Movies can be captivating and awe-inspiring, loved for their ability to transport viewers to far-off lands; often, movies can even elicit a sense of escapism from the negative parts of everyday life. Modern technology and CGI have made it easier than ever for film creators to bend reality and bring elements of fantasy and science fiction to life. However, some movies, instead, play with our expectations, warping and twisting reality as we know it to bring us new stories, characters, and ways of living that would otherwise be impossible… or so we think.
Whether it be virtual reality or an elaborate government conspiracy, some movies can be so convincing with their story that reality itself is brought into question. Today, we look at some of the best examples of movies that make us question reality while amazing, and at times, scaring us into deep, introspective thought. Spoilers ahead!
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15 Mother! (2017)
Paramount Pictures Studios
Starring the talented Jennifer Lawrence, Mother! is an intense psychological thriller. Here, we follow a man named “Him” and his wife named “Mother.” One night, the couple hears a knock on their door and upon opening it, welcome a man and his wife into their home, ultimately causing a series of chaotic events to unfold.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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The story itself is, at times, confusing and thought-provoking; the characters don’t even have real names and instead, go by words like “Man” and “Woman.” Viewers are on the edge of their seats, watching in dismay as the world around Mother falls apart, and are left to piece together the true meaning of this dream-like film.
14 Pleasantville (1998)
New Line Cinema
Pleasantville follows two teen siblings, David and Jennifer, as they are thrust into the on-screen world of the classic TV show called Pleasantville. David, who is a longtime fan of the show, is able to navigate the world with respect to its original script, maintaining the innocent, happy lifestyle that was meant to be. However, his sister Jennifer begins introducing the town to the realities of life including sex, art, and unhappy emotions like anger.
Though Pleasantville is a fictional town, the two teens ultimately bring the fantasy land to life and spread color throughout the once-black-and-white town. In the end, viewers are left to reflect on the significance of fictional characters as they watch a fake world come to life; it begs the question, what makes reality real?
13 Shutter Island (2010)
Paramount Pictures
Shutter Island is one of the ultimate psychological thrillers. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Teddy Daniels, Shutter Island sees two men as they attempt to solve a cold case from the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. As Teddy inches closer and closer to the truth, his mind starts to fall apart leading to hallucinations and revelations that will change his life forever.
Viewers eventually come to learn that Teddy might actually be the infamous Andrew Laeddis, the arsonist who took his wife’s life. However, each scene leaves viewers questioning what is real and what is simply delusion; the film is filled with contradictions that help warp the audience’s perceptions of the main character.
12 Jacob’s Ladder (1990)
TriStar Pictures
Jacob’s Ladder tells the story of a US army veteran as he returns from his time in combat. From the moment he re-enters society, he is plagued by intense hallucinations, many of which involve seeing demons and nearly being run over by oncoming traffic. Viewers learn that Jacob is utterly tormented by the death of his son and is experiencing some form of dissociation after being given a new type of drug.
Jacob’s Ladder is a terrifying account of a drug experiment gone wrong. Viewers watch in horror as Jacob is tortured by his own psyche and falls deeper into delusion.
11 The Sixth Sense (1999)
Buena Vista Pictures
Best known for its incredible twist-ending, The Sixth Sense creatively explores the afterlife and suggests that our spirits often linger, without knowing that we have died. Here, we follow a young boy, Cole, as he works with a renowned child psychologist named Dr. Malcolm Crowe to understand his unique ability to communicate with the dead.
Cole’s ability to see dead people suggests that the living and the deceased are not as separated as many tend to think; in fact, the dead are shown walking about, acting as if they are completely normal and unfazed by their circumstances. Who knows, maybe the same can be said about reality; you never know what spirits are lurking around the corner!
10 Inception (2010)
Warner Bros.
Inception explores the complex nature of dreaming. Here, we follow main character Dom Cobb as he attempts to infiltrate the mind of a business competitor and subconsciously convince him to give up his company. However, the task seems nearly impossible and extremely dangerous; one wrong move could send the dream infiltrators into an endless limbo, a state between reality and the subconscious.
The hazy, dream-like nature of the entire film adds both a sense of wonder and intensity. Watching the characters move through their target’s psyche is perplexing, and suggests that anyone’s mind can be infiltrated with the correct technology.
9 The Truman Show (1998)
Paramount Pictures
The Truman Show is a haunting tale about supervision and the invasion of privacy. Here, we follow the titular Truman as he comes to realize that his reality is completely made up. In fact, Truman’s entire life has been broadcasted to viewers around the world, all without his knowledge or consent. Truman is kept in a small bubble that is designed to look like the real world but is closely monitored by TV executives and actors posing as his friends and family.
Though it was released in 1998, the central messages of the film still ring true today. Like Truman, people in the age of technology are concerned about their privacy, especially with the rise of the internet and social media. It is more important now than ever before to protect yourself from exploitation, something that Truman must come to terms with throughout the film.
8 Vanilla Sky (2001)
Cruise/Wagner Productions
Vanilla Sky intertwines romance and science fiction. Here, we follow David, a businessman who falls in love with a woman named Sofia. When his current lover Julie finds out about his indiscretions, she purposely kills herself and disfigures David in the process. After the tragic event, David begins to recover alongside his true love, Sofia, but slowly comes to question his reality.
What viewers later realize is that David had been willingly put into a dreamlike state for years, awaiting the discovery of a medical cure that would reconstruct his face. His entire reality, including the life he created with the woman he loved, was a hallucination. In the end, David must make the choice between leaving the elaborate dreamscape or returning to reality.
7 Black Swan (2010)
Cross Creek Pictures
Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis shine as professional ballerinas in the 2010 film Black Swan. The story follows Nina, a dancer and perfectionist, as she prepares for the lead role in the famous ballet called Swan Lake. The lead ballerina must master the styles of both the white and black swan to excel in this role, but Nina ultimately struggles to channel her inner dark side.
Nina is eventually overcome with anxiety, cracking under the intense pressure of the lead role. Viewers watch as her psyche begins to deteriorate, with each scene getting stranger and scarier. The film is dark and twisted, leaving many viewers scratching their heads wondering what parts are real or just a figment of Nina’s warped imagination.
6 Persona (1966)
AB Svensk Filmindustri
Persona may be the oldest entry on this list, but it’s also one of the most jarring. In this 1966 flick, a woman named Elisabet appears to have a mental breakdown, opting to go completely mute and motionless. She is sent to recover in peace at a cottage by the water, accompanied only by a nurse named Alma.
As the two grow closer, the lines between the two begin to blur; Alma feels connected to Elisabet, so much so that the two are suggested to be the same person. The film is shocking, experimental, and sure to have viewers on the edge of their seats throughout its entire run!
5 The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix is one of the most iconic science fiction movies of all time. Starring Keanu Reeves as Neo, The Matrix suggests that reality as we know it is nothing more than an elaborate simulation. Every day people interact with their world blind to the fact that every single thing is a figment of the imagination. Only a select few know the truth, and knowing the truth comes at a price.
One of the defining aspects of the film is the red pill blue pill debate; those who take the red pill will learn a disturbing truth that will damage their worldview forever, or take the blue pill, which would ensure that they continue living ignorant to the truth in the reality they are comfortable with. The choice poses an unsettling challenge to both the main character and viewers alike.
4 Predestination (2014)
Pinnacle Films/ Stage 6 Films
The 2014 film Predestination explores the complexities of time travel and the nature of fate. When a special agent is sent on his final mission, traveling back to the year 1970, he has a chance encounter with a man named John. He learns about John’s path and comes to understand how the two are connected by both circumstance and fate.
As the story continues, viewers come to understand that many of the key characters are actually the same person, creating what is known as a predestination paradox. The movie shows that the future truly is inevitable and cannot be changed, even with the development of time travel.
3 Donnie Darko (2001)
Arrow Films
Since its release in 2001, Donnie Darko has become a cult classic for many lovers of film. The story follows the titular Donnie Darko as he comes to terms with what seems like the end of the world. During a bought of sleepwalking, Donnie encounters a demonic looking bunny; the encounter sets off a series of unfortunate events that even suggest the existence of time travel.
With its dark aesthetic and disturbing imagery, Donnie Darko tells the story of an emotionally tormented teen. The film is notoriously hard to follow, with twists and turns at every scene. Its conclusion has a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty, leaving many viewers to develop fan theories and explanations to make sense of the film’s meaning.
2 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Focus Features
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is as romantic as it is futuristic. The story follows two lovers, Joel and Clementine, as their love blossoms after a chance encounter. As the story unfolds, we discover the true nature of their relationship and learn that the two have known each other before, despite having no memory of it.
The movie explores topics like mind control as well as the inescapable nature of falling in love. Both Joel and Clementine willingly have their memories erased in a bid to forget one another and the heartbreak of their breakup. But in the end, no amount of mind control could erase the passion and love the two naturally feel for one another.
1 Interstellar (2014)
Interstellar is the intense, apocalyptic story of an Earth that is in grave danger; overtaken by harsh weather conditions, the Earth has limited time before farming and thus, sustaining human life, becomes impossible. The only way to overcome this grim fate is for a select group of voyagers to travel to far-off planets and scout out a potential new home for all of humanity.
In the climax of the film, the main character Coop is thrust into a black hole, one of the strongest known forces in the entire universe. What he discovers is that time is bendable; he is able to communicate with his daughter in the past by interacting with what looks like a vortex that showcases every moment of his life to that point. This scene is where all reality is brought into question, leaving viewers to reflect on the nature of time itself as well as the incomprehensibly complex forces of the universe.
