From time to time, we are bombarded with films helmed by the most prestigious directors, the newcomers, and the somewhat mediocre directors. But no matter who they are, some of the filmmakers are able to twist and bend our minds until we are incapable of logic for a moment. Of course, our brains are completely fine but these films they’ve made have gone great extents to challenge our minds and make us ponder about their intentions of making them in the first place.
As a result, some of these films remain fascinating to us, even though we still can’t decipher its hidden meaning. They may not be visually trippy and we are pretty sure there are many more weird, trippy films that we have yet to discover, but check out some of the weirdest mind-bending films (not necessarily good) we’ve previously watched:
1. Donnie Darko
The 90s probably had its fair share of love-hate relationship with the films that have been released at their time and “Donnie Darko” is one such film that we would want to hate but love anyway. The film is twisted in a way that for some reason (or maybe one very obvious reason), the audience will become attracted to Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, a troubled teenager who seems to be experiencing hallucinations about a man in a rabbit suit.
But of course, Gyllenhaal isn’t the only reason why we liked the film. “Donnie Darko” is a thought-provoking film that sparked debates amongst the audience, with most trying to explain what really happened in the film. There has been many different interpretations that we can make out but we just aren’t sure which one would make most sense. The ending of the film is just something you wouldn’t want to happen, but happened anyway.
2. Mr Nobody
Ever wondered how the choices you make will change your life? Well, “Mr Nobody” will give you a scene-by-scene walkthrough of Nemo’s life, in various alternate universes. The sci-fi drama film is about the only mortal man on Earth, Nemo Nobody (unsurprisingly, the Spanish translation of Nemo is “No”), who tries to recall his past but end up with various different stories about his life instead. The problem is, no one could figure out which story is real because his memory has faded.
It makes you think and re-think about the choices you’re about to make because infinite possibilities will arise from your decision. It may confuse the audience but nonetheless, it is one of those films that will make you think about the contradicting future.
3. Picnic at Hanging Rock
Admittedly, this movie can be a little bit slow and boring but the cliff-hanger ending (no pun intended) stirred our curiosity and we were completely mind-blown when we read deeper into the storyline. Based on the 1967 historical novel of the same name by Joan Lindsay, the film is about the mysterious disappearance of several schoolgirls and a teacher during their Valentine’s Day picnic at Hanging Rock in Victoria, Australia.
The film may remind you of “The Virgin Suicides” as both films share a similar cinematic concept that do not provide any explanations to their disappearance or deaths. Every little detail of the film seems to symbolise things that contain deeper meanings that we can’t decipher. Thus, theories abound over the film to fill the void left by the film.
4. Inland Empire
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David Lynch is at his best when he transports us to a deeper side of his imagination through his mind-bending films. Best known for the hit TV series “Twin Peaks” (that was cancelled too soon), “Inland Empire” is about an actress’ world that become nightmarish and surreal after adopting the persona of her character in a film. We must warn you though, the actress’ nightmarish world is not for the faint-hearted.
Albeit beautiful, overall, Inland Empire is terrifying and disturbing. By the end of the film, our clustered minds simply can’t comprehend all the bizarre events that took place. It’s not the best film we’ve watched in years and it is definitely one-of-a-kind. Also, if you’d like to watch a much better David Lynch film, try “Blue Velvet” or “Mulholland Drive” because “Inland Empire” is just a gateway to David Lynch’s imagination.
5. Nowhere (*NSFW)
Apart from Johnny Depp’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, “Nowhere” is the definition of 90s trippy teen flicks that make no sense but continue to define the weirdest part of our generation. “Nowhere” is the final installation of Gregg Araki’s “Teenage Apocalypse” trilogy and unsurprisingly, it contains a lot of NSFW elements. Araki’s depiction of the teens in the 90s pushes past the common stereotypes people have always had towards teenagers in real life.
Contrary to popular belief, the film is not completely pointless as it explores a world where teens are plagued with social acceptance issues including homosexuality suicide. But when the end of the world is coming, the troubled teens went all out to celebrate the apocalypse by living the hedonistic lifestyles. To narrow it down, this trippy film will compel the audience to think about what they would do if the end is near.
6. A Clockwork Orange
From the director of “2001: A Space Odyssey”, Stanley Kubrick, comes psychedelic film “A Clockwork Orange”. Thrill seekers shall not dismiss any Stanley Kubrick’s films as most of his films contain unsettling elements that are uncommon in the film history. As for “A Clockwork Orange”, the film is adapted from a novella of the same name by Anthony Burgess.
Set in a dystopian future Britain, “A Clockwork Orange” contains some NSFW elements from the very beginning of the film and as the story unfolds, it just gets real disturbing and ultra-violent. After a horrific crime spree, the government strips off the main character’s sociopathic behaviour through a controversial condition-reflex therapy. However, the consequences are worse than expected and it touches the topic of whether a man’s free-will should be restricted. Audiences might not like the ending of the film as there’s a huge plot twist at the end.
7. Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind
“Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind” may not be visually trippy but it has one of the most beautiful cinematography we’ve ever seen in film history. The film is about a couple who undergoes a procedure to erase each other from their memories but later discovers what they had to begin with while going through the process of loss. The concept is similar to Christopher Nolan’s “Inception”, but the main characters in the film revisit their old memories in the artificial world in attempt to erase all the memories they had with each other.
But what about the beautiful memories? Exactly. Jim Carrey’s character realises that he has to outrun the machine before it erases their beautiful memories. The concept is albeit surrealistic but we’d classify it as an unconventional rom-com film. Audiences may find it surprising to see the other side of Jim Carrey as a shy and reserved character, alongside Kate Winslet’s feisty character.
Honourable Mentions
- Inception
- The Prestige
- Shutter Island
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Eraserhead
- Pi
- Pan’s Labyrinth
- Fight Club
So, have you seen any of the films mentioned in the above list? What are some of the weirdest movies you’ve watch? Share your list of trippy, surrealistic films in the comment box below! 