While some movies take viewers along a linear path from start to finish, others divulge by breaking different barriers to manipulate audience members. These films delve into the subconscious of viewers and subtly place intriguing details to perplex and misdirect the audience.
Members ofr/MovieSuggestionsgot together to discuss some of their favorite types of films that had them played from the beginning to the end. From the claustrophobic unreliable narrator that showcases the world as they see it to an absurdist world that confuses the characters only to regain meaning in the end, these films will control the audience and make them doubt their understanding of the film.
10’Primer' (2004)
The independent philosophical film makes up for its extremely low budget ($7000!) with a complex experimental structure. The film surrounds the accidental discovery of time travel by two engineers, who slowly discover the dark implications of their discovery after testing it out.
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Userwho_at_the_pizzasaid, “Primeris a really good example.” Although some note the technical dialogue while discussing the physics and mathematics of time travel,Primerserves as a prime example of a film that manipulates the audience as it slowly unfolds. Due to the unknown depths of time travel, the audience and the characters are tested as the story moves forward.
9’The Usual Suspects' (1995)
The classic mystery film sees a con man, Roger “Verbal” Kint, attempt to convince the police that a mythical crime boss was responsible for intimidating him and four other criminals to commit a deadly multi-million dollar boat theft. Clint explains his side of the story through flashbacks and other narrative methods to pin the lethal heist on the fabled Keyser Söze.
The user dunichasimply stated the film’s title as a marker of approval. Noted as having one of the greatest screenplays of all time,The Usual Suspectsuses a mixture of subtle writing and the use of an untrustworthy narrator to pull offone of the greatest twists at the end, which will leave audience members astonished.
8’The Father' (2020)
The French-British production,The Father, tells the story of an older man, Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), who continuously insists on his independence, even as his health worsens. However, as the days go on, he begins to doubt the reality of his daughter and other individuals in his life, as well as his mind.
The somber film takes viewers through a psychological maze from the main character’s perspective, Anthony. As the bounds of reality continue to break, the audience joins Anthony in refracted perception. Due to the devastating end, which reveals the reality of Anthony’s life,blackjack_beansnoted that the “film literally broke [them].”
7’Arrival' (2016)
The science-fiction film byDenis Villeneuvesurrounds a linguist, Louise Banks (Amy Adams), who is called up by the military to help translate alien communications when several large ships suddenly appear across the world. As other nations doubt the amiability of the forces, Louise attempts to discover the reasoning behind their occurrence.
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Arrivalsucceeds at setting up a thought-provoking story and then suddenly shocking audiences in its grand final act, which elevates the entire film. “The best part was you’re tricked based on your experience of watching film. You’ve seen this technique many times and you never question it to be anything other than what you’re accustomed to”,kokriderzexplains.
6’Synecdoche, New York' (2008)
Synecdoche, New York, concerns an anxious theater director, Caden Cotard (Philip Seymour Hoffman), struggling to create a play that is as true to life as possible. As he gets more obsessed with the play’s realism, the lines between fantasy and reality blur.
With the audience in the dark surrounding Caden’s ultimate motivations, they are constantly misdirected throughout the film. “Synecdoche NYis the movie you’re looking for [if you want to be manipulated as a viewer]. Don’t look anything up about it”, warnsMeanderAndReturn.
5’Perfect Blue' (1997)
The Japanese animated film,Perfect Blue, follows a former pop singer, Mima, as she leaves singing to pursue her dream of acting. However, her sanity slowly starts to slip after being stalked by an obsessive fan, which transforms into something much darker.
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The existential piece sees the main characterstruggle between her perceived image and her true self, which eats away at her. The audience is also unaware of her past, which slowly starts to unfold as she reaches new levels of fame. “This movie messed with me from the beginning to the end, but this made for an amazing experience,” describedFafette7.
4’Donnie Darko' (2001)
The cult classic film that featuresJake Gyllenhaalin his breakout role focuses on a teenager who, after avoiding an unexpected incident, starts to see a giant rabbit, who exploits him to commit crimes.
The cult classic film has been labeled as one of the most mind-boggling movies of all time, giving it such a large following. “I don’t think evenRichard Kelleyunderstood what was happening inDonnie Darko, and that’s what I appreciate about it,” saidgraveybrains.
3’Mulholland Drive' (2001)
David Lynch’sMulholland Drivetakes viewers to a dreamlike state through the story of two women as they journey around Hollywood. Rita (Laura Harring) is left amnesiac after a dreadful car wreck on Mulholland Drive. Joining forces with Hollywood-hopeful Betty (Naomi Watts), the two women search for clues and answers to Rita’s true identity.
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The user moneycantgetsuggested the movie. The cinematography, sound, and storyfeature some of Lynch’s best works, as he constantly manipulates the audience. As well, the mystery component of Rita allows the audience to start at the same level as her while looking for clues, which allows for more twists and turns to occur.
2’Inland Empire' (2006)
The last feature film written and directed by Lynch to this day,Inland Empire, features the confounding story of Nikki (Laura Dern), an actress who, after adopting the persona of her character in a new film, begins to witness surreal and increasingly sinister events.
Lynch’s experimental style shines through in this piece, and he pulls the audience’s strings throughout its three-hour runtime. “There is obscuring the plot and then there is making a declaration of war against plot itself,” wroteSquidman_Permanence, “[Inland Empire] does both several times per minute.”
1’Memento' (2000)
The non-linear psychological thriller by acclaimed directorChristopher Nolanslowly unravels to reveal more and more details of the characters and their motivations. The film surrounds Leonard (Guy Pearce), a man with short-term memory loss who attempts to track down the man who murdered his wife by utilizing his camera and tattooing his body to remember clues about her killer.
The user jtaulbeesuggested the movie, saying “Memento! I think it’s one of Christopher Nolan’s best movies.” Much ofMemento’s success is placed on its non-linear narrative, which reveals the big twist at the beginning instead of the end, only for Nolan to throw in the real twist at the end, forcing the audience to rethink their entire perception of the film.
