Some movies, regardless of genre possess incredibly complicated narratives or visuals, which often leaves audiences baffled and searching for answers. It can be really difficult to figure these plotlines out, and to determine what exactly the filmmakers are trying to say, or what point they are trying to make. It’s rare that a movie doesn’t have an explanation or has no answers for why things happen, it can just be a lot harder to deduce than in other films.
The horror genre also makes use of these perplexing plots, mainly because the fear of the unknown is a common phobia, and what is left unsaid in these movies will only serve to creep the audience out more.These are the most confusing horror movies, which have earned their titles because of their storylines, visuals, or settings, all of which aren’t so easily figured out.
10’Midsommar' (2019)
Directed by Ari Aster
DirectorAri Asterreportedlywanted this movie to be not only scary, but baffling. For the most part, though, it isn’t. Throughout much of the film, the events ofMidsommarare relatively easy to follow. A group of students takes a getaway to rural Sweden, where they intend to study the reclusive Hårga people, who, unbeknownst to them, are a cult. It isn’t until the last quarter of it that things really fly off the rails.
One of the central plot devices is a hallucinogenic tea that the cult drinks and feeds to their guests. The effects of this tea increase tenfold at the end of the film, resulting in a series of scenes that are downright bizarre. Characters' motivations and personalities change a bit with it, and may leave audiences questioning why they are doing these terrible things that they would not otherwise do.While it is definitely more on the puzzling side, it’s a far cry from being the most confusing horror movie out there.
9’Hereditary' (2018)
Before Ari Aster madeMidsommar, he madeHereditary, a story about a family who begins to tear itself apart in the wake of multiple tragedies befalling them. Amongst this familial turmoil is a sinister cult, which has set their sights on the already-exhausted family members. As if their multiple tragic losses weren’t enough.
It’s not uncommon for audiences to ask themselveswhat in the world just happenedto this poor family upon reaching the end credits. There’s a lot of convoluted themes about demonic possession, family secrets, and paranormal events. In short, it’s got a lot going on all at once. Again,while it isn’t the most bewildering horror movie ever made, it’s definitely up there in the head-scratching department.It’s got a simple explanation, but it just isn’t very obvious from what the movie decides to show.
Hereditary
8’American Psycho' (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
American Psychois a satirical horror film that mainly takes a swing at corporate yuppie culture. By day, protagonist Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) is your average New York City investment banker, but by night, he is a malevolent serial killer…or is he?The movie drops several hints that Bateman both is and isn’t a serial killer. It’s possible the entire serial killer persona is a fabrication, meant to help him cope with his monotonous work.
On the other hand, it’s not super far-fetched that his boring life would eventually drive him to commit such actions, considering his personality.The movie doesn’t really lean one way or the other, leaving audiences completely in the dark as to whether or not anything in the story actually happened.Luckily, it’s got a lot of quirky, dark humour, which adds to the enjoyment, but certainly doesn’t detract from how baffling it is.
American Psycho
7’Annihilation' (2018)
Directed by Alex Garland
AnnihilationstarsNatalie Portmanas a former marine turned biologist, who leads an all-female team of soldiers into a mysterious region known as “The Shimmer” to find an expedition force that has gone missing. The Shimmer has mysteriously appeared for no immediately apparent reason, and is full of mutated wildlife that is out for blood.
It’s pretty straightforward right until the end, which drops an absolute bombshell of a reveal that makes viewers question everything that’s happened in the movie. It’s never made clear how much of the movie is real, or how much of it is a fabrication. Truth be told, viewers are probably going to want towatch this one more than onceif they want to be able to fully grasp the concepts and themes contained within.Honestly though, this confusing narrative only adds to the movie’s quality. It’s a shame it never really got the attention that it deserved.
Annihilation
6’The Empty Man' (2020)
Directed by David Prior
Deep in the mountains of Bhutan lives anightmarish monster, which is capable of possessing its victims and causing them to kill those closest to them. This hellish creature, known as The Empty Man, is recognized by its eerie whistling sound and the paranoia it instills on its prey. But its reach is not contained solely by the Himalayas. It can be pretty much anywhere in the world–all it requires is for someone to summon it.
The Empty Manis so perplexing because of the nature of the monster, and of course, its ending. The movie follows a former detective named James Lasombra (James Badge Dale), who is grieving the death of his family, and decides to investigate the disappearance of a close friend’s daughter. Along the way, he runs into a mysterious cult, and finds himself with more questions than answers. This is pretty similar to how the audience feels at the end, because it leaves them scratching their heads wondering how much of the movie actually happened, and how much was a fabrication.
The Empty Man
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5’Goodnight Mommy' (2014)
Directed by Veronica Franz & Severin Fiala
Goodnight Mommyis anAustrian horror flickabout twin boys and their mother. The boys begin to suspect their mother may be an impostor when she receives plastic surgery and returns home in bandages, but is acting strangely afterwards. The question then remains whether or not she is really who she says she is. But things begin to get even more complicated as the plot progresses.
It’s deceptively simple at first: she either is or is not their mother. It’s fifty-fifty. But the film’s ending pretty much throws a wrench in this simplicity and raises a whole bunch of new questions about what actually happened to this family. Are they dead, or are they alive? Is only one of them dead and the rest alive, or vice versa? Are the boys even real? Is the mother even real? There’s no easy answer to any of these questions.It’s largely ambiguous, but that’s because it raises a whole lot of questions without providing any answers.At the same time, though, it doesn’t need to—it’s better that way.
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4’Jacob’s Ladder' (1990)
Directed by Adrian Lyne
Jacob’s LadderfollowsVietnam War veteranJacob (Tim Robbins) as he returns home after a horrific deployment. Upon his arrival, he begins experiencing frightening delusions, and is desperate to find out what is going on. It seems pretty cut-and-dry at first: Jacob looks like he might just have a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder, which is not uncommon amongst war veterans. However, as the plot unravels, it eventually becomes clear that there may be something way more sinister going on.
With its trippy visuals and ambiguous plot, it is hard to figure out which delusions are caused by external forces, and which are caused by Jacob’s own mind. Even Tim Robbins' stunning performance as Jacob isn’t enough to make the narrative more simplistic.It’s a good movie and a startling portrayal of PTSD, but it’s also a movie that fans will be unlikely to fully grasp after just one viewing.
Jacob’s Ladder
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Directed by David Lynch
Eraserheadis a psychedelic horror movie that comes from the creative mind ofDavid Lynch, who is known for making films of similar styles.Eraserheadmight just be his best, however. The visuals in this movie are completely bonkers, and it’s really hard to tell what’s going on. It isn’t just the ending that’s confounding, but pretty much the entirety of the movie.
Some of the scenes are actually so off-the-rails that it’s actually a little creepy. It’s one ofLynch’s most confusing movies to date, and one that has formed a cult following on account of its back-and-forth narrative, along with its themes of existentialism and social ostracism.The entire movie feels like a bad acid trip, except it remains monochrome and can’t rely on bright colours to instill fear or bewilderment in its viewers.
Eraserhead
2’Timecrimes' (2007)
Directed by Nacho Vigalondo
Timecrimesis perhaps so mind-bending because of its repetition-basedtime loop format. Most times, when a movie decides to explore the theme of time travel, this is puzzling enough. Adding evil clones into the mix only convolutes things further, however. The protagonist’s doppelgängers have begun to pop up left and right as a result of his irresponsible use of time travel, so it’s kind of hard to tell when in the timeline the events are happening and which version of the protagonist is being shown.
This movie took a huge risk in showing some pretty graphic imagery, but this was surprisingly met positively rather than negatively.It’s not the scariest movie ever made, but it’s one that will have horror fans questioning everything they’ve ever known about life, and that will force them to confront their own demons as the protagonist battles alternate versions of themselves.
Timecrimes
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1’Triangle' (2009)
Directed by Christopher Smith
Triangletakes place in the Bermuda Triangle, where a group of friends are out sailing but are met with a storm at sea. Their yacht capsizes, and they are rescued by a nearby ship, which is when they begin experiencing temporal abnormalities.It really isn’t that scary, but it is definitely confounding. Time doesn’t just move forwards or backwards in this movie—it jumps all over the place, and it’s never quite clear what order the events actually transpire in.
If you Google the film, one of the top suggestions is “triangle movie explained,” which goes to show just how little its viewers understand it. Make no mistake, it’s definitely a film that will make you Google the same thing, if not watch it again and again to try to understand what in the world is going on.Time loop movies are almost always confusing, but this one might just take the cake for the one that makes the least amount of sense at first glance.
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