Top 20 Movies That People STILL Don't Understand
#20: “Coherence” (2013)
The title of this indie sci-fi film is rather ironic since some viewers find it incoherent. A house party turns upside down after an apparently comet-induced power outage. The group gradually discovers that their neighborhood has become populated by alternate versions of their own house. This leads to multiple interactions with alternate versions of the characters first introduced. Keeping track of which version of which character we’re following can be tough for first-time viewers and the many twists and turns the plot takes are equally tough to follow. It’s a great achievement of low-budget sci-fi, though, with mostly improvised dialogue.
#19: “Only God Forgives” (2013)
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A polarizing surreal crime film, “Only God Forgives” follows Julian, an American criminal in Bangkok, as he pursues his brother’s killers. The film is full of beautiful, yet violent imagery. Dialogue is minimal and frequently doesn’t give much insight into the characters. Julian also has several surreal visions. Things the characters say or do are often inexplicable. If you’re looking for a good story, “Only God Forgives” will leave some feeling less than forgiving. It’s more of an experience, if you go into it with that in mind, it may hit better for you. Or you might still leave it feeling confused - who knows?
#18: “Mr. Nobody” (2009)
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Any movie with multiple timelines is bound to be confusing, but in “Mr. Nobody” it’s especially difficult to keep track of them all. The film follows the life, or lives, of Nemo Nobody, the last mortal human, as he recounts the various versions of his life story which he somehow remembers on his deathbed. How much of what he’s saying is real or made up is anyone’s guess. If you can wrap your head around it, it’s a great look at the importance of choice and regrets, but it will doubtless require multiple viewings, because “nobody” will understand it all the first time round.
#17: “The Lobster” (2015)
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Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ films are basically all bizarre, but the poster child for his filmography is “The Lobster.” Set in a dystopia where being unattached is a crime, single people are given just over a month to find a new partner or be turned into an animal. At least they get to choose which one, though getting hunted by your peers is pretty harsh. The premise alone is quite the head-scratcher, and the weirdness that pervades the movie is bound to alienate plenty of viewers. Add in an ambiguous ending, and “The Lobster” is a film that’s as tough to crack as the titular crustacean.
#16: “Under the Skin” (2013)
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The story of a woman, or something masquerading as one, abducting men in Scotland, “Under the Skin” has gotten under many of its viewers’ skin because of how ambiguous it is. Little explanation is given for the woman’s actions or even who or what she is, though she’s clearly otherworldly. The dialogue is sparse and the characters don’t even have names. “Under the Skin” definitely has thematic messages though, as most critics seem to agree that it’s about inverted predation, the lustful, desirous (and usually predatory) male becoming the victim, and that it also addresses the larger concerns of purely physical attraction.
#15: “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” (2020)
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A bizarre outing from writer/director Charlie Kaufman, based on a book of the same name, “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” follows a young woman, whose name changes several times, and her boyfriend Jake on a trip to meet his parents. Said parents’ ages change throughout, there are weird phone calls, and there are extended looks into the life of a janitor. While there are many emotive performances and some meaningful topics of discussion throughout, what it all means is as opaque as the windows of the many snowed-in vehicles!
#14: “Synecdoche, New York” (2008)
Filmmaker/writer Charlie Kaufman is known for unusual stories, but arguably his most confusing is “Synecdoche, New York.” The film depicts a playwright whose physical and emotional turmoil are offset by his play, which begins to blend in with his real life. The setting, as well as which actor is playing which character, changes throughout the play and the film, which makes keeping track of it all difficult. However, part of the title, “synecdoche” means “a part that represents the whole,” so interchangeability is kind of the point – everyone is everyone, and everywhere is everywhere. At least, that’s what we think it means… you tell us.
#13: “The Lighthouse” (2019)
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This black-and-white psychological period horror film follows a pair of lighthouse keepers who become stranded on their isolated post after a storm. Their descent into madness can feel infectious, as you’ll often question what’s real and what’s a dream. On the surface, the duo’s confrontation is fairly straightforward, but the bizarre imagery, mythological references, and homoerotic subtext all lead to plenty of analysis. But even if you don’t understand it, at the end of the day, “The Lighthouse” is a starkly beautiful and terrifying movie with towering performances… and fart jokes.
#12: “Solaris” (1972)
There have been several “Solaris” films, all based on the novel of the same name. However, it’s the 1972 version by Andrei Tarkovsky that still mystifies people most. This sci-fi movie follows Kris Kelvin, a psychologist sent to investigate the erratic behavior of scientists aboard a space station orbiting the titular planet. Although the central narrative of the planet’s ocean being seemingly intelligent and projecting Kelvin’s dead wife is quite the trip, it’s made even more so due to the film’s deliberate pace and downright hypnotic and bizarre sequences. It’s a pensive take on science fiction and big questions about human desires. If you have the patience for it, “Solaris” will draw you in and make you think, even if you don’t understand completely.
#11: “Enemy” (2013)
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The enemy this movie’s title refers to is of the “own worst” variety. Sort of. Two men, Adam and Anthony, discover that they’re identical to one another in appearance, even down to their scars, though not in personality. The two get involved with each other’s lives, often impersonating each other, which can make understanding who’s who difficult for not only their loved ones, but also the audience. Plus, things get more and more cryptic as time goes on. Also, they each have recurring dreams about spiders. And the ending? Well, it’s downright Kafkaesque.
#10: “Mother!” (2017)
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An unnamed man and woman’s house is repeatedly invaded by unwelcome visitors, sparking violence, fires, and deaths. Taken at face value, nothing that happens makes any logical or narrative sense. However, once you learn that “Mother!” is basically a huge allegory for both the Bible, global warming, and the destructive nature of humanity… it can still feel like a pretentious mess of a movie, albeit one with a message bound to be divisive. If you try to watch “Mother!” without understanding the symbolism behind it, you’re going to have a bad time! And, depending on your perspective, knowing what it’s about may not change that opinion.
#9: “Cloud Atlas” (2012)
The Wachowskis aren’t exactly known for clarity when it comes to their work, but this adaptation makes their other stuff seem simple. An ambitious sci-fi story told across centuries, “Cloud Atlas” follows several groups of characters whose lives seem connected, especially since actors play multiple characters across the tales. Whether they’re reincarnations of one another is somewhat unclear, and the fact that some of the stories are referred to as fictional in the context of other segments leaves many uncertain as to what’s real. Interconnectedness seems to be the major theme though, so, real or not, they, and we, are all part of the same story.
#8: “Pi” (1998)
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Psychological thrillers are prone to intricate plots that can be hard to understand, but even by the standards of the genre, “Pi” is incredibly difficult to pin down. The debut of director Darren Aronofsky, “Pi” follows Max, a number theorist whose obsession with an apparently divine number leads him on a convoluted journey. Max suffers from paranoia and hallucinations, making the line between delusion and reality very ambiguous, right down to its rather vague ending. The film explores several religious and existential themes, which, when added to all the mathematics stuff, culminates in a film that goes over most viewers’ heads.
#7: “Tenet” (2020)
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Christopher Nolan loves to craft complicated, high-concept action films, but one of his most difficult to unravel is “Tenet.” The film follows the eponymous organization, which battles forces capable of inverting entropy - in other words, moving backward through time. While this makes for some incredible visuals, keeping track of the globetrotting intrigue, as well as who’s doing what when can be a monumental task for some viewers. This is compounded by magnitudes though by the barely audible dialogue! Following the elaborate plans without subtitles and/or headphones is downright impossible!
#6: “Donnie Darko” (2001)
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While some point to Richard Kelly’s ambitious, sprawling film “Southland Tales,” as the most incomprehensible in the director’s repertoire, “Donnie Darko” is arguably more accessible in its confusingness… if that makes any sense. The movie follows the eponymous protagonist over the course of a month as he’s guided by a man in a rabbit suit to avert the world’s end. While the interactions Donnie has with his friends and family are fairly straightforward, the explanation for why everything is happening is not spelled out, at least not in the theatrical cut of the film. The director’s cut makes the time travel element more explicit, and if you want to understand it, definitely watch that version.
#5: “Primer” (2004)
Nobody really understands time travel. All we have are theories, really, and even those can be difficult to wrap our brains around. “Primer” depicts two friends who invent time travel and the fallout of their attempts at manipulating the past. Typical time travel weirdness ensues, with multiple versions of the characters encountering one another and themselves, as well as branching timelines. Little of the technical jargon is dumbed down either, so unless you’re versed in engineering, a lot of details can be hard to follow. Director Shane Carruth’s follow-up, “Upstream Color” is weird too, though for entirely different reasons, and ultimately “Primer” is the one you’ll find yourself most often revisiting in hopes of understanding.
#4: “The Tree of Life” (2011)
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Ostensibly a primarily visual story about a man named Jack, as well as his boyhood experiences, “The Tree of Life” is also interspersed with imagery of the creation of the universe and Earth’s development. With its sparse dialogue, and seemingly random but beautifully shot footage, “The Tree of Life” is definitely an arthouse film; and those aren’t for everyone, since they’re often open to interpretation or accused of being pretentious. Whether it’s pompous dreck or a brilliant cinematic commentary on the universality of existence… or both, we’ll likely never have a definitive answer.
#3: “Eraserhead” (1977)
We could have easily filled our list with David Lynch’s filmography: the director is the king of surreal filmmaking. However, we don’t think he’s yet topped his feature-length debut, “Eraserhead,” at least when it comes to confusing people. The bizarre story of a wild-haired man contending with a threatening industrial environment, his girlfriend, and his horrifying mutant child, “Eraserhead” is a weird and often upsetting film to watch - and it’s one that we’re not sure we want to understand. That being said, it does capture the stress of parenthood well, in its own weird way.
#2: “Mulholland Drive” (2001)
You know what, forget what we just said - this is David Lynch’s most confusing movie! Originally conceived as a TV pilot, which may help explain why it’s so bizarre, “Mulholland Drive” is seemingly about an aspiring actress and her whirlwind romance with a mysterious amnesiac woman, as well as several related (maybe) vignettes interspersed with their story. Except, the two leads seemingly become different characters by the film’s end, and absolutely nothing that happens gets any kind of coherent resolution. Lynch has left the plot open to interpretation. While this lends “Mulholland Drive” a great sense of artistry, it doesn’t help it… make sense.
#1: “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968)
A seminal science fiction movie, “2001: A Space Odyssey” is one trippy trip through space. The film is presented in three sections, first at the dawn of man, next on a manned spaceflight, and lastly in a strange locale experienced by the last surviving astronaut of the aforementioned journey. All are connected by a mysterious monolith. “2001” tells its story primarily through music and visuals, so it’s very thematically driven rather than story-driven, though the middle portion is fairly straightforward. Whether you understand it or not, “2001: A Space Odyssey” is absolutely captivating from its beginning to its surreal and grandiose end.
