Selection

Mind-bending movies

Difficult films you have to assemble yourself.

Cinema that demands attention and rewards it: scrambled chronology, a narrator you cannot trust, and an ending that rearranges everything you have already seen. Best watched with the phone out of reach.

Results

Poster for “Arrival”

Arrival

2016IMDb 7.9
Poster for “Oldboy”

Oldboy

2003IMDb 8.3
Poster for “Saw”

Saw

2004IMDb 7.6
Poster for “Persona”

Persona

1966IMDb 8.0
Poster for “Split”

Split

2017IMDb 7.3
Poster for “Mirage”

Mirage

1959IMDb 7.2
Poster for “Vertigo”

Vertigo

1958IMDb 8.2
Poster for “Blow-Up”

Blow-Up

1966IMDb 7.4

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Frequently asked

What should I watch if I like untangling plots?
The non-linear films with unreliable narrators at the top of this list. Many are built for a second viewing — the second time you are watching a different film.
How is this different from a twist film?
A twist is one event at the end. A puzzle film is tangled throughout: you are working the whole time, not just for the last ten minutes.

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