10 Psychological Thrillers Guaranteed to Mess With Your Head

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10 Psychological Thrillers Guaranteed to Mess With Your Head

While the action movie The genre shares many elements with similar varieties of films such as horror and drama. Thrillers have the unique ability to draw audiences in and leave them unsure of who to trust. These films use unreliable narrators, multiple realities, and different perspectives. Often, films like this have an unforgettable twist that questions the very nature of the story. The line between life and death is also a frequently discussed topic in the most mind-bending psychological thrillers that purposefully throw audiences off course to disorient and surprise them.

Some of the most disturbing psychological thriller films mix different genres in the script to attract the audience and make them question their realities. It becomes clear through subtle hints and foreshadowing that what the characters believe and what the audience sees is not the full story and that something is going on behind the scenes. Although it is typical for thriller films to include violence and cruelty in the story, these narratives are often rooted in emotionally resonant topics such as grief, loss, and periods of life transition.

10

Donnie Darko (2001)

Directed by Richard Kelly

Young Jake Gyllenhaal left his mark with Donnie Darko in 2001. The film incorporates science fiction elements and the concept of multiple realities to make it as incomprehensible as possible. In the course of time, Donnie Darko became one of the most beloved cult classic thrillers of the early 2000s and was acclaimed for its unique structure and existential themes. From the mysterious circumstances that Donnie (Gyllenhaal) experiences at the beginning of the story, Donnie Darko has no problem attracting the public.

The conclusion of Donnie Darko is the source of much debate and confusion, but that’s what makes the film so engaging on multiple viewings. Donnie Darko effectively balances its almost supernatural aspects with Donnie’s everyday anguish, almost lulling the audience into a false sense of security as Donnie slowly gathers the forces behind his hallucinations and the approaching end of days. The inner workings of the time loop and Donnie’s place at the center of it are what will push the limits of the audience’s understanding.

Title

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Donnie Darko (2001)

87%

80%

9

Black Swan (2010)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Taking inspiration from iconic animated thrillers like Perfect Blue, Black Swan is one of Darren Aronofsky’s best works as a director and features an all-star cast. Natalie Portman leads the cast as Nina, a young professional dancer who begins to lose control of reality as she throws herself, body and soul, into her role as the White Swan. in Swan Lake. Already an emotionally draining ballet, Nina begins to hallucinate and engages in a psychosexual game of cat and mouse with her rival Lily (Mila Kunis).

Black Swan has one of the best dance scenes in cinema when Nina realizes that many of her violent and graphic experiences were a product of her fractured imagination. Black Swan belongs to the niche of cinema that explores how far an artist will go to achieve perfection and the high cost that accompanies it. Although some of Nina’s hallucinations are clearly not happening, there are many moments where Black Swan who walk the line between the real and the imagined.

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Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Black Swan

85%

84%

8

Se7en (1995)

Directed by David Fincher

David Fincher is widely considered one of the greatest directors in the thriller genre, and Se7en is one of his most disturbing films. Two detectives, David (Brad Pitt) and William (Morgan Freeman), are tasked with tracking down a brutal serial killer who leads them down a path of destruction. Se7enThe Murder killer kills his victims based on the seven deadly sins, creating a clear trail for the detectives and starting to toy with them to make them as irredeemable as he is.

While many similar films keep the killer’s identity secret until the final moments, Se7en it reverses this formula by making the killer immediately identify himself and surrender.

While many similar films keep the killer’s identity secret until the final moments, Se7en changes this formula by making the killer identify himself at the beginning and surrender. However, this only leads to more questions from both the audience and the characters. Its final plot is slowly revealed throughout the second half of the film. and even though it seems certain that he is the killer, the copycats and lack of evidence make it nearly impossible to prove, leading to the film’s tragic conclusion.

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Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Se7en (1995)

83%

95%

7

Shutter Island (2010)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Leonardo DiCaprio leads Martin Scorsese Shutter Island alongside Michelle Williams in two of the actor’s best performances. Shutter Island is as emotionally devastating as it is unbelievable, with a different ending that is among the best of the 21st century. While some critics argue that the extreme narrative throughout the story is too melodramatic and bizarre, that doesn’t change how shocked viewers will be by the film’s conclusion.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s characters in Scorsese’s films were varied and pushed the actor to his limits time and time again. Because the audience follows the story from Edward’s (DiCaprio) perspective, it’s easy for the viewer to become totally convinced of what Edward thinks his reality is, rather than interrogating the gaps in the stories Edward tells himself. Although it is disturbing to discover the truth at the heart of Shutter Island, the audience is desperate to have their questions answered at the end, further increasing the impact.

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Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Shutter Island (2010)

69%

77%

6

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

Directed by Tom Ford

The structure of nocturnal animals It’s a big part of what makes the story so compelling and so twisted, as dual narratives blur the line between emotional truths and the facts of the character’s situations. While reading a book her ex-husband wrote that thematically connects to the destruction of her marriage, Susan (Amy Adams) struggles with the darkest parts of herself. Juxtaposing the brutal story that unfolds in the book with the past and present of Susan’s marriages, nocturnal animals makes the audience guess his secret until the end.

The husband, Edward, is played by Jake Gyllenhaal. This is far from the last thriller he would star in, as the actor excels in disturbing projects and roles that allow him to enter the mind of a twisted character in both film and television. Gyllenhaal and Adams’ performances are often touted as the best parts of the project. It’s thanks to the actors and the mysterious atmosphere that director Tom Ford cultivates that nocturnal animals elevates what could be a straight drama in a web of deceit and despair.

Title

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Nocturnal Animals (2016)

74%

74%

5

Mother! (2017)

Directed by Darren Aronofsky

Mother!

Director

Darren Aronofsky

Release date

September 13, 2017

Writers

Darren Aronofsky

Execution time

115 minutes

Strongly allegorical and stylized, Mother! is another scary thriller from Darren Aronofsky starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem as the central couple. The best parts of Mother! they are undeniably the visual and connection to humanity’s careless and destructive treatment of the Earth. Lawrence’s character, the mother, is initially protected by her husband, Him (Bardem), but he soon allows strangers into his perfect world, and they cause unspeakable destruction, and the mother loses her grip on reality.

Many aspects Mother! generated controversy among the public and critics. The overt Christian themes and intense violence against the mother, as well as her characterization, can be interpreted in several ways. Each installment of the story connects to a part of the creation story in the Bible, with the mother’s position as Earth anchoring the increasingly unbalanced narrative, as she is the only person who shares the viewer’s outrage and confusion. Full of dynamic images and committed performances, Mother! It’s a deliberately strange ride.

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Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Mother! (2017)

68%

51%

4

Don’t Look Now (1973)

Directed by Nicolas Roeg

Grieving parents John and Laura Baxter travel to Venice after the accidental drowning of their daughter, Christine. While in Venice, they meet two elderly sisters, one of whom claims to be a psychic who can communicate with Christine’s spirit. As Laura becomes increasingly convinced of the psychic’s abilities, John begins to have mysterious visions of a small figure in a red coat, reminiscent of the one Christine was wearing when she died.

Director

Nicolas Roeg

Release date

November 18, 1973

Writers

Daphne Du Maurier, Allan Scott, Chris Bryant

Cast

Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Clélia Matania, Hilary Mason, Adelina Poerio

Execution time

110 minutes

Don’t look now is one of Donald Sutherland’s best films and can almost be considered a horror film thanks to the terrifying themes and violent scenes in the story. Yet all of these moments of cruelty work together to capture the pain and loss at the heart of the narrative. Sutherland and Julie Christie play two parents, John and Laura, who travel to Venice after their daughter’s death. The consequences of the loss of a child are told through supernatural allegories in Don’t look now.

John, in particular, has visions that he and the audience cannot easily interpret.

The film shows Laura and John looking for methods to deal with the situation in different ways, leading them to destruction even as they try to avoid their fate. Throughout their stay in Venice, Laura and John are followed by accidents and deaths, leading them to believe that their daughter is trying to reach them. John, in particular, has visions that he and the audience cannot easily interpret. The truth behind what he sees and his experiences come together when it is too late for him to change his destiny.

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Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Don’t Look Now (1973)

93%

76%

3

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

Directed by Adrian Lyne

Jacob’s Ladder is a horror mystery centered on a grieving father and a scarred Vietnam War veteran named Jacob who is dealing with dissociation. After his son dies, Jacob struggles to separate reality from his delusions. Jacob’s Ladder stars Tim Robbins alongside Elizabeth Peña, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven and Jason Alexander.

Director

Adriano Lyne

Release date

November 2, 1990

Writers

Bruce Joel Rubin

Cast

Ving Rhames, Danny Aiello, Matt Craven, Eriq La Salle, Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Peña, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Jason Alexander

Tim Robbins leads Jacob’s Ladder as Vietnam War veteran Jacob, who is terrorized by visions and near-death experiences in the years following his departure from the conflict. Although the film’s title hints at the truth behind the strange occurrences that happen around Jacob, such as Jacob’s Ladder is a reference to the Bible, that doesn’t change the skill with which the film tricks the audience and takes them away through Jacob’s fractured mind. Much of the story finds Jacob trying to remember what happened to him and piece together his final moments in battle.

Although death terrifies Jacob, and he runs from it throughout the narrative, the concept that Jacob may already be dead is hinted at early in the story. Even though the audience realizes the secret behind Jacob’s life before the twist is revealed, the journey to get there is still fascinating. Unafraid to disorient the viewer with unexpected time jumps and seemingly random internal logic, Jacob’s Ladder thrives thanks to its experimental format.

Title

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Jacob’s Ladder (1990)

72%

84%

2

Rebecca (1940)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Rebecca, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, centers on a young bride, played by Joan Fontaine, who feels overshadowed by her husband’s first wife, Rebecca. Laurence Olivier stars as the brooding Maxim de Winter. Set on the mysterious Manderley estate, the film explores themes of jealousy and mystery, as the new Mrs de Winter uncovers disturbing secrets about Rebecca’s life and death. Rebecca is based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier.

Release date

April 12, 1940

Writers

Daphne Du Maurier, Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison, Philip MacDonald, Michael Hogan

Cast

Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders, Judith Anderson, Nigel Bruce, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, Gladys Cooper

Execution time

130 minutes

In one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most supernatural thrillers, Rebecca walks the line between gothic romance and tortured romance with unforgettable results. Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine star as Max de Winter and his second wife, Mrs. de Winter, who can’t escape the shadow of Max’s late first wife, the titular Rebecca. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca successfully adapts the story for the screen, capturing Mrs. when she starts seeing Rebecca’s ghost everywhere.

For much of the film, the audience is encouraged to believe that Rebecca’s spirit may be roaming the halls and that her plans are underway long after her death.

Although Mrs. de Winter is welcomed by her new husband, her intimidating estate is not so welcoming and the circumstances surrounding Rebecca’s death are called into question. For much of the film, the audience is encouraged to believe that Rebecca’s spirit may be roaming the halls and that her plans are underway long after her death. Almost driven to ruin, The terror and uncertainty of the new Mrs. de Winter fuel this air of disaster and betrayal. this makes it seem like everyone is lying.

Title

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Rebecca (1940)

98%

92%

1

Old Boy (2003)

Directed by Park Chan Wook

Choi Min-sik gives a unique performance as Oh Dae-su, the man held against his will who embarks on a journey of revenge in Park Chan-wook’s film. old boy. While The incredibly choreographed fight scenes are often cited as some of the most memorable parts of old boy, It’s the mystery that keeps the audience engaged. There are many reasons why old boy is still praised, as trying to explain the plot still leaves out much of the unrelenting tension, violence, and mayhem that defines the narrative.

Like many of Park’s works, old boy is not for the faint of heart, and what the gaps in Dae-su’s memory are revealed to contain does not prepare the characters for a happy ending. The film’s conclusion is open to interpretation and leaves the viewer to decide what is real and what is imagined. Although many of the events old boy seem like they are happening coincidentally or are meaningless products of circumstances, this is not the case. Every bit of the story is deliberately and perfectly crafted to leave the viewer as disgusted and enraptured as the characters.

Title

Rotten Tomatoes critic score

Rotten Tomatoes audience score

Old Boy (2003)

82%

94%

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