45 Movies That Are Complete And Total Mindfucks

Get the Full StoryNothing will ever be the same again.

Donnie Darko 2001

"By the time I got to the end, I felt as if someone had taken my brain out of my head and folded it in half. After watching the movie repeatedly and reading countless articles, I still have no idea what it’s truly about."

Submitted by brittanyl4116d4e71

Newmarket Films

Requiem For a Dream 2000

"The way the characters all spiral out of control, making one awful decision after another because of addiction, was panic-inducing. It's a definite must-see for mature audiences , but I'll never watch it again."

Submitted by hennaw

Artisan Entertainment

Enter the Void 2009

"The almost dreamlike aesthetic leaves you questioning your own existence, and what it truly means to live. 100 percent a psychedelic experience on how we perceive death — were we to take drugs right before it happened."

Submitted by johannar4efe6679d

Wild Bunch Distribution

Mulholland Drive 2001

"One of the most baffling and brilliant movies ever made. Like the titular road, this film twists and turns into darkness, while the allure of the American dream remains an unreachable glimmer in the near distance."

Submitted by brada4d90fe420

Universal Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004

"I wish I could go back to that first time I watched it all over again. I remember feeling so clever when I pieced it all together. And there have always been new things to notice each subsequent time I’ve seen it."

Submitted by itwasonlyakriss

Focus Features

The Eyes of My Mother 2016

"It kept me engrossed even though I wanted to look away. It's shot in black and white so it can't rely on gore for shock value, but it still succeeds in being incredibly brutal."

Submitted by caitlinm18

Magnet Releasing

Doubt 2008

"It makes you question the validity of everyone's words, and leaves you with a sense of uncertainty every time you watch it. Totally a mind trip."

Submitted by reyes91daniel

Miramax Films

Oldboy 2003

"I literally sat there with my mouth open for a good 20 minutes after it ended. Still fucks me up whenever I think about it, and it’s been years since I first saw it."

Submitted by deeannaw

Tartan Films

Wild Bunch

The Blackcoat's Daughter 2015

"It's tense and suspenseful from the very beginning. You know something is terribly wrong, but you don't fully realize it until the last few minutes during which I curled into a ball ."

Submitted by caitlinm18

A24

Inception 2010

"I stayed up all night because my mind was racing, and I couldn't stop thinking about it."

Submitted by camik

Warner Bros. Pictures

Interstellar 2014

"Sometimes it still pops into my mind and I have to force myself not to think about it or else I'm lost in a black hole of thought pun very much intended ."

Submitted by rumblehannah

Paramount Pictures

Vertigo 1958

"Hitchcock's Vertigo is one of the most mind-bending things I have ever watched. The ending almost made my heart jump from my throat."

Submitted by Jo o Victor Lack, Facebook

Universal Pictures

Paramount Pictures

Session 9 2001

"It's one of those movies you have to immediately re-watch after having your mind blown by the ending. On top of that, it was filmed in a legit abandoned mental hospital, and it's creepy as hell."

Submitted by Danielle H. Grove, Facebook

Universal Pictures

The Prestige 2006

"It's about dueling magicians, but it's so much more. This movie has one of the biggest plot twists and it will literally leave you shook. You won't see any of it coming."

Submitted by skailyr

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

It's Such a Beautiful Day 2013

"It messed with my head big time. Its style makes it look deceptively simple, but it's got a good three or four layers of meaning below the surface that's timelessly significant."

Submitted by m4fa2febfd

Cinemad Presents

Gone Baby Gone 2007

"The ending will leave you torn over the decision to do what’s right lawfully or what’s right in your heart. Prepare to question your own morals for days."

Submitted by sydneyjrw

Miramax Films

Pinnacle Films

Trance 2013

"I saw it four years ago and it still freaks me out when I think about it. Even watching it again still doesn't quell the shakes. An absolutely amazing and underrated film."

Submitted by Kristin Dreier Wilson, Facebook

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Confessions 2010

"This was a deeply disturbing film. If you haven't seen it yet, see it at your own risk."

Submitted by Ale Wallace, Facebook

Toho Company

El Orfanato 2007

"It's a Spanish horror movie that totally gets in your head. I saw it years ago and I still think about it. But bring tissues, because if you're like me, you'll cry like a baby."

Submitted by sarahalarid93

Warner Bros.

The Butterfly Effect 2004

"The idea that one small decision can actually alter reality is such a basic but truthful and scary thing."

Submitted by l4390543fb

New Line Cinema

Icon Film Distribution

Arrival 2016

"Arrival had me shook for DAYS after watching it. I spent all night contemplating all of the crazy concepts of language and memory. The twist at the end had my mind reeling."

Submitted by notetonotehourtohour

Paramount Pictures

Time Lapse 2014

"If you thought Inception was confusing, just wait. This movie is on a whole new level. I was on the edge of my seat, and also very confused, up until the last 50 seconds."

Submitted by emilyd4d97560a9

XLrator Media

Memento 2000

"The way it portrays two different directions in time simultaneously was something that still messes with me. I've seen it multiple times and still can't understand what's real and what's not."

Submitted by demelza

Newmarket

The Handmaiden 2016

"I watched it because I was movie-binging, and I learned to limit my binges after watching this movie. So many plot twist and turns. I'm still picking up my jaw from the ground."

Submitted by ovue85

CJ Entertainment

Universal Pictures

Contact 1997

"The ending actually made me sit and think about reality for a good 20 minutes. It made me rethink how the universe actually works, and if there really are other places outside our universe."

Submitted by blobcake

Warner Bros.

Mother! 2017

"I went into it not knowing what to expect, which made the end sequence all the more insane. Everyone in the theatre just sat in complete shock as the credits were rolling."

Submitted by kaylae44414d3bf

Paramount Pictures

Dread 2009

"A man preying on the fears of innocent people... Watched it once and never again."

Submitted by korilynaeb

After Dark Films

Warner Bros.

Get Out 2017

"Get Out blew my fucking mind. Not only does it raise awareness about racism but it'll have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish."

Submitted by zamudiomaricela94

Universal Pictures

Perfect Blue 1997

"Difficult to watch, masterful animation, excellent musical score. You will never see the ending coming. Darren Aronofsky bought the rights to this film so he could use a scene in Requiem for a Dream. It's one of his primary inspirations."

Submitted by Jenny Mantini, Facebook

Rex Entertainment

The Invitation 2015

"I wasn't expecting it to be so heart-pounding. It's a slow-burn film about a man who attends a dinner party held by his ex and her new husband. Strange things start to happen and he can't tell whether he's just being paranoid or if something really sinister is going on. The last 15 minutes are non-stop terror."

Submitted by caitlinm18

Drafthouse Films

The Mothman Prophecies 2002

"It's based on true events and people’s real experiences with the supernatural and the terrible tragedies that followed. You'll shit your pants once you see how bizarre the entire series of events occur."

Submitted by orangejoe

Screen Gems

RADIUS-TWC

Fight Club 1999

"Fight Club made my head do a complete 360. I heard there was a twist at the end, but it was nothing I could have ever seen coming!"

Submitted by jackb4c512234e

20th Century Fox

A Ghost Story 2017

"I can't spoil much, but it's a beautiful and haunting movie that left me questioning my existence for weeks."

Submitted by andwelesimpson7702

A24

Devil's Pass 2013

"The documentary-style filming mixed with news stories makes it feel real and creepy. But what makes it even more unsettling is that the Dyatlov Pass incident actually occurred. To this day, no one knows what the fuck happened to the nine ski hikers in 1959."

Submitted by coloradodreamin

IFC Films

Coherence 2013

"You think you're watching a normal dinner party but then it twists and turns into an episode of Twilight Zone on acid. It's amazing what the crew accomplished on such a small budget."

Submitted by Abe Chong, Facebook

Oscilloscope Laboratories

Funny Games 2007

"I literally cried for an hour after it was over because I was just so emotionally raw from the experience. Definitely a movie you're going to want to talk about for hours after watching."

Submitted by susieb4b497a564

Warner Independent Pictures

Primer 2004

"It's a really low-budget and indie sort of movie, but one of the best. Two guys accidentally invent time travel and exploit it as any of us might. But multiple versions of themselves get tangled in crossed timelines, and even the actors had a hard time keeping track of who was where."

Submitted by mcamberlee

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and or clarity.

IFC Films

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