10 Perfectly Puzzling Movies to Solve

[@DarrenVanDam]

U.S. Regions: 10. Enemy - HBO Max 9. Synecdoche, New York 8. Snowpiercer 7. American Psycho - HBO Max 6. Donnie Darko - HBO Max 5. Inception 4. Stalker - HBO Max 3. Brazil 2. Mulholland Drive 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey - HBO Max CANADA Regions: ( 10. Enemy - NETFLIX, STARZ, Prime Video *I couldn’t find any others in Canada right now. Try using a VPN to access these in the other countries listed. www.cyberghostvpn.com/FlickConnection U.K. Regions: 10. Enemy - Mubi 9. Synecdoche, New York 8. Snowpiercer - STARZ, Sky Go 7. American Psycho - STARZ 6. Donnie Darko - FreeVee 5. Inception - Sky Go 4. Stalker - BFI Player 3. Brazil - Disney+ 2. Mulholland Drive - STUDIOCANAL 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey - HBO Max AUSTRALIA Regions: 10. Enemy - Stan. 9. Synecdoche, New York 8. Snowpiercer - Stan., SHUDDER, AMC+ 7. American Psycho - STARZ 6. Donnie Darko - Stan. 5. Inception - NETFLIX, Paramount+, Stan. 4. Stalker - BFI Player 3. Brazil - Disney+ 2. Mulholland Drive - BiNGE 1. 2001: A Space Odyssey - SBS On Demand Go to buyraycon.com/flickconnection for 15% off your order! Brought to you by Raycon.

[@DanielRMcCune]

Memento should be on this list.

[@justaguy6100]

Brazil is one I've loved for decades. And Mullholland Drive. Plus I watched 2001 as a birthday party in 70 mm it will always be a favorite. But Snowpiercer, it absolutely is a commentary on capitalism being an unavoidable march to feudalism.

[@David_Lo_Pan]

You and me should definitely discuss movies.

[@Tacit_Tern]

@@David_Lo_Pan I remember U

[@Tacit_Tern]

" Pi " by Darren Aronofsky is a classic that should be on anyone's watchlist

[@lpucci]

Love all those movies but in my opinion Jacob's Ladder and Memento have to be on the list

[@petech3975]

And Primer and Moon and Cloud Atlas

[@ПетърМакавеев]

I was also thinking about those 2 movies!

[@julianhart2247]

Isn’t the point of this to recommend movies that are currently subscription streaming? I agree those movies are really good but idk if they are sub streaming and probably just for purchase or rent.

[@DJtheLoaf]

I've always found it baffling how many people are thrown by Memento's structure, since it always seemed so clear of a pattern to me... Nothing drives me crazier than hearing someone describe Memento as being a story told backwards (or in reverse, or whatever.) I'm guessing at least some of the people saying that are just sort of... short-handing it (since the actual pattern isn't as neatly contained within a phrase like that...) but even then that's likely misleading others into a wild misunderstanding of what they're watching. All the more troubling because like... the film is even color coded to tell you which scenes are the ones in reverse order and which ones are the scenes that aren't...

[@DJtheLoaf]

I don't remember Moon being particularly puzzling (though it is a great film) but Primer and Cloud Atlas definitely deserve nominations to a puzzling movie list!!

[@bajoyf]

I’d add to this list, Dark City, and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

[@cassolmedia]

Both Great movies! I hated Dark City for like 2 years after I first saw it b/c I was just confused.... came back to it later and loved it

[@jamescole6846]

Both great and I would add Predestination. I'm still trying to grasp the concept of that one.

[@FlashThundarr]

Dark City! Yes...

[@RobDTom]

Dark City is great

[@treytilley333]

Dark City really nails the tone of the title and what they were going for.

[@Tennethums1]

I would add; - Primer. To this day, a time travel movie I cannot wrap my head around. Makes Donnie Darko look like a connect-the-dots (though I still love Donnie Darko). - The Invitation. A “slow burn” thriller. Not to be confused with another movie that’s recently come out with the same title…this one is about a guy and his new girlfriend being invited to his ex wife’s (and her new beau) house gathering. - The Endless. This and the Resolution (and a third) are movies that are a kind of rabbit hole you NEED to go down. - Mr Nobody. Scifi time travel-esque. - Fight Club. Don’t talk about it. - 12 Monkeys. I’d check out all those movies as well.

[@niviamaeva]

Where can I watch it? 😅🙏

[@MetalTrenches]

Mulholland Drive still one of my all time favorites.

[@Cosmicwolf369]

Yes! Mine too! David Lynch is one of the greatest in my opinion ❤

[@camchem]

I’m surprised I’m not seeing anyone mention this one, but Satoshi Kon’s 1997 psych/horror/thriller, Perfect Blue, would be a great addition. Please please watch this if you haven’t already!

[@omari6108]

I’d add The Empty Man to this as well. It goes from Folk horror, to detective drama, to cosmic horror. Its such an underrated but well executed movie.

[@KINGJADEX]

I'd add psychological thriller, too.

[@ronparsons8786]

Excellent film

[@RafaelRodrigues-rx9ry]

Good one! I love this movie.

[@dailyselfadvancement]

Nice compilation, Darren. I'd just like to add a note on 2001: A Space Odyssey - the screenplay and the book were actually written in tandem, and in a strange twist, Kubrick completed and released the movie even before Clarke had finished the novel. However, if you read the novel (which IS a great read!) and then rewatch the movie, that last sequence makes a LOT more sense.

[@educostanzo]

Indeed. I spent literally 20 years scratching my head over that ending and when I finally decided to read the novel is all there and is not at all an open, vague, subjective ending as I thought it was.

[@dailyselfadvancement]

@@educostanzo Glad you got to experience both formats at last. And if you think about it, that final part of the book really is a challenge to imagine visually in the first place, so hats off to Kubrick once again!

[@dannye7612]

@@dailyselfadvancement kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYrGlp6uo9idr7ssi=FWrXh0-halEkgC_7 I always found this take very interesting!

[@Cheemma]

As soon as I heard “the director kind of messed up adapting this from the original book” I knew it was American Psycho. I don’t mind the movie but the book is something else, it was an absolute rollercoaster to read. I loved how the book kept continuously hinting at both possibilities (whether he actually murdered anyone or not), it was brilliant because either one would make sense. I felt like it didn’t matter which one was true, the main point was that Patrick just didn’t know who he was because he was trapped constantly trying to fit into a vapid, vain culture comprised of self absorbed yuppies who couldn’t even recall his name, let alone notice his strange behaviour. And it was just brilliant how the author would quickly switch from a provocative, graphic murder scene to a chapter where Patrick drones on about Whitney Houston’s music, it was jarring and intended to just mess with the reader. I found it really effective. Anyway, I could go on about the book all day. I think my favourite thing about the movie was the actors. I just felt like the movie shoehorned in some stuff from the book but missed the point of it at times. I think the thing that really disappointed me was when his secretary found his deranged scribbling because it appeared to be suggesting that it was all in his head. The book didn’t have that scene and I felt it was more ambiguous. I also feel like the chase scene with the police was too fantastical in the movie to believe, it was fantastical in the book too but we can just assume that’s due to Patricks’ unreliable narration. It can be very difficult to translate unreliable narration into a film, it often just doesn’t really work in the same way

[@Cosmicwolf369]

I absolutely agree with you!

[@kri249]

From what you described it really does sound like something hard to adapt to film. I actually didn't mind the movie but the book sounds like a read worth checking out. Cheers.

[@merrillhess5626]

I can't believe you left out the Australian movie Predestination, starring Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook. That is the ultimate (I'll keep it clean.) mind warp movie. It is based on a Heinlein short story. It is one of the few movies that improve on the original written story. Don't watch any previews, just watch the movie. Then be prepared to watch it twice or three times to make sure you got everything.

[@zombieluka]

Predestination is one of my favorite movies!! SO GOOD! Whether you're sober or tripping, it's an absolute ride. :)

[@RahulRaj-xs2on]

It's not underrated, it's pretty much rated like the prestige from nolan

[@Rck-vert]

He did because it’s easy to figure out 😂

[@onezero8676]

Presentation is my all time fav

[@max11paz]

Agree

[@Skeeks27]

Kubrick did such a good job adapting 2001 into a movie, but the ending of the book is so complex and so intricately written that it’s hard to put into film. In order to truly understand the end of the film you need to read the book. I personally consider it my favorite book and I’ve read it a handful of times. It also explains a lot more about the monolith and its purpose in “the dawn of man“. Arthur C Clarke definitely created an absolute masterpiece with 2001.

[@kaviator]

Kubrik did not adapt 2001 into a movie. The book is a a novelisation of the film that came after the film's release.

[@conneremberton4018]

@@kaviator you're both wrong, the book was adapted concurrently with the script of the movie, Kubrick even helped with the book, but he was left off of the authorship.

[@lidbass]

And Clarke helped with the script. However, the whole thing was inspired by Clarke’s short story The Sentinel (1951). So although the film certainly wouldn’t have happened without Kubrik, it was Clarke who was there first.

[@Skeeks27]

@@lidbass I was surprised when I learned about The Sentinel because before that I assumed the book was written before the movie rather than simultaneously. The original object in The Sentinel is a pyramid, right? To think about the iconic monolith being a pyramid seems so bizarre. Regardless, I have it on my list of books to get!

[@netto6681]

I’m glad Mulholland Drive is up there. It’s a pet peeve that people often think it’s all about vibes and “weird for the sake of weird”. It follows a coherent, tight plot if you appreciate what is going on with the structure of the movie.

[@saucehceeseman]

MD is easily one of the Lynchs easiest movies to understand.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

They included a hint sheet with the DVD to help people understand it.

[@AshwiniR.007]

Coherent is also a great scifi movie. Came in 2013 i guess.

[@jenniferd107]

Yeah, his weird is authentic. :) I've found the harder you try to get it, the less you probably will. If i can relax my mind and just enjoy the ride, his messages always seem to come through in the end. There are also moments that make absolutely no sense at all. For me it feels like I'm observing a waking dream, with the characters coming in and out of consciousness all along the way, and doing my best to keep up! :)

[@speachless88]

I'm on the other side, and I find all of Lynch's films to be unwatchable. I actually deeply dislike them and cannot understand his following's deep loving devotion.

[@m.nuriural8608]

The fountain, Eraserhead, primer, predestination and memento should be definitely on the list. Although the ten movies were confusing and puzzling I believe I could understand them. But The fountain, Eraserhead, primer, predestination and memento were really shocking for me and i had to watch them again and I am still not sure if I understood them right

[@MySerpentine]

Yeah. Like American Psycho--it doesn't really *matter* if he actually killed them, that's not the *point*.

[@dinkledankle]

The Fountain truly is a unique movie. The Fall (by Tarsem Singh) isn't a mind-frick movie, but it's beautiful and impactful in the same way and worth watching if you liked The Fountain.

[@P9rkour90]

Memento was insane!!! Mind f^*k indeed! 🤯

[@mannydepaulo7079]

The fountain and cloud atlas had a very similar vibe.

[@mannydepaulo7079]

Revolver with Jason Statham would fit nicely with this collection as well.

[@karlthunderaxe]

My #1 movie-as-puzzle is Primer by Shane Carruth. You never know which timeline or which version of a character you're watching, they could have gone back in time and altered it 100 times by the time we're watching it

[@bmmaaate]

I've watched it like 9 times and every time I think yes I'm following the plot. Then it gets to the part where they are looking for a dog by a fountain and then the whole thing falls apart like there is a vital part of the plot missing and then it just makes no sense at all. Looking forward to watching it again though.

[@justinklenk]

Yes, yes, YES!!!

[@BearFattfilm]

I came here to say Upstream Color, although you can definitely put it all together on the second watch. I still can’t follow Primer.

[@YeOldeBelmont]

@HussainRzvi That is a HILARIOUSLY reductive summary that has no business being so accurate.

[@kri249]

Honestly I found the movie boring. Despite the mindfuckery of it all it's still a boring plot. Still, I would watch it again just to trace the timeliness because I do like puzzles. Apparently their ties are the indicators to follow. I tried this on my first viewing but dozed off a few times because, boring movie.

[@skyfrog42]

I was happy to see Brazil on the list, but wished you mentioned there are two versions, ending very differently. Terry Gilliam fought hard to keep the original ending. Also worth noting is Robert De Niro as Harry Tuttle, a man “consumed” by paperwork. I have the DVD and will re-watch it so the song will be stuck in my head all during the work week, with a smile on my face like Sam Lowry.

[@tabooandexile]

Agreed. Depending on the ending you choose, one will have a vastly different experience. Same goes for Donnie Darko. I wish he would have steered people towards the theatrical cut. I also wish he explained that part of the “confusing” elements of Mulholland Dr are derived from the fact that it was originally a rejected television pilot. Lynch went back and filmed like 45 minutes of additional footage and released it theatrically. Some of the themes and characters likely would have been explained or fleshed out over multiple seasons.Not a bad film, but I do think Eraserhead or Inland Empire should have been listed in its stead, in my opinion.

[@kri249]

​@@tabooandexilefrom what I heard it wasn't just a TV show pilot but a spin off in the Twin Peaks universe. Which makes sense because I think the cowboy was suppose to be something like a Black lodge spirit. Such a shame it never took off as a series.

[@tabooandexile]

@@kri249 While Lynch never offers his interpretation of his works, we, as fans must formulate our own. I’ve always loved that about his art. The Cowboy/Lodge Spirt theory is an interesting one, and one I’ve never heard. I think a more popular (?) theory is one that says Watts character is sleeping/dreaming most of the film. From the point she lays her head on the pillow early in the film up to the point where the Cowboy tells her to wake up. ...But only Mr Lynch knows for sure.

[@ThunderWarrior01]

Stalker is nothing short of a cinematic masterpiece of epic storytelling with amazing atmosphere that grabs and doesn’t let go

[@aimeedouglas1584]

This was excellent. I’m not sure that anyone will ever be able to truly understand 2001: A Space Odyssey. I don’t think it was meant to be understood. Just appreciated. And I will absolutely be rewatching Donnie Darko. Thank you!

[@acutelilmint8035]

Man creates tools that push us forward, and yet the same tools become or demise.

[@DraQinn]

Well, like American Psycho it was based on a book that was difficult to adapt.

[@BecomePneuma11235]

It was not based on a book. The book was written at the same time as the movie.​@@DraQinn

[@DraQinn]

@@BecomePneuma11235 Wrong, based on a book published 9 years earlier, perhaps loosely based on the source material but still originally a book.

[@mistrdevine]

Pro tip for watching 2001. A little more than 20 minutes before the end, text will appear onscreen saying “Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite”. At that moment, press play on ‘Echoes’ by Pink Floyd. Enjoy.

[@doodlethebeagle2078]

Older fave was 90s "City of Lost Children" with Ron Perlman

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

Excellent list and the top 2 are both in my top 5 films of all time. Both are incredible masterpieces. Aronofsky's The Fountain and Anno's The End of Evangelion would've been great additions too.

[@terryhughes1005]

Darren saved The Fountain from utter extinction and I wish the studio didn't pull the rug so we would've gotten the original vision. That said, for me, mother! is by far more puzzling of what the actual intended message is than The Fountain.

[@fmphotooffice5513]

Something that trips up a lot of people is limiting yourself to **one message** in a movie. I'm thinking of Kubrick in particular, but in any movie the writer, and/or director can have many different tricks to a film. You don't need to finally know the secret to a film. For example, in The Shining, of course the pov when Wendy has a scene gets continuity tricks specific to her pov. That's just one way to mess with your head. It doesn't mean you finally figured out the secret to The Shining. The impossible floor plan, the knives in the kitchen, on and on... That film messes with you many ways. Kubrick was editing scripts on the fly throughout, even during filming.

[@ActualMichael]

Stalker is based on the novel “Roadside Picnic” by Arcady and Boris Strugatsky and has actually been available for quite a while on the Criterion Channel.

[@mbmurphy777]

I figured. Thanks for the confirmation.

[@zissimus8462]

It's actually available on Mosfilm channel in full HD. So I don't see a reason to pay for it.

[@lane6216]

This is the whole reason I clicked on this video. This is one of my all time favorite books. The movie was great; the book is amazing.

[@AttorneyGamer]

I'm surprised you didnt also include David Lynch's "Lost Highway". I watched that movie so many times and still watch it again yearly. I liked Mulholland Drive but not as much as Lost Highway. Probably one of my all time favorite movies along with American Psycho and Natural Born Killers.

[@gateauxq4604]

I like Lost Highway a lot too but I think Mulholand Dr has a lot more method to the madness and interconnected details that can be hard to see through on first viewing.

[@JonathanLakeMD]

Lost Highway is really great. After watching both it does seem that one is an exercise for another.

[@drewnorth3816]

Mulholland Drive, so good. Took me many watches to fully get it

[@AndrewLaValley]

I think Tenet from Christopher Nolan fits this list well too. I've rewatched it several times and still pick out things planted in the film. It's very confusing until you see it all start to unravel halfway through the film.

[@geargeekpdx3566]

Nolan films are easy to figure out. Just imagine a guy who needs to confuse the viewer so he feels smarter than them and then pretends you missed the big point he was making but didn't actually set out to make. I think his father beat him with a Physics book or something

[@tyleryoast8299]

Synecdoche, New York is one of my favorite movies. I don't think it's really as avant garde or abstract as it is sometimes said to be. Caden is trying to create a play that sums up the entire human experience -- the story that tells everyone's story. He does so by endlessly recreating and analyzing his experiences -- which is what a great many of us spend our lives doing in our heads. The movie, by following Caden's life and his failure to realize his ambitions, and as a consequence his failure to make sense of his life, ends up doing what Caden fails to do. The movie ends up summing up what a human life is. Your life will pass before your eyes, the years will slip away as old age strips you of your features, you will try to make sense of the passing years in vain, you will spend it trying to resurrect relationships you never really had, you will wonder what else there is but loneliness -- yet, there will be moments that break through it, the shining moments of truth for your life. The truth that seem to stand out of time and strike you all at once that your time here was significant.

[@meme-gd2pk]

Haven't seen it yet, but this belongs in the KZbin comment Hall of Fame

[@tinastaines6536]

Wonderful comment, thank you 😊

[@Spirit0f]

If you're struggling with 2001, I've always suggested watching the sequel 2010. Not nearly as good as 2001, by a very large margin, but a nice companion to the original that definitely clears up some of the its ambiguity.

[@uiscepreston]

Any movie by Peter Greenaway exists as an insanely complex puzzle to get mired in. I recommend Drowning by Numbers and A Zed and Two Noughts.

[@1Kenshi1]

"The Game" with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn "Shutter Island" "Arlington Road" "Vanilla Sky" "Machinist" "Identity"

[@alanhaigh9682]

STALKER is amazing, I loved the games even though bug ridden to the point of being unplayable. I think growing up in the 80's, being close enough to Chernobyl that we were told to stay inside for a few weeks. No playing outside, no hanging clothes out to dry big in the 80's. The cold war was really a worry much more so than what's going on today, people were afraid of nuclear conflict.

[@Rigel_Chiokis]

A movie I love (because I understand it) but it confuses pretty much everyone I know is Predestination, based on the Robert A. Heinlein novella Attention All You Zombies. I loved Donnie Darko when I saw it, although I don't remember much about it. I probably should watch it again. Snowpiercer was fun, but not what I consider a really great movie. Brazil is one of my all time favourite movies and 2001 is simply gorgeous. To get the composites to not have visual errors as so many movies do, he had people hand trace the model shots to create the mattes for the optical printer. That was great except for the poor bugger who had to trace the open framework of Station V!

[@32a34a]

I agree. I watched it a few times and even read the wikipedia explanation and it still took me several minutes to really think about it before I got it. Yeah that film is freaking amazing. Once I got it the film was even more amazing.

[@fixsixus]

Predestination is the best mindfuck movie I have ever watched.

[@debynmamula3695]

Predestination was good

[@hardattackdj]

Inception. For me, the ending isn’t whether it’s a dream or not, because the protagonist is exactly where he wants to be. If it’s a dream, then he’ll happily live there. If it’s not a dream, he’ll happily live there.

[@sharpm0102]

I like that idea. If you rewatch it you'll notice Cobb is only wearing his wedding ring in dreams. I didn't see it in the ending. That could be his true totem.

[@susanjohnson5824]

Great List I would like to see a part 2 this could be the tip of the iceberg. I love movies that make you think also besides movies some TV series are wonderfully complex and thought provoking ie The Prisoner

[@tomwhitaker1]

A great list of my favorite kind of movies. One that i don't think gets mentioned that I think deserves recognition is Shane Carruth's Upstream Color. A beautiful mind-bending puzzle of a movie that he made after Primer. I would love to see a part 2 of this list!

[@ginsoakedgirl4]

Could I ask you how Upstream Color is from an animal rights/animal violence perspective? This is also my favorite type of movie but I know that part of it involves a pig farm so I haven't watched it yet... Also, I would personally add Jacob's Ladder to this list, and switch Mullholland Drive for Lost Highway.

[@RahulRaj-xs2on]

M glad you have mentioned this movie i watched the whole video believing upstream is not gonna be made in video or in the comment section .... I think it's bcz of the least viewed movie, if u watch it you're gonna appreciate it

[@mystreba]

@@ginsoakedgirl4 My wife couldn't watch it because of the pigs. It's not that bad, but whatever you think of the pig scenes, I think you will find it pays off in the end.

[@shawnfarquhar2434]

Just found your channel and love what you're doing. You sent me way back to myself and three other friends watching 'Brazil' in the theatre. All of us were gob-smacked into silence as we walked the 15 minutes to our favourite bar. Complete silence-there was no way to process in words what we had just seen. And I'm not talking about just the ending.

[@tessiepinkman]

Donnie Darko is my favorite movie of all time. Thank you for pushing it to a new audience!

[@norbarellis]

I am so pleased someone is finally giving a shout out to Synedoche, incredible film

[@ecbrown6151]

Stalker is great, people don’t know it but they know the games, films and shorts that it has inspired.

[@drumbum3.142]

I Hard-Core LOVE this type of Mental SawMill Story, Script, Film, and Direction. - Enemy. - The Whistlers. - Revenge (Coralie Fargeat) - Trance. - Blade Runner 2049. - Cloud Atlas. - Zoom. (Indie Alison Pil mind melter) - The Survivalist. - Open Grave. - 3,000 Years of Longing. - Sucker Punch. - Mr Nobody. - The Congress. (No Particular Order.) ...ALL Are (Freakin') TOP NOTCH Mind Melt Cinema.🎨

[@amunra4256]

Some great movies mentioned here. Cloud Atlas in particular is criminally underrated, from what I've seen. Nobody ever brings it up, and I'm the only person I know that saw it and enjoyed it

[@drumbum3.142]

@@amunra4256 - Thank You for Lovely Comments and Observations there.🙏 - I've actually bumped into and rubbed elbows with others who've seen this Transcendental Mind Melt Masterpiece; who confoundedly don't like the thing.. 🤔🤨😐🤷‍♂️🤷‍♀️🤨🤨🤨🤔🤔🤔😐. It's Weird .. It's.. ... Definitely a Story/Film that one has GOT to Think About if "You" (proverbially speaking) are to reap its Panoply of Gorgeous Wonderful Beautiful Benifits.. ... as are ALL, of these; to varying degrees.

[@wendelynmusic]

There's a wierd and perplexing movie that most peoplehave forgotten, Naked Lunch. Based on the book by William S Burroughs, they didn't think could be made into a movie because it is so dense and so bizarre. This is one of David Cronenberg's most interesting movies but it has kind of been forgotten.

[@Capthowdy098]

I think Alejandro Jodorowsky could be put in here just for The Holy Mountain alone. Overall great list, even though I am probably more of a fan of Eraserhead but that flick has been put on lists since it was created, so understandable.

[@jodyvance1554]

Jodorowsky was an overrated, sick director killing and abusing animals while making pretentious 'arthouse' movies for himself and hipsters.

[@alicewright4322]

Anything by Jdorowsky should be on the list. El Topo or Fando Y Lis.

[@TurdOfParadise]

I feel like maybe he was picking movies that are readily available to stream? I love all these movies and I'm so happy that Stalker and Brazil are getting a little recognition. So surprised in this day and age more people don't stan holy mountain tbh.

[@tutkallia]

Loved Donnie Darko. Used to watch it all the time. It was ahead of its time for sure

[@eve-1]

I loved Mulholland Drive, but it spooked me. Still does.

[@garywatson3778]

I now have a couple to add to my watch list. Some other great ones are 'Lost Highway', another Lynchian rabbit-hole; 'Naked Lunch' from the master of WTF, David Cronenberg; and Christopher Nolan's sophomore feature, 'Memento'.

[@Twirlyhead]

Stalker is truly amazing.

[@Amanda-ik1wv]

I watched Perfect Blue and Paprika recently and they could easily be contenders for this list too.

[@aussiebladerunner]

I agree with a lot of the comments that Dark City should be on the list. Also I think eXistenZ is a seriously underrated mind bending movie.

[@Benny_000]

Another 90s classic is Vanilla Sky and should also be on this list!

[@steveglover6411]

More hard-to-understand-but-very-satisfying-in-the-attempt-at-understanding-them movies; Naked Lunch - David Cronenberg Existenze - David Cronenberg Fantastic Planet - French The City of Lost Children - French

[@krollk-mk4yy]

Thanks from Russia for STALKER, man.

[@doctorzombie9799]

I LOVED the ending of Snowpiercer.

[@ingvenning4993]

Great list! I would also add Primer, Tideland, Pan's Labyrinth, City of Lost Children, Fear(s) of the Dark, Three Colors, Circle, Requiem for a Dream, Sharp Objects, Another Earth, Let the Right One In, and Coherence.

[@t0mn8r35]

Yours is the only movie review channel I watch. Well done as always.

[@djstarsign]

Enemy is a great film, and I think it may be his first film in English, but August 32nd on Earth was his first feature film and by the looks of it, probably filmed in a lower budget than Enemy. It’s a great little film, especially because it’s so different from the films he’d become famous for in the future.

[@manuelast.4955]

Congratularions for the so well-made list. However, I think it was very esssential to to mention that the russian film"Stalker" is based on the amazing novel "Roadside picnic" written by brothers Strugatsky

[@70Slinger]

As far as American Psycho goes, I remember buying the book when I was way younger. Reading it, putting it down and reading it again a couple of years later. I don't remember it "leaving it up to your Imagination" as to what actually happened. I saw the movie twice but maybe the movie did that and I don't remember. I do recall a passage in the book, where Bates gets into an elevator with a very short guy next to him, who lives in the top floor, turns out it was Tom Cruise 😁 Also there's the part where he has some PVC pipe, a hooker in a bathtub and a NY sewer rat that I won't get into. His dry cleaning was hella expensive.

[@DraQinn]

It's not as you said leave it up to your imagination, but just simply vague & ambiguous. You may find this interesting. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m4Cwm5h5nrKhbsksi=4WLfWzOk8Eksk2F6

[@scotchmaple]

Another great David Lynch addition to your list is "Lost Highway"

[@alicewright4322]

that and eraser head and inland empire could all be on the list

[@winterhaydn]

Snowpiercer is confusing?? It's pretty straightforward. You should have included The Endless. And Primer takes a lot of entangling.

[@Krikitt]

6:39 Great pick. Now let’s see Paul Allen’s pic.

[@frankmuldowney7839]

Clockwork Orange..... Persona.....Solaris.....Spellbound.....Eyes Wide Shut......Vertigo.....Open Your Eyes......Being John Malkovich....Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...... why pick 10?

[@emosongsandreadalongs]

I always thought that 2001: A Space Odyssey was based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke. I only recently learned that Clarke and Kubrick co-wrote the movie concurrently and Clarke wrote the book (some say Kubrick worked on it too) as a straight novelization of the film. Clarke later wrote 3 sequel novels

[@kenny228s]

Stalker is not for everybody is a slow burn with no pay off but at the same time is one of the most beautiful movies i’ve ever seen.

[@GaxMiu]

"first time i watched it, didnt understand anything but i loved it... second time, i started to understand some stuff and loved it even more..."

[@PUMPADOUR]

Stalker is the BEST MOVIE EVER!

[@Bucko99]

Enemy was the movie that showed me what film can be. That the meaning behind what you're seeing isn't always obvious and can have a more metaphorical approach. It quite literally changed my life as I've never viewed storytelling the same since. I'll add that it's mostly because I was 14 and just happened to see it at the right time. I'm sure plenty of other movies could have had the same effect.

[@alicewright4322]

so many people never learn that, which is why they keep making the same bad movies over and over.

[@CarlosCostaX]

Enemy is based on a novel by Portuguese Nobel prize winner Jose Saramago., O Homem Duplicado, or the Duplicated Man literally translated. I strongly recommend reading more of his work. Other of his adapted to film novels was Blindness by director Fernando Meirelles.

[@terryhughes1005]

The rerelease of the directors cut (in the White DVD case) of Donny Darko is probably the best version as it includes added graphic overlays/cut that really remove the disjointedness the original version was plagued with, without harming the integrity of the film at all.

[@peterdubois7276]

I would like to see Darren do videos discussing the filmographies of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch. I think Kubrick's film Eyes Wide Shut was him having fun at the expense of film critics- he threw out movie making conventions and did the opposite (like when Tom Cruise spent like 20 minutes looking for a cab to go home), and all the film critics said the movie was brilliant, but I think they were confused by it and had to see it was brilliant so they wouldn't have to admit they didn't understand the movie.

[@PH4N7OM21]

You should also check out Dark City and Primer I am sure it will be hard to find them streaming though.

[@susanjohnson5824]

I love Dark City a great movie

[@zencomeseasy602]

Absolute bangers!

[@Maya_Pinion]

@@susanjohnson5824 yes!

[@FlashThundarr]

Nice list. For some reason I was expecting to see Interstellar and Memento on this list, but you coulda said all Chris Nolan movies as well as all Kubrick. Definitely going back to watch some of these again tho!!! 😊

[@jodyvance1554]

Mullholland Dr. is fantastic, but it really should be viewed at least twice before you make any definitive comments or reviews on it. It's quite the portrait of a descent into madness. Watts and Harring are great together.

[@Bootmahoy88]

Bravo! I adore each and every one of these films. When I find a film where I sense the presence of an arc, a through line, if you will, and it doesn’t reveal itself to me on the first viewing, I stay with it and watch it multiple times without trying to read something into it, which can be a challenge. It’s akin to reading and rereading certain poems, and allowing whatever revelation or understanding come to me in the moment. I’ve found some truly great works of art change in significance and meaning for me over time, and I find that just delicious. Mulholland Drive is one such film that has had enormous significance for me in conjunction with certain experiences I’ve had. Again, this is a terrific video. Thankyou.

[@billparker244]

I'm surprised you didn't put The Fountain on this list. Talk about a mystery and confusion. They director purposely kept it a secret after it came out. I mean, was he really traveling in that bubble? Was it some kind of advanced spaceship? Was he experiencing everything out of order via some advanced tech, or were they flashbacks? Was the bubble-vehicle in his imagination? Did he really live that long throughout history? If so, why did he seem like he didn't remember previous eras? Those are just the ones I remember asking myself. I'm sure there were more.

[@m.nuriural8608]

And add that if they were the same man or 3 different men? Last scene makes me think they were not

[@scottkirby8204]

Excellent list, Darren. I've seen all but 3 on your list, but Stalker is the one that stands out for me. I watched about a year ago and thought it was simply amazing. Slow, deliberately paced, but very intriguing. I plan to rewatch it again soon. Thanks for this list.

[@johncooper7663]

Read the book. It's very good.

[@scottkirby8204]

@@johncooper7663 For those who don't know, the novel is Roadside Picnic by the Strugatsky brothers. I will try to find a copy of it, John. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@CraigShifflet]

I have seen most of these and will watch the rest soon. These reminded me about watching Primer the first time. I immediately had to watch it again, found another new thing and had to watch it a third time. Luckily, with a 70 or so minute runtime, It didn't take my whole day, but I love those kinds of experiences with movies.

[@markfln]

I hope this channel grows and grows because its one of the few left where you actually learn something and hear it in a cultural, educated way. I'm watching your videos everytime with much attention, curisoity, excitement and ultimately child-joy. You talk about movies. Period. In an civilised, almost artsy, critique way which is amazing. Love it. Keep up. You are doing the good work. Thank you!

[@MrStoyan5]

PERSONA (1966) is another amazing, confusing masterpiece! on HBO Max for USA on Apple TV+ for Canada, U.K. Australia Edit: misspelled Apple 😅

[@stabbyjosh7931]

Donnie Darko is really easy to understand. It's just a modern retelling of "The Time Machine". Donnie is repeatedly going back through time trying to save the girl he loves. He is continually unsuccessful, and eventually figures out his best chance is to remove himself from the equation. Which he does. The same story was told again a few years later in "The butterfly Effect", or as I call it "Donnie Darko for Dummies". By the way this was all confirmed many years later when the sequel came out "S. Darko".

[@warnelivesey]

Great list. SPOILER My thought on the Spinning Top at the end of Inception is that he doesn't bother to wait for it to fall. He doesn't care if he's technically back. He's with his kids and that's enough for him. Sometimes movies are intentionally ambiguous for good reason , and not to be obtuse. Like both Blade Runner movies.

[@TonyA552]

Good list, I've seen most of these movies. If you do a follow-up of other puzzling movies I'd include "Barton Fink" (1991). It confused a lot of people when it first came out but is perfectly understandable when you understand what is happening to the title character.

[@thomasgellhaus306]

I agree...I saw it with a friend and at first, I was SO bored because it seemed like nothing was happening. But when John Goodman's character showed up, the movie abruptly took a sharp left turn, and I watched the rest of it intently. Excellent movie.

[@genericpoptart1]

I highly recommend adding Primer to this list. Low budget but still my favorite movie ever

[@lrvogt1257]

Enemy looks intriguing Synecdoche is sufficiently weird but it was tedious. I didn’t finish. Snowpiercer is excellent. It’s basically class warfare on a train. American Psycho… no thanks Donny Darko. Very cool. Inception. Very cool. Stalker looks intriguing Brazil. Brilliant, extremely-dark comedy. Mulholland Drive. By far Lynche’s best. Naomi Watts breakout role. Hint: Her character is psychotic. 2001: Slow but engaging and then weird. I saw it in Cinerama when it opened

[@andreashaynes3346]

That was an excellent FLICK CONNECTION,Darren. Great to see 2001: A Space Odyssey at your #1. Many thanks for sharing this presentation with us 👍👍👍

[@gnosis6656]

I would add Last Year at Marienbad. It’s almost certain that both Kubrick and Lynch were heavily influenced by Resnais’s film.

[@mrtunapie6653]

Agree! Last Year at Marienbad has to be the mother of all mind-f*ck movies.

[@QueenVelveeta]

I was going to add this one, too. I love the organ music movie score.

[@georgebailey9238]

I had the good fortune of attending a small private screening of LYAM with the screenwriter, Alain Robbe-Grillet, who did a live voice-over commentary. He was a guest professor at my undergrad which is well known for science, not so much humanities. Maybe 15 people in the room max. Unforgettable experience and I still have my signed copy of The House of Assignation.

[@go4069]

Primer needs at least a honorable mention

[@epicshade144]

I love this list. When I saw the title, I said to myself that if "Brazil" is not included I'm going to be pissed! Then I got to thinking about what other movies should be added to this: "Dark City" "Memento" "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" and/or "The Lobster" "Midsommar" and/or "Hereditary" "Fight Club" "Her" "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" "Vanilla Sky" (both versions) "Eraserhead" "Blue Velvet" "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" Of course, there are a lot of classic movies that would fit this category but because they are so ingrained in our psyche, they are not easily thought of: "Citizen Kane," "Vertigo," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," "Rashomon," "The Shining," and "Chinatown." Of course, I more than doubled your list but the topic really made me think about which movies should be included. Thank you!

[@hobbydiva]

Jacob's Ladder

[@__hjg__2123]

I'm very glad I don't have to question your commitment to Sparkel Motion.

[@Morgue12free]

Predestination, also comes to mind

[@brucecoleman7412]

One of my favorites that should be on this list is Memento. Probably my favorite Guy Pearce movie.

[@josephbrown9685]

Yes. This one is a doozy. I watched it many years ago and then watched it again a few years ago and it was like watching it for the first time again because I couldn’t remember all of the details. It’s a fascinating character study.

[@mason96575]

Calling Donnie Darko an "older movie" hurt me in my soul... 😢

[@eros727]

3 off the top of my head that fit this genre are Tenet, Predestination and Lost Highway. I understood Predestination the most, as impossible as it might be.

[@xXNekou]

I would add "Mother!" (with Jennifer Lawrence) to this mix, I think it's underrated and underunderstood ;) And "Shutter Island" with Leo Dicaprio :)

[@itskristinawithak]

I thought of mother as well!

[@jerryschramm4399]

"Day for Night". "Last Year at Marianbad". "The Thief, The Cook, His Wife and Her Lover." "Eraserhead". "Coherence".

[@cmharnold]

I’m very proud to have worked on, Synecdoche, New York.

[@ryanhopkins5239]

I dont find most of these all that confusing. I know what your talking about in regards to inception, but its still debatable if thats actually telling us if he's in reality, it could just mean he believes he is in the real world. The point at the end is it doesnt matter whether he is dreaming or awake, all that matters is that he believe its is real

[@antodb7490]

Honorable Mentions: Primer, Memento, Berberian Sound Studio, TENET, Coherence, Holy Motors, Upstream Color, pi, Predestination, Trance, The Double, Eternal Sunshine, The Machinist, Oldboy

[@alicewright4322]

these are good films. only Mulholland Drive and Synecdoche are complicated in way that has to be solved. The others have dense layers of themes and references and multiple levels of interpretation, which makes them excellent art too. I would have picked: Mind Game, Kuso, Holy Mountain, El Topo, Inland Empire, When Black Birds Fly, Naked Lunch, Incident at Loch Ness, Strawberry Mansion, Conspirators of Pleasure, Act of Killing, Mother!

[@RationallySkeptical]

@alicewright4322 Incident at Loch Ness? I hadn't suspected you of trolling until I saw that laughable suggestion.

[@palomaandbrothers-josee]

Hi! I'm inCanada and was searching for Brazil last week . Couldn't find it. I saw it a couple of times. I really love it. Really imaginative and beautiful piece. I saw Mulholland Drive when it came up, didn't like it. Saw it twice since and don't connect with it. Will try again, I love David Lynch. I saw Donnie Darko last week too, again. A must watch. Love Jake Gyllenhaal. There's only Stalker I haven't seen on your list. Will try to find it. Enemy is one of my all time favorites, it blew my mind and again, Jake Gyllenhaal. I would give a really honorable mention to Predestination and Coherence. I don't remember hearing about Coherence to this day and it's an amazing movie. If you like doppelgangers that's a great pick.

[@Vinnie-cv5qv]

I lioved Brazil when it first came out and still watch it today. Not many people know Robert De Nero was in it. There is one scene that I love with two adjacent offices where the table is shared through the wall. If you watch the movie, look for that scene.

[@RobDTom]

So glad you used an image from Stalker as your cover shot

[@saniasinha10]

6:33 - Best advice ever!

[@swingcity7]

Love your work. Keep it up brother!