Originally by Ranker FilmList RulesVote up any movie that required a rewatch or someone else to explain it to you
The most confusing movies ever made are those films which either intentionally or accidentally are hard to follow, complicated and so far out there that they are disorienting to even the most seasoned viewer. That's not to say these movies are bad because of their complicated nature but certainly not for the easily confused.
For those who crave the mental challenge of confusing movies, there are several directors whose style is highlighted by their complicated plot lines, tendency to present films out of chronological order and seemingly devotion to chaos in their movies. The likes of David Lynch (Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, Inland Empire, and Lost Highway), Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut) and Christopher Nolan (Inception and Memento) are perhaps the best at making stellar yet highly confusing movies and among the greatest directors in movie history.
Lynch, Kubrick and Nolan undoubtably influenced other great filmmakers who also have a tendency to create movies that make viewers ask what the heck is happening. Charlie Kaufman, who did Synecdoche, New York, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Being John Malkovich, and Steven Soderbergh, responsible for great films like Sex, Lies, and Videotape, among many others, gave their interpretation of how to create confusing and simply WTF movies.
So whether you love the twists and turns in The Matrix or think the utter madness of Primer is cause to be among the worst movies of all time, vote for the movies you think are the most confusing below! Have a confusing movie in mind that's not listed? Add it! Help us rank the most confusing movies ever made.1
1,181371Mulholland Drive
2001Actors: Naomi Watts, Billy Ray Cyrus, Melissa George, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux
Directed by: David Lynch
Mulholland Drive is a 2001 American neo-noir mystery film written and directed by David Lynch... more2
1,113433Actors: Arthur C. Clarke, Leonard Rossiter, Ed Bishop, Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley... more3
560183Primer
2004Actors: Shane Carruth, David Sullivan, Keith Bradshaw, Kevin Lucero Less, Casey Gooden
Directed by: Shane Carruth
Primer is a 2004 American science fiction drama film about the accidental discovery of a means... more4
1,899909Inception
2010Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Inception is a 2010 science fiction thriller film written, produced, and directed by... more5
1,617461Donnie Darko
2001Actors: Drew Barrymore, Ashley Tisdale, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Seth Rogen
Directed by: Richard Kelly
Donnie Darko is a 2001 American supernatural drama film written and directed by Richard Kelly... more6
1,492746Memento
2000Actors: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Jorja Fox, Stephen Tobolowsky
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan.... more7
498190Eraserhead
1977Actors: Jack Nance, Jeanne Bates, Jack Fisk, Charlotte Stewart, Judith Anna Roberts
Directed by: David Lynch
Eraserhead is a 1977 American experimental body horror film directed by David Lynch. Henry... more8
431218Jacob's Ladder
1990Actors: Macaulay Culkin, Tim Robbins, Jason Alexander, Lewis Black, Ving Rhames
Directed by: Adrian Lyne
Jacob's Ladder is a 1990 American psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne. A Vietnam... more9
1,395658Shutter Island
2010Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Shutter Island is a 2010 American psychological thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese. The... more10
374173Lost Highway
1997Actors: Richard Pryor, Gary Busey, Patricia Arquette, Henry Rollins, Giovanni Ribisi
Directed by: David Lynch
Lost Highway is a 1997 French-American psychological thriller film written and directed by... more11
400225Pi
1998Actors: Mark Margolis, Ajay Naidu, Clint Mansell, Ben Shenkman, Samia Shoaib
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
If you're a fan, be sure to check out our list of the best surrealist films.
Pi, also titled π, is a 1998 American surrealist psychological thriller film written and... more12
77248612 Monkeys
1995Actors: Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Christopher Plummer, Madeleine Stowe, Christopher Meloni
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
12 Monkeys, also known as Twelve Monkeys, is a 1995 American science fiction film directed by... more13
661397Eyes Wide Shut
1999Actors: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Stanley Kubrick, Alan Cumming, Leelee Sobieski
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Eyes Wide Shut is a 1999 American thriller film loosely based upon Arthur Schnitzler's 1926... more14
1,091682Vanilla Sky
2001Actors: Cameron Diaz, Tom Cruise, Penélope Cruz, Steven Spielberg, Kurt Russell
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Vanilla Sky is a 2001 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and... more15
592366Actors: Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Carrey, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood
Directed by: Michel Gondry
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a 2004 American romantic science-fiction comedy-drama... more16
433250The Fountain
2006Actors: Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz, Ellen Burstyn, Donna Murphy, Ethan Suplee
Directed by: Darren Aronofsky
The Fountain is a 2006 American drama film that blends elements of fantasy, history,... more17
541366Actors: Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt, Charlie Sheen, Sean Penn, Winona Ryder
Directed by: Spike Jonze
Being John Malkovich is a 1999 American fantasy comedy film written by Charlie Kaufman and... more18
394217Cloud Atlas
2012Actors: Halle Berry, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Directed by: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
Cloud Atlas is a 2012 science fiction film written and directed by Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer... more19
315194Brazil
1985Actors: Robert De Niro, Bob Hoskins, Ian Holm, Jim Broadbent, Michael Palin
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Brazil is a 1985 British film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam, Charles... more20
1,081797Fight Club
1999Actors: Brad Pitt, Jared Leto, Helena Bonham Carter, Edward Norton, Meat Loaf
Directed by: David Fincher
Fight Club is a 1999 film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The... more21
374264Blue Velvet
1986Actors: Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Brad Dourif, Kyle MacLachlan
Directed by: David Lynch
Blue Velvet is a 1986 American mystery thriller flm, written and directed by David Lynch. The... more22
220110Actors: David Bowie, Heather Graham, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Isaak, Mädchen Amick
Directed by: David Lynch
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a 1992 American psychological horror film, directed by David... more23
862822The Matrix
1999Actors: Keanu Reeves, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Gloria Foster
Directed by: Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski
The Matrix is a 1999 American-Australian science fiction action film written and directed by... more24
249168The Machinist
2004Actors: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside, Anna Massey, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
Directed by: Brad Anderson
The Machinist is a 2004 English-language Spanish psychological thriller film directed by Brad... more25
209137Naked Lunch
1991Actors: Ian Holm, Roy Scheider, Julian Sands, Judy Davis, Nicholas Campbell
Directed by: David Cronenberg
Naked Lunch is a 1991 science fiction drama film written and directed by David Cronenberg and... more
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25