13 Mind-Bending Movies That Made People Lose Sleep After Thinking About It For Days

2 weeks ago 2

"This movie messed me up so hard."

Here are a few from the list:

1. Predestination (2015)

A woman with glasses and shoulder-length hair looks thoughtfully at someone off-camera. She wears a white shirt with a neutral expression

Stage 6 Films

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

2. The Game (1997)

Michael Douglas intensely examines a toy clown in a dramatic movie scene

Walt Disney Studios

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

3. The Prestige (2006)

Scarlett Johansson and Hugh Jackman in period costumes sitting in a theater scene from a movie

Touchstone Pictures / ©Touchstone Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

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

4. Midsommar (2019)

The image shows women, including Dani Argar played by Florence Pugh, in emotional distress, crying, with some comforting her. They are wearing traditional, embroidered dresses

A24 / courtesy Everett Collection

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

5. Jacob's Ladder (1990)

Tim Robbins lies in a bathtub with a neutral expression, from the movie "Jacob's Ladder."

Tristar Pictures / ©TriStar Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

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

6. Oldboy (2003)

A man with disheveled hair, intense expression, and dark clothing holds a hammer above his head in a threatening manner, in a dimly lit hallway

Tartan Films / Tartan Films / courtesy Everett Collection

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

7. Annihilation (2018)

Gina Rodriguez and Tessa Thompson, both wearing brown jackets, appear startled in a jungle-like setting in this gripping scene

Peter Mountain / ©Paramount/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

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

8. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan sit at a wooden table in a dimly lit pub, each with a half-full pint of beer in front of them

Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection

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

9. Triangle (2009)

Amy Smart is standing in front of a poster featuring a woman's face, with a bruised look and disheveled hair

First Look International / First Look International/Courtesy Everett Collection

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

10. The Zone of Interest (2023)

A person stands confidently in a vintage-styled bedroom, wearing a luxurious fur coat. A bed, lamp, and a large mirror are visible in the room

A24 / Courtesy Everett Collection

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

11. Tenet (2020)

John David Washington in a suit stares intensely through a glass window with a bullet hole crack, hinting at a suspenseful scene

Melinda Sue Gordon / © Warner Bros. / Courtesy Everett Collection

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

12. The Platform (2019)

Overhead view of a person sitting in the center of a long table filled with various food items, with another person sitting on the floor beside the table

Netflix / Courtesy Everett Collection

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

13. Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Jake Gyllenhaal in conversation, wearing a suit jacket over a white shirt, from a scene in a movie

Focus Features /Courtesy Everett Collection

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

Do you have a movie in mind that fits this list? Tell us about it in the comments below!

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