5 Mind-Blowing Movies You Have To Watch
Life can get really busy sometimes, and I know how difficult it can be to find the time to sit down and watch movies. However, I’ve found that using this as an opportunity to escape, at least for a little while, is an effective way to relax the mind. This year, I challenged myself to watch more movies with a deeper meaning behind them, and I would like to recommend to you some of my favorites so far.
Here is the list of mind-blowing movies you have to watch:
1. Memento (2000)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano
What is the movie Momento about?
Memento follows Leonard, who has anterograde amnesia. This condition means that he is unable to form new memories. Using Polaroid photos and the tattoos on his body, he is determined to find the people who attacked him and killed his wife.
Why you should watch Momento?
I love how Nolan decides to tell Leonard’s story backward. It is such a unique storytelling device because we start at the “end” of the movie and watch how everything has accumulated up to that moment. The themes of memory and time are intertwined with Nolan’s clever narrative structure. This is definitely a mind-blowing movie that you have to check out, and it will make you question the reliability of our memories.
2. The Truman Show (1998)
Director: Peter Weir
Cast: Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Ed Harris
What is The Truman Show about?
Our main character, Truman, is unaware that his everyday life is being filmed as part of a reality show, and that all the people he interacts with are actors. Once strange events start occurring, he gradually uncovers the truth and makes a plan to escape.
Why you should watch the movie The Truman Show?
In addition to being extremely entertaining, I love how The Truman Show criticizes the entertainment industry and supports the dramaturgical theory. This movie will make you question the idea that we are all playing some role in our everyday social interactions and whether our life can be considered a series of performances.
3. Snowpiercer (2013)
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Cast: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt
What is the movie Snowpiercer about?
In an alternate 2014, a climate engineering accident created a new ice age after a failed attempt to stop global warming. The Snowpiercer train circulating the Earth carries all of what remains of the human population, with lower-class passengers at the back and higher-class passengers at the front. Our main character, Curtis, is one of the tail-section passengers, and he decides to lead a rebellion against the elite.
Why you should watch the movie Snowpiercer?
From the director of Parasite (2019), this dark science-fiction thriller effectively explores themes of classism and morality. There are a lot of plot twists that I didn’t see coming, and I highly recommend watching this if you want to watch a movie with a deeper meaning behind it.
4. Waves (2019)
Director: Trey Edward Shults
Cast: Kelvin Harrison Jr., Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Demie, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown
What is the movie Waves about?
I can’t say much without giving spoilers, but this movie follows the lives of a suburban family as they experience loss, compassion, and growth. This movie beautifully shows how everything is connected and how one decision can change your whole life.
Why you should watch the movie Waves?
The acting, cinematography, and soundtrack work together to beautifully capture the interconnectivity of human nature. Shults plays with the aspect ratio, color palettes, and narrative structure to effectively evoke emotion within the audience. This movie is so stunning, and it definitely makes you reconsider how you interact with others and how people can get pushed into emotional situations.
5. Fight Club (1999)
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter
What is the movie Fight Club about?
Fight Club follows an unnamed narrator who forms an underground fight club with the help of his new friend, Tyler Durden.
Why you should watch the movie Fight Club?
Fight Club is a really great satire of toxic masculinity, consumerism, and capitalism. The fast-paced and compelling plot makes this a very entertaining watch, while also forcing us to consider how systems of social control countercultures by sacrificing politics for commerce. Also, the plot twist at the end still blows my mind to this day, so I highly recommend watching this if you haven’t already.
Opinions and Perspectives
Love how each of these films challenges conventional storytelling in its own way.
Just watched all five back to back. My brain needs a vacation now!
These movies definitely deserve the mind-blowing label. Each one stays with you long after watching.
Each of these films really makes you question your own reality in different ways.
The narrative structure of Memento is pure genius. It's like a puzzle box of a movie.
Anyone catch all the subliminal Tyler appearances in Fight Club first time around?
Snowpiercer's message about climate change feels more urgent now than ever.
The scene where Truman starts testing his reality is absolutely brilliant.
The aspect ratio changes in Waves are so clever. Really adds to the storytelling.
Fight Club isn't glorifying violence it's criticizing our society's obsession with it.
Memento inspired me to learn more about how memory actually works. Fascinating stuff.
The way Waves uses color and music to tell its story is just beautiful.
Fight Club's twist ending completely changed how I viewed everything that came before.
The way Memento is edited is genius. It puts you right in Leonard's shoes.
Waves is like two different movies in one but somehow it works perfectly.
Fight Club really nails how modern life can leave people feeling empty and searching for meaning.
I actually watched Snowpiercer because of this list and wow what a ride! Thanks for the recommendation.
Memento makes you question everything you think you know about memory and truth.
The sound design in Waves is incredible. Really puts you inside the characters' headspace.
Had to pause The Truman Show multiple times to process the philosophical implications.
I love how Snowpiercer uses the train as a metaphor for society. Simple but effective.
The first rule of Fight Club is don't talk about Fight Club... but here we are!
Waves reminds me a lot of Moonlight in its intimate portrayal of family dynamics.
My brain hurt trying to follow Memento but in a good way. It demands your full attention.
Guy Pearce's performance in Memento is so underrated. He perfectly captures Leonard's confusion and determination.
Jim Carrey deserved an Oscar for The Truman Show. Such a departure from his comedy roles.
The Truman Show hit different after lockdown. We all know what it feels like to live in a bubble now.
I'm surprised Inception isn't on this list. It's just as mind-bending as Memento.
Snowpiercer's train design is incredible. Each car tells its own story about class and privilege.
The way Memento makes you piece together the story mirrors Leonard's own struggle to make sense of his life.
Fight Club isn't just about masculinity it's about finding meaning in an increasingly meaningless world.
Waves completely blindsided me with its narrative shift. Wasn't expecting such an emotional gut punch.
I found The Truman Show pretty depressing honestly. Made me paranoid for weeks after watching it.
The score in Waves perfectly captures the emotional intensity. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross did an amazing job.
Memento's concept is brilliant but I think Nolan's later works like Inception executed complex narratives better.
Just rewatched Fight Club and noticed so many Tyler Durden appearances before he's officially introduced.
The Truman Show makes me wonder how many times I've been an extra in someone else's life story.
I actually prefer Snowpiercer to Parasite. Both great films but Snowpiercer just resonated with me more.
The cinematography in Waves is absolutely stunning. That rotating car scene still gives me chills.
I disagree about Snowpiercer being heavy-handed. The metaphor needed to be obvious to drive home the point about inequality.
Fight Club gets better every time I watch it. You notice new details and symbols you missed before.
Never heard of Waves before reading this list. The description intrigues me though, adding it to my watchlist!
Anyone else notice how The Truman Show predicted our current obsession with watching other people's lives?
I watched Memento recently and still can't decide if Leonard was lying to himself the whole time or not. Such a brilliant script.
Waves is criminally underrated. The way the story shifts halfway through caught me completely off guard.
Snowpiercer was good but I felt it was a bit too heavy-handed with its class warfare message. Sometimes subtlety works better.
The Truman Show feels more relevant now than ever with social media and reality TV everywhere. We're all kind of living in our own shows.
Fight Club changed my perspective on materialism. I started questioning how much stuff I really need in my life after watching it.
That's interesting! I felt the confusion was intentional making us experience what Leonard goes through. Took me a second viewing to piece it all together too.
I actually found Memento pretty confusing and hard to follow. Not sure if it's worth all the hype it gets.
Memento absolutely blew my mind! The backwards storytelling really made me feel Leonard's confusion and disorientation. I had to watch it twice to fully grasp everything.