubyrhino
"It’s the kind of film that leaves you a bit melancholy afterward." —u/SemTeslaGirl
Watch the trailer below:
9.Triangle (2009)
Plot
A psychological horror about five friends who embark on a fun sailing trip along with a passenger's autistic brother. While out on the water, a storm hits, which causes their boat to capsize. They board a mysterious ship, one they think is deserted, but what awaits them is something they can barely explain.
Reactions
"Fantastic movie that leaves you wondering all the way through and trying to work it out long after." —u/Lankysi
"I've shown everyone I've ever cared about this film, lol." —u/nathsnowy
Watch the trailer below:
10.The Zone of Interest (2023)
Plot
Loosely based on Martin Amis's 2014 novel of the same name, the film surrounds Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig as they strive to keep things in order as they sustain their hopes of a dream life, living next to the concentration camp.
Reactions
"Warning: it's more disturbing than a psychological thriller. I didn't stop thinking about it for a full week after watching it." —u/OhMyGodBearIsDriving
"OMG, I feel better knowing I’m not the only one! I could not get this movie out of my head. I felt fucking depressed but somehow wiser and more grounded than before. I tried to talk to people about it because my entire demeanor noticeably changed for a solid week, but I couldn’t find the words." —u/Upandawaytolalaland
Watch the trailer below:
11.Tenet (2020)
Plot
This sci-fi thriller starring John David Washington, a secret agent known as the Protagonist, sets out to prevent the onset of World War III, but in order to complete the mission, he must travel through time and bend the laws of nature.
Reactions
"I’m STILL trying to figure out what I watched." –u/yeah_yeah_therabbit
"I’ve seen it a good four times and have watched YouTubers break it down for me, and I still can’t follow. But I love it." –u/louiendfan
Watch the trailer below:
12.The Platform (2019)
Plot
A Spanish dystopian thriller where inmates are fed on a vertical descending platform. Those on the top floors tend to over indulge, taking more than their fair share, which leaves those on the lower floors fighting for scraps...or sometimes worse, to starve. One man decides to change the entire system.
Reactions
"Completely different, but it had me thinking for quite a while. It's criminally underrated." —u/JpSnickers
"I watched The Platform when it came out years ago, and I'm still trying to figure it out. I don't normally go for Spanish movies but this one, OMG." —u/deftonics
Watch the trailer below:
13.Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Plot
A neo-noir psychological thriller starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Armie Hammer about a famous gallery owner haunted by her past after her estranged ex-husband leaves a manuscript on her door. The story surrounds a teacher whose family trip turns into a nightmare.
Reactions
"This movie fucked me up so hard! Those poor make-believe women." —u/Tourist_Dense
"Watched Nocturnal Animals last night. Man, what a thriller." —u/WhiskeyDJones
Watch the trailer below:
Do you have a movie in mind that fits this list? Tell us about it in the comments below!
