25 of the best puzzle movies for the true polymath

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Intricate thrillers, science fiction, and philosophical dramas that you will have to think about the plot.

25. Revolver

• UK, France, 2005.
• Action, drama, thriller.
• Duration: 111 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 4.

Jack Green spent seven years in solitary confinement. All this time, the criminals sitting next to him helped him study chess theory, gambling and quantum mechanics. As a result, Green came up with a universal formula for winning any game.

Guy Ritchie is known to many exclusively for driving crime comedies. And it is all the more surprising that in "Revolver" from a certain moment one can understand: here it is not the heroes who deceive each other, but the director himself makes fun of the viewer. And sometimes it is not easy to figure out which of what happened on the screen is real. And besides, this is a rare occasion when you can see Jason Stateham in the role of an intellectual.

24. mom

• USA, 2017.
• Drama, horror, thriller.
• Duration: 121 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 6.

The writer and his wife live in a secluded home. He is in a creative crisis trying to finish a new book. She renovates the house and supports her husband with all her might. But suddenly guests appear in their home.

Darren Aronofsky is famous for his difficult plots. In the movie "Mom!" one can find both religious overtones and a history of toxic marital relationships. All options will be equally correct, although none of them fully explains the plot. But you need to look very carefully, catching all the symbols and references.

23. Tree of Life

• USA, 2010.
• Drama, fantasy, parable.
• Duration: 139 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 8.

The picture is dedicated to the life of Jack. From childhood, his mother taught him kindness and disinterestedness, and his father, on the contrary, insisted that personal interests are most important. The boy faces many challenges. And even as an adult, he is trying to understand the world around him.

One of the most controversial and unusual directors of our time, Terrence Malick, managed to combine in one film both the history of a person's life and philosophical questions about the existence of the whole world. The viewer will have to decide for himself: this is just the story and reflections of the protagonist, or a parable about the movement of everything from birth to death.

22. Inner Empire

• USA, France, Poland, 2006.
• Thriller, drama.
• Duration: 180 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Nikki Grace gets a role in the new film - a remake of the classic film, on the set of which the actors died. After starting work, it becomes difficult to understand who is more real: the heroine herself, her character or the deceased girl who played in the classic version.

David Lynch's films are never easy to explain. But Empire Inland is perhaps his most intricate work, one that is unlikely to be sorted out on first viewing. Moreover, the director himself flatly refuses to give hints, but claims that the picture has a completely clear and harmonious plot.

21. Vanilla sky

• USA, Spain, 2001.
• Melodrama, thriller, fantasy.
• Duration: 130 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Wealthy David Ames fell in love with the beautiful Sophia. But soon he gets into an accident, which was arranged by his jealous mistress. To fix his disfigured face, David decides to undergo plastic surgery. His appearance is in order again, but strange things begin to happen to the world around him.

This film is a remake of Alejandro Amenabar's Open Your Eyes. Moreover, in both versions, Sophia was played by Penelope Cruz. And the plot of the story is in many ways similar to the famous book by Philip Dick "Ubik". Therefore, the main question of the whole story is: "What is reality?"

20. We

• USA, China, Japan, 2019.
• Horror, thriller.
• Duration: 116 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

As a child, Adelaide Thomas got lost in an amusement park and wandered into a room with mirrors. She was so scared that she did not speak for a long time. Years later, Adelaide with her husband and children comes to the same places. And suddenly, at night, exact copies of all family members appear at their house.

Following the success of Get Out, Jordan Peele directed another social horror film. But here the plot turned out to be more complex and confusing. It will take some time to understand the relationship between the characters and their copies.

19. Enemy

• Canada, Spain, 2013.
• Thriller, detective.
• Duration: 88 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

History teacher Adam Bell is renting a film and suddenly sees an actor very similar to himself on the screen. From that moment on, he is obsessed with the idea of finding a double. However, the detective story soon turns into dark mysticism.

Many believe that director Denis Villeneuve copied the style of David Lynch in this film. Therefore, here you need to carefully follow all the details of the plot and realize that the ending is unlikely to explain what is happening.

18. Detonator

• USA, 2004.
• Science fiction, thriller.
• Duration: 77 minutes.
• IMDb: 6, 9.

Engineers Abe and Aaron with friends come up with new devices. After assembling the apparatus that reduces the weight of the object, they discover that it can also serve as a time machine. Then friends go back in time. But it soon becomes clear that they have completely different views on the capabilities of the device.

In the center of the plot of this picture is one of the favorite themes of science fiction writers: the paradoxes of time travel. Only the authors added ethical issues and a couple of unexpected plot twists to it.

17. Jacket

• Germany, USA, 2004.
• Thriller, fantasy, detective.
• Duration: 102 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 1.

After being shot in the head, an Iraqi war veteran, Jack suffers from amnesia. He is soon charged with the murder of a police officer. But Jack doesn't remember anything because of another blackout. Then he is sent for compulsory treatment, where he is locked in a straitjacket in a morgue cell. But such a cruel therapy suddenly turns into a fantastic escape opportunity.

In this film, one of the strongest roles was played by Adrian Brody. Well, the plot perfectly balances on the verge of fantasy and detective story, gradually building the big picture.

16. Fountain

• USA, Canada, 2006.
• Science fiction, drama, parable.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 2.

Oncologist Tom is trying to save his terminally ill wife Izzy. Disillusioned with traditional medicine, he searches for the mythical Tree of Life, but all his attempts fail. Izzy then asks Tom to complete her book The Source, in which she describes her illness and the idea of rebirth.

In one of Darren Aronofsky's most confusing films, reality mixes with the dreams and plot of the book. And if you put it all together, you get a very complex story about the idea of eternal life.

15. Reincarnation

• USA, 2018.
• Horror, drama.
• Duration: 127 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 3.

In the Annie Graham family, a grandmother dies - an introverted and domineering woman. Strange details of her past are soon revealed. And with the rest of the family, unexplained events occur.

At first, this movie may seem like a simple horror movie. But in it the main characters suddenly change, and the action takes either a mystical or a philosophical turn. It is not for nothing that the painting in the original is called Hereditary, that is, "heredity."

14. Cloud Atlas

• USA, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, 2012.
• Science fiction, drama, action, comedy.
• Duration: 172 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 4.

Six plots, filmed in different genres, but with the same actors, unfold over the centuries. The story of an elderly man locked in a nursing home is oddly connected to a futuristic clone thriller, while the story of a 19th century navigator has something to do with a murder investigation today.

The famous duo Wachowski, who once shot The Matrix, together with Tom Tykwer, filmed the complex novel by David Mitchell. It would seem that completely different plots here are connected by one cross-cutting theme, embodied in the musical composition "Cloud Atlas".

13. Machinist

• Spain, USA, 2004.
• Thriller.
• Duration: 97 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 7.

Trevor Resnick hasn't slept for a year. He almost stopped eating and turned into a living skeleton. Gradually, in his head, reality mixes with visions, and Trevor has nightmares in reality. Moreover, they begin to influence his everyday life.

It was with this role that the metamorphoses of Christian Bale's body began: for the role, he lost 30 kilograms. But the dignity of the picture is not only in the incredible dedication of the actor. The plot is twisted like a good detective story, forcing the viewer to guess until the last moment what is happening to Reznik in reality, and what should be considered as visions.

12. Mr. Nobody

• Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, 2009.
• Drama, fantasy.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

In a world where all people have long learned to stay young, the only old man named Nemo has become a star. For the immortals, his final days turned into a reality show. Nemo tells the journalist stories from his past. But many facts of his biography contradict each other.

The difficult film flopped at the box office, despite the participation of the famous Jared Leto. But still the idea of the picture is great: Nemo tells different versions of his life. And you need to follow the plot very closely in order to understand what choice led him to this or that turn of fate.

11. Game

• USA, 1997.
• Thriller, detective.
• Duration: 129 minutes.
• IMDb: 7, 8.

A successful but lonely businessman, Nicholas Van Orton, on the advice of his brother, gets involved in an unusual game in order to feel the taste for life again. He must look for clues and move towards a certain goal. But it soon turns out that the game could cost him his life.

Director David Fincher is famous for his ability to work out his films to the smallest detail, turning each plot into a real quest for the viewer. And The Game is one of the best examples of his talent. The viewer, together with the hero, must carefully follow the clues in order to figure it out.

10. Donnie Darko

• USA, 2001.
• Mysticism, thriller.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

One night, high school student Donnie Darko overheard a mental command from a man in a bunny suit. He left the house, and exactly at that time an airplane engine fell from the sky into his room. From this moment, Donnie realizes that he can predict the future. Or even influence its formation himself.

An unusual film in the atmosphere of nineties thrillers will repeatedly make you think: the authors are trying to show a fantastic plot or are simply confusing the viewer.

9. Mulholland Drive

• USA, France, 2001.
• Thriller, drama, detective.
• Duration: 147 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 0.

They try to shoot the mysterious brunette in a car, but she is saved by a collision with another car. Having lost her memory, the girl meets an aspiring actress Betty. She decides to help the stranger. But gradually their life turns into something crazy.

It is generally accepted that this film by David Lynch is somewhat simpler than his other surreal works. Indeed, if you look closely, you can get a very clear interpretation of the plot. However, not everyone is able to figure out the action the first time.

8. Isle of the Damned

• USA, 2010.
• Thriller, detective.
• Duration: 138 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

Two bailiffs are sent to a closed island where a psychiatric hospital is located. They investigate the disappearance of one patient, but soon realize that the hospital management itself is hiding evidence. In addition to this, a hurricane hits the island, cutting them off from the outside world.

The film by the master of crime dramas Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo in the lead roles is built on deceiving expectations: the genre changes right in the course of the action. Although in fact, all the clues are given at the very beginning.

7. Mirror

• USSR, 1974.
• Drama.
• Duration: 107 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 1.

The picture is built like the memories and dreams of the protagonist Alexei. He himself appears in the frame only in childhood, the rest of the time the author allows the viewer to observe what is happening from the person of the character himself. He recalls his childhood, the divorce of his parents, as well as more global events, including the war.

The famous Andrei Tarkovsky said that in this film every viewer can find something of their own. That is why the picture was named "The Mirror", and the hero hardly appears in the frame. The symbolism and overarching themes allow for many interpretations.

6. Mind games

• USA, 2001.
• Biography, drama.
• Duration: 135 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 2.

The genius of mathematics John Nash teaches at the university. Soon, he is approached by a CIA agent. He asks Nash for help in finding encrypted messages that are published in open sources. But suddenly everything turns upside down in the hero's life.

It is surprising that this complex and almost fantastic story is based on real events, although it exaggerates them. And at the time of filming, the real John Nash, played by Russell Crowe in the film, was still alive.

5. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind

• USA, 2004.
• Melodrama, fantasy, comedy.
• Duration: 108 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 3.

Shy Joel is stuck in the gray routine: all his days are exactly the same. But one day he does not go to work, but gets on the train and goes to the sea. There Joel meets a girl with blue hair - Clementine. New acquaintances understand that sometime they already talked, but for some reason they forgot about it.

Literally everything is mixed in the film: fantasy, love story and incredible mind games. It is also one of the best dramatic roles for Jim Carrey.

4. Remember

• USA, 2000.
• Thriller, detective, drama.
• Duration: 113 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 4.

Leonard Shelby has been trying for several years to find his wife's killer. But the hero has a serious problem - a violation of short-term memory. Leonard remembers the events before the death of his beloved, but forgets everything that happened more than 15 minutes ago. Therefore, he leaves tattoos on his body with clues.

Christopher Nolan built the plot in a very unusual way, dividing it into two lines: one shown in color, and the other in black and white. And you have to try to understand the sequence of events.

3. Prestige

• USA, UK, 2006.
• Detective, drama, thriller.
• Duration: 125 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The illusionists Robert and Alfred were once partners and best friends. But over time, they turned into competitors. Now each of them only thinks how to ruin the life of a former colleague. The most cruel methods are used.

And another Nolan film that you have to understand. The cunning of the heroes is added to the non-linear plot here: behind each deception lies an even more complex plan. And at some point, the action from a detective story turns into a real fantasy.

2. Suspicious persons

• USA, Germany, 1995.
• Thriller, drama, detective.
• Duration: 106 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 5.

The explosion on the ship carrying cocaine killed many people. The police are trying to sort out this case and interrogate the only survivor - a cripple nicknamed Chatterbox. He talks about the plan of a criminal group, behind which is the elusive mafia boss.

Brian Singer made a film that has become almost the standard of intricate plots with an unexpected ending. And besides this, great actors have gathered in the film: from Kevin Spacey to the not-too-famous Benicio del Toro.

1. Beginning

• UK, USA, 2010.
• Science fiction, detective, thriller.
• Duration: 148 minutes.
• IMDb: 8, 8.

Dominic Cobb has perfectly mastered the art of penetrating other people's dreams and stealing their ideas. But one day he is given a more difficult task. Cobb must plant the thought in the sleeping man's head. To do this, his team will have to plunge into the deepest layers of the subconscious. But it's important not to get stuck there forever.

Perhaps the best film by Christopher Nolan, the action takes place in parallel in reality and on several levels of sleep. The author has very neatly separated these events with a color scheme. But still, the plot remains ambiguous until the very end, because the dream is sometimes indistinguishable from reality.