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The Best Mindf*ck Movies

Ranker Film
Updated November 4, 2019 13.1k votes 2.2k voters 85.0k views70 items

List RulesDon't list movies that are merely strange, surreal, or incomprehensible.

Movies that mess with your mind, plots that reveal radically different realities; things are seldom what they seem in these stories, for the protagonist or the viewer. Technically referred to as paranoid fictions or paranoid fantasies, the (albeit crass) term 'mindfuck' appears to be a more common (and arguably more descriptive) label for these movies.
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  • 1
    Fight Club is listed (or ranked) 1 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Fight Club

    Brad Pitt, Jared Leto

    Released: 1999

    Directed by: David Fincher

    Fight Club is a 1999 film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 2
    Inception is listed (or ranked) 2 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    745
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    Inception

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy

    Released: 2010

    Directed by: Christopher Nolan

    Inception is a 2010 science fiction thriller film written, produced, and directed by... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 3
    Predestination is listed (or ranked) 3 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Predestination

    Ethan Hawke, Noah Taylor

    Released: 2014

    Directed by: Michael Spierig, Peter Spierig

    Predestination is a 2014 Australian science fiction film, written and directed by Michael and... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 4
    Shutter Island is listed (or ranked) 4 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    161

    Shutter Island

    Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams

    Released: 2010

    Directed by: Martin Scorsese

    Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. The... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 5
    Memento is listed (or ranked) 5 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Memento

    Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss

    Released: 2000

    Directed by: Christopher Nolan

    Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan.... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 6
    The Prestige is listed (or ranked) 6 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    The Prestige

    Scarlett Johansson, David Bowie

    Released: 2006

    Directed by: Christopher Nolan

    The Prestige is a 2006 mystery drama film directed by Christopher Nolan, from a screenplay... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 7
    Interstellar is listed (or ranked) 7 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    127

    Interstellar

    Anne Hathaway, Matthew McConaughey

    Released: 2014

    Directed by: Christopher Nolan

    Interstellar is a British-American 2014 science fiction epic film directed by Christopher... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 8
    Donnie Darko is listed (or ranked) 8 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Donnie Darko

    Drew Barrymore, Ashley Tisdale

    Released: 2001

    Directed by: Richard Kelly

    Donnie Darko is a 2001 American supernatural drama film written and directed by Richard Kelly... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 9
    The Sixth Sense is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    The Sixth Sense

    Bruce Willis, Mischa Barton

    Released: 1999

    Directed by: M. Night Shyamalan

    The Sixth Sense is a 1999 American supernatural thriller film written and directed by M. Night... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 10
    Coherence is listed (or ranked) 10 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Coherence

    Nicholas Brendon, Elizabeth Gracen

    Released: 2013

    Directed by: James Ward Byrkit

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  • 11
    The Matrix is listed (or ranked) 11 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    The Matrix

    Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving

    Released: 1999

    Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

    The Matrix is a 1999 American-Australian science fiction action film written and directed by... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 12
    The Usual Suspects is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    206
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    The Usual Suspects

    Kevin Spacey, Benicio del Toro

    Released: 1994

    Directed by: Bryan Singer

    The Usual Suspects is a 1995 German-American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Bryan... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 13
    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotle is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

    Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst

    Released: 2004

    Directed by: Michel Gondry

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  • 14
    Source Code is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
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    Source Code

    Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan

    Released: 2011

    Directed by: Duncan Jones

    Source Code is a 2011 science fiction film directed by Duncan Jones, written by Ben Ripley,... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 15
    Oldboy is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    161
    40

    Oldboy

    Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae

    Released: 2003

    Directed by: Park Chan-wook

    Oldboy is a 2003 South Korean mystery thriller neo-noir film directed by Park Chan-wook, based... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 16
    Jacob's Ladder is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    145
    31

    Jacob's Ladder

    Macaulay Culkin, Tim Robbins

    Released: 1990

    Directed by: Adrian Lyne

    Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne, written... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 17
    The Machinist is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    211
    70

    The Machinist

    Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh

    Released: 2004

    Directed by: Brad Anderson

    The Machinist is a 2004 English-language Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Brad... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 18
    The Game is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    205
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    The Game

    Sean Penn, Michael Douglas

    Released: 1997

    Directed by: David Fincher, Pedro Coutinho

    The Game is a 1997 American mystery thriller film directed by David Fincher, starring Michael... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 19
    The Butterfly Effect is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    209
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    The Butterfly Effect

    Ashton Kutcher, Amy Smart

    Released: 2004

    Directed by: J. Mackye Gruber, Eric Bress

    The Butterfly Effect is a 2004 American psychological thriller film that was written and... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 20
    Triangle is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    217
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    Triangle

    Melissa George, Michael Dorman

    Released: 2009

    Directed by: Christopher Smith

    Triangle is a 2009 psychological horror thriller film written and directed by Christopher... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 21
    The Others is listed (or ranked) 21 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    151
    44

    The Others

    Nicole Kidman, Christopher Eccleston

    Released: 2001

    Directed by: Alejandro Amenábar

    The Others is a 2001 horror-thriller film written, directed and scored by Alejandro Amenábar.... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 22
    Mr. Nobody is listed (or ranked) 22 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    162
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    Mr. Nobody

    Diane Kruger, Jared Leto

    Released: 2009

    Directed by: Jaco Van Dormael

    Mr. Nobody is a 2009 science fiction drama film. It was written and directed by Jaco Van... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
  • 23
    Primer is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    169
    59

    Primer

    Shane Carruth, David Sullivan

    Released: 2004

    Directed by: Shane Carruth

    Primer is a 2004 American science fiction drama film about the accidental discovery of a means... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 24
    The Truman Show is listed (or ranked) 24 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    175
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    The Truman Show

    Jim Carrey, Paul Giamatti

    Released: 1998

    Directed by: Peter Weir

    The Truman Show is a 1998 American satirical social science fiction comedy-drama film directed... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button

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  • 25
    The Illusionist is listed (or ranked) 25 on the list The Best Mindf*ck Movies
    106
    26

    The Illusionist

    Jessica Biel, Edward Norton

    Released: 2006

    Directed by: Neil Burger

    The Illusionist is a 2006 American period drama film written and directed by Neil Burger and... more on Wikipediaamazon buy button
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