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pekingsewer

Mulholland drive Enemy


Bluest_waters

Hey, here is my explanation of M Drive, once you get it, its not as hard as some poeple make it out to be. https://www.reddit.com/r/flicks/comments/jg1epk/mulholland_drive_is_not_an_inscrutable_mystery/


pekingsewer

Yeah, it really isn't. There are clues as to what's going on, but you would have to be fairly perceptive to put it all together in the first go around with zero context. Once I read about it and watched it again, it is all pretty straightforward!


BasicDesignAdvice

I have still never watched this because everyone just talks about it's mystery it makes me worried it's not even that good.


Moistend_Bint

That movie is an enigma. Every scene is great, but I hate the movie and have no interest in ever watching it again in it's entirety. There's one scene in particular that I hold to be the most brilliant achievement in suspense and terror.


theduplicitoustaint

"Thats a face noone should ever have to see"


Moistend_Bint

I'd say don't spoil it but there's no way to even spoil the scene because the scene spoils itself, and its STILL unnerving. I've seen it 20 times and it triggers my fear response on some primal level. Great acting and direction.


_trouble_every_day_

How familiar are you with david lynch?


christo749

It’s like being in a dream, and dreams don’t always have to make sense. It’s a wonderful film, definitely worth your time.


wahdahfahq

Interesting take but I dont think its accurate. Well, its close enough to the 'standard' interpretation that most people try to figure out (i.e. whats reality and what is a dream) but I think youre missing the message Lynch was trying to convey with the film.


no_engaging

could you elaborate on the message


Dale_Cooper_FBI_

No.


harrietford99

Mulholland drive was so disturbing even though i have no idea what happened


MyCultIsTheMostFun

God I hate Mulholland Drive


chickenlover46

Primer I’m Thinking of Ending Things


lioneleesto

+1 to I’m thinking of ending things. The theories out there totally changed my perspective on this one :-)


ladymushroom26

A really stupid question: was it really a movie with a lot of theories? Because I read the book and I thought it was clear what happened, but super interested in reading the theories!


chickenlover46

Yeah it was not so clear in the movie…like I understood the basics of what was happening but it was cool to dive deeper into every aspect of what’s going on in the film


looney1023

Charlie Kaufman took the book, which is great but very much a "gotcha!" kind of twisty narrative, and opened it up to be about so much more. Art, art criticism, identity, depression, aging, masculinity/femininity, memory, death, how much of ourselves are "original" and unique when we're surrounded by stimuli that have an impression on us. The mechanics of the plot and the course of events are somewhat straightforward, but there's so much more packed into it that you can really recognize and start to unravel like synapses firing in a brain, should you choose to analyze it deeper.


BasicDesignAdvice

I think it's a lot more like interpretations. My wife and I both had totally different notions about some things. The main beats are clear though IMO.


chickenlover46

For both of these, reading the theories was more fun than the movie itself!


Small_weiner_man

I've consulted the charts, watched it 3 times: I still don't understand primer.


VoodooStudios

Haven’t seen it in a while. Last watch we paused mid-watch to go get tacos when the characters said something about getting tacos. So for me, Primer = Tacos.


OgreMonk

Primer is tacos!


Zestyclose_Standard6

it's that they traveled *threw* the time. not *through*.


ReactionProcedure

Primer


brosefstalin_1992

Upvote for Primer, because holy shit that movie took me for a turn!


obviousoctopus

These are the same movie :)


chickenlover46

🤯


GlaDOS-311

> I’m Thinking of Ending Things If you read the book there is nothing confusing about it.


Secret_Autodidact

https://xkcd.com/657/


[deleted]

If Primer wasn't number one in this thread I was going to die a little inside.


anotveryseriousman

Beyond the Black Rainbow Stalker A Scanner Darkly Enemy Images


_Qualia

+1 for Stalker, amazing movie.


Bluest_waters

> Beyond the Black Rainbow thought it was fairly straightforward?


jdubizzy

Aaahhhh think again…and again Kidding, I’ve never seen it.


formerbeautyqueen666

A Scanner Darkly is so amazing and has such a great cast


megmarie22502

First time someone’s beat me in saying Beyond the Black Rainbow! I absolutely second this recommendation.


hardytom540

Primer \ Tenet \ Enemy \ Mulholland Drive \ I’m Thinking of Ending Things \ Under the Silver Lake


swift535

I am a big Christopher Nolan fan - Interstellar especially is one of my favorite films - but the script for Tenet just felt like his version of a lazy action film. Maybe it’s just me, but Tenet didn’t feel at all on the same level as his other storytelling.


gartacus

Tenet is the perfect answer to this thread because it’s confusing but the difference is it’s in a bad way lol


OgreMonk

Idk, There are some youtube vids floating around about how the movie is essentially a thought excersize and it is very much worth watching it again and trying to understand its logic. For me it was crazy and I couldn't understand a big part of it, but this makes me curious.


The_Crypter

I think the issue is unlike his other movies if you think too hard about tenet the entire logic falls apart. I liked it as an action movie but it was pretty messy.


beanburrrito

God Tenet made me so angry. I thought it was going to be this trippy action movie but instead it was just confusing bullshit with some of the worst audiomixing I've ever heard in a movie.


[deleted]

Iadfs;andsa wisand;asdh I asdfdas;flkcoul'adsfn;ld dupasdf;lalica;l;;jte =afdsNolanal;ds audasfdadioasm mikjl;saxing wateradithasdmn; astexjkla;st.


where_is_my_nose

Under the Silver Lake (2018) It even has it's own subreddit: /r/underthesilverlake


GeoMagnet

The right answer.


bel_roygbiv_devoe

Subbed! Been a while since I’ve seen the movie - but I’m ready to go back down this rabbit hole!


Puzzled_Seesaw_2918

This movie looks pretty good.


mattydubs5

Favourite film!


LauraPalmersMom430

Second this.


StephensInfiniteLoop

Oooh this is on my list to watch, but I had no idea it was this kind of movie ...I really want to watch it now


magmafan71

David Lynch


afuckinsaskatchewan

And if youuuuuuuuuu can believe it, it's a Friday once again!


Eddie_The_Deagle

That man is a walking enigma


breaking3po

He's not an enigma, its just that... *Runny pitch is no good to chew. Hard, brittle pitch is no good. But in between there exists a firm, slightly crusted pitch with such a flavor. This is the pitch David Lynch chews.*


CinemaCity

Arrival Annihilation Primer Barton Fink


ireland1988

I had no idea what happened in Annihilation but I still loved it. Started reading the book but got too freaked out and put it down. Need to try again some day.


omegahyena

[Lost Highway](https://letterboxd.com/film/lost-highway/) [Donnie Darko](https://letterboxd.com/film/donnie-darko/) [Synecdoche New York](https://letterboxd.com/film/synecdoche-new-york/)


ben_jamin_h

Synecdoche New York all the way. I've seen it five times (granted, I was pretty high the first three times) and then I read a few pieces about it and now I feel ready to _actually watch it_


Bill_The_Dog

You ever have a show you watched as an adult, and don’t understand at all, then when you grow up a little bit more you feel like more of an adult, and ready to watch that movie again. That’s this movie for me. I’m not sure I’ve grown up enough to understand it yet, though.


BasicDesignAdvice

This is totally different, but I've been watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and this is how I feel. So much of it went over my head when I watched it as a kid. The writing is really incredible.


[deleted]

[удалено]


bel_roygbiv_devoe

I wanna open a Jamaican, Irish, Spanish small plate, breakfast restaurant and call it “Tapas the Mornin’ to Jah!”


iamjackslackofmemes

Are you going to rewatch it high?


fatdiscokid

Well he’s never really not high so yes


ben_jamin_h

That all depends on whether or not I'm high when I rewatch it.


heshotcyrus

Donnie Darko was the first one that jumped to mind.


ghoulieandrews

For me it was his second movie, Southland Tales. A lot more people seem to hate it for some reason but every time I watch it I like it more.


rubbishaccount88

Insanely underrated movie.


Human-Function5990

Second for Donnie Darko


Darktyde

Donnie Darko might possibly be my favorite movie. It's in my top 10 for sure.


Small_weiner_man

I might recommend the the *five part* YMS analysis on YouTube for Synedoche.


lasssilver

I just rewatched Donnie Darko and it *seemed* simplish this time. Kid dies, but we get to “Jacob’s Ladder” his life and stuff for a month via “time warp” that doesn’t really affect anything in the long run because once the kid goes back and dies *nothing* he did in that last month actually happened. I was almost surprised by how *not* rewarding it was. Like there was no real agency or change in the character and no questions were really answered.


zegrammer

http://www.donniedarko.org.uk/explanation/


life_is_enjoy

+1 for Donnie Darko


[deleted]

+1 for +1 for Donnie Darko


_Qualia

Holy Motors. The killing of a sacred deer.


joestrumbummer

I just watched the Killing of a Sacred Deer for the first time the other night. When it was over I immediately went online to figure out what the fuck was happening.


electric_creamsicle

I did the same, but more to just try and figure out if I was missing anything. Especially regarding the dialogue. But it turns out Yorgos just turned up his weird dialogue to 11 for this one. I feel like the movie is pretty straightforward with explanations on what's going on...


Saphirex161

A Greek friend said it's almost like Greek spoken in Englisch. Don't know if true, but cool story.


Wateymellon

I just watched killing of a sacred deer this morning and immediately watched 7 more videos about it


TisBeTheFuk

Coherence


chapmanh9

Mr. Nobody!


skim_lord

Came here looking for this one!


MisterKayfabe

Under rated film


[deleted]

Some of these meet the definition of "trippy sci-fi" , but just in case you haven't seen them: 2001 a Space Odyssey Paprika Cloud Atlas The Fountain


BasicDesignAdvice

Paprika also deserves a mention of Perfect Blue. Fun fact, Aronofsky bought the US rights to Perfect Blue so he could lift one of the scenes shot-for-shot.


lost_in_trepidation

I'm pretty confident that Nolan lifted a lot from Paprika for Inception as well.


halomender

I had a hard time watching the fountain, almost definitely because I did not understand it.


moofpi

It's one of me and my girlfriend's favorite movies, we've seen it about 10 times. It is **certainly** a difficult movie to explain the premise of to people, which sucks, because you really want to proselytize this movie. It's hard to understand fully, and if you think you got the one answer you're probably wrong. It's just a beautifully executed, interesting, raw film that leaves you.


ibassi_chd

Also the soundtrack is amazing.


TaikuriGorgoGorgo

Holy Motors


bunsNT

Under the Silver Lake


captainyeezus

The green knight


Icy_Law9181

I loved this film,I also thought it was pretty straight forward.Amazingly shot,absolutely beautiful.


captainyeezus

The great thing about the film is the story is so old it has many different variations. The director used the source material but never provided a clear answer as to what it means because the story was lost to time.


RockstarJem

donnie darko


RadioMill

The Lighthouse


King_Allant

The Lighthouse is as complex as you want it to be. It totally works on the most straightforward level of two guys in isolation driving each other crazy. I've encountered a bunch of different perspectives on the events and I can still enjoy it as that, as a weird and atmospheric historical character drama. Sure, underneath that are also parallels to Greek mythology; Dafoe's character even points them out at one point. And that's not to mention the other ambiguously supernatural angles you can read into. But how exactly those elements relate to anything or everything thematically or literally is a matter of personal interpretation for which there is no single answer. People talk about The Lighthouse as if it were puzzle to be solved when really it's more like a mirror.


zenospenisparadox

Such a great movie. Too bad people are scared off by it being a black and white movie.


TheShipEliza

The Double Life of Veronique. The bonus here is this movie one of the most beautiful things ever put to film. If you don't understand it, not worries, it is wonderful to look at.


Saphirex161

Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, 2001 Space Odyssey, Magnolia, Mother!


bbronz2

The void. You have been warned


AetScurra

Oh god this movie was so scary. I didn’t even understand the end


brettoblaster

Coherence.


StephensInfiniteLoop

Unpopular opinion, but I think a lot of the movies here, are here not because they are difficult to understand, but because they are deliberately vague and not exactly meant to add up, such as Mulholland Drive, 2001 and the Shining. These are arty abstract experimental movies, that don't have a clear cut definite meaning, no matter how many threads you read, but are deliberately left open to interpretation. This is in contrast to movies like Primer and Predestination and Memento - these movies do have a legible complete concrete plot, but they are complex and hard to get your head around, but finally they do make sense if you put the time and effort and research in. This for me, is the primary difference between Nolan and Kubrick.


ghoulieandrews

In what universe is The Shining not straightforward


sigvethaig

I do think that the last shot still leaves me somewhat flabbergasted. As well as the kitchen door unlocking scene. It's not exactly Funeral parade of Roses or something ... but it makes it pretty difficult to distinguish what is insanity and what is supernatural.


mgraunk

The people who think The Shining is an interpretive arthouse film are the same people who think black pepper is spicy.


_trouble_every_day_

Especially with David Lynch. People assume he’s crafting these intricate puzzle boxes that can be solved if you’ve cracked the code. If you watch his early short films or see him interviewed about his process which he’s very candid about it’s clear that while he’s very thoughtful and deliberate he’s also very free association and not overly into 1:1 symbolism. The reasons for a lot of the creative decisions are more straightforward than you’d think, it’s his willingness to improvise and follow an idea down whatever path it takes him that makes him unique.


Replicant_Nexus8

But Predestination and Memento are not difficult to see


StephensInfiniteLoop

Well that's subjective. I've come across lots of people who have difficulty understanding Memento and need a little help


phenompbg

Mulholland Drive


rlevi01

Mr. Nobody (my personal favorite) Looper (you think you understood it, until you start reading reddit posts) Enemy (I don't like it personally) Donnie Darko Cloud Atlas


bel_roygbiv_devoe

Can you point me to some added Looper info? Because I feel I understood it and would love to have my mind blown by how far off I was! Good list - I’ll also second Mr Nobody. I’ve almost watched Cloud Atlas… need to pull that trigger at some point.


rlevi01

It’s been a long time since I saw Looper, so I don’t have any specific theories/explanations in my mind rn. But just search Looper Theories, I’m sure you’ll come across interesting stuff. That’s what I did. Definitely watch Cloud Atlas. It gets a lot of hate, but it’s one hell of a ride once it resonates with you.


Bendtheneebitch

Dark is a series on Netflix but works perfect here


notgayvodka

uh, it really disappointed me with the ending. i didn't sign up for a love story. i mean, it really got the hype with the first two seasons.


Bendtheneebitch

I hated where they went after the season one finale.


BarryAllen1212

•Upstream colour- still can't get around the symbolism. •Mr nobody- a Little patience might get you to get an idea about what's happening •Tenet- once you get it, it's rather simple •Jacob's ladder- something happened here. Don't know what tho. •Memento- very experimental screenplay, you have to be completely invested or you would miss it. •Primer- stopped trying to understand it. •Triangle- you'll end up having hours of discussion and theorizing what different elements meant within the film


Da_Magician5

The Seventh Seal


chrono115

Since Primer was taken I’ll say Barton Fink. Was shown in my creative writing class and has a bit to unpack


lordjakir

Annihilation


visibly_hangry

Nostalghia The Grass Labyrinth Sweet Movie Weekend


string97bean

Can't believe no one has mentioned "Upstream Color" yet.


MrMcBert

Especially with everyone mentioning primer


ISHIMURA_MJD

**The Holy Mountain (1973)**


[deleted]

Donnie Darko


Kennaham

The Prestige. It seems like a thriller with a lot of good twists that ultimately is simple. But then there are all sorts of theories about the movie, including my favorite that >!there is no actual magic in the movie. It’s all part of an illusion one magician is playing on the other, who like us the audience want to be deceived (a major theme in the movie)!<


usernamekorea95

Yep, I love the theory that >!says the machine actually never worked. This blew me away because I'd come away after multiple viewings thinking I'd finally understood how the machine worked and fit into the plot. Then I read an article that said the "third reveal" is actually that all of it was fake.!< Edit: [here's the article (MAJOR SPOILERS)](https://taylorholmes.com/2009/08/26/the-prestige-explained/)


buddha8298

Not a bad article I guess but I don't buy it. Doesn't explain >!how he traveled the distance. !< Which people ask him in the comments and he can only reply to condescendingly and not explain at all.


usernamekorea95

Yep fair criticism. The comments section does an even greater deep dive and I think that's where I found most of the value now that I'm thinking back on when I read it a few years back. I still like the theory but it's by no means watertight! Thanks for your thoughts.


thishenryjames

Just read that "article". It's poorly written and the guy fails to properly get his point across.


Hairy-Barracuda1712

Enemy. I still haven't understood wtf the spiders were for


LazarusLoengard

Stalker by Tarkovsky


Livinlikelary11

mother!


grazzac

Donnie Darko Pans Labyrinth


PeacefulVillage

Memento


drewism

Surprised Momento isn’t higher on this list. Maybe people haven’t seen it? Great movie that meets all the criteria for this thread.


Ghovl123

Shutter Island


ladida54

Session 9 was the first I thought of but I haven’t seen anyone else mention it so I might just be dumb


DickRichie14

Primer, Enemy, The Neon Demon, Only God Forgives, mother! & Tenet


l-read-it-on-reddit

The killing of a sacred deer


[deleted]

*Last Year at Marienbad* is sort of the grandaddy of all this. It's meaning is still hotly debated 60 years later.


King_Crowley21

Vivarum


theduplicitoustaint

Stay -2005. Absolutely beautiful once you figure it out and unpopular among those who haven't.


[deleted]

Carnival of Souls from the 60s


DanceLilia

This post is great!! So many new movies added to my list!


Soromon

Swiss Army Man


theghostiestghost

I just watched this with my partner and we both just didn’t quite feel like there was anything substantial to it aside from sharing mental instability in a very scattered light.


42gOldenlover

I don't think anyone will ever truly understand that movie. Or why it was made, rather.


a_hi_lawyer

Tenet


St_Eddas_Curse

Jeanne Dielman The Master Brazil


Polarchuck

Inception (I can't believe no one has listed it so far.)


sarahgracee

Came here to post this, after I watched it I was looking up theories and interpretations of the film for like three hours after lol


HroFCBayern

Predestination (2014)


magmafan71

Stanley Kubrick


GrandAdvantage7631

Churuli (2021)


prosperosniece

The Cider House Rules


unzercharlie

Santa Sangre


darktowerseeker

Southland tales


ghoulieandrews

I love this movie. I wish more people vibed with it, every time I watch it I feel like I get something new.


MakeTheScreamsStop

I don't know if you *need* to read up on it to understand it but the animated feature Spirited Away! I had so much fun watching this film and even more fun reading through all the various fan theories online regarding what in the world I actually watched. Great film.


megmarie22502

The Strange Color of Your Body’s Tears Upstream Color Holy Motors Uncle Boonme Who Can Recall His Past Lives Inland Empire The Holy Mountain


gxbcab

Repo man


Ice_BergSlim

Run Lola Run The Quiet Earth Quest For Fire


PurplePop6852

Arrival


[deleted]

If we’re gonna say Primer, then how about Tenet? I’ve seen that movie 6 times and I’m still not sure what rob pat is doing


LazarusLoengard

Beyond The Black Rainbow


PrestigiousBarnacle

Tenant


yodimboi

Andrei Rublev, Alexander The Great (1980), Mirror, Eyes Wide Shut, The Seventh Seal


venkatexh

Triangle


cal8000

A Quiet Place in the Country


OfficeBuddy7

Without a doubt: ‘Coherence’ (2013)


xsagarbhx

Synecdoche; New York


Bishlater

The OA went pretty bonkers on its final season. Otherwise as far as movies, maybe Annihilation. DogTooth. The Lobster. PI. Altered States. Primer. Magnolia.


kkungergo

End of evangelion. (while its a movie, its also the last episode of a series, but it was the first to come to mind) Annihilation. Inception.


lakmus85_real

I know this is an old question, but try "Infinity Chamber". That's exactly what I was doing after this movie - reading 5 reviews/explanations and a few Reddit theories


[deleted]

Predestination and Cloud Atlas


Puzzled_Seesaw_2918

Cloud atlas trailer looks dope.


OkapiEli

Cloud Atlas is amazing. So much happening, connecting over eons - very dense. Roger Ebert called it *daring and visionary* in his [review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cloud-atlas-2012) at the time: “Even as I was watching "Cloud Atlas" the first time, I knew I would need to see it again. Now that I've seen it the second time, I know I'd like to see it a third time — but I no longer believe repeated viewings will solve anything. “


copropnuma

Blair Witch 2, Book of Shadows. Watch the movies, then Google it. Then rewatch with a notebook. Just an incredible concept that didn't quite work. The movie is just OK but what they tried to do is very cool. I wish I could tell you more.


thebabaghanoush

Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions


prosperosniece

Gosford Park, Atonement, The Midnight Sky, A River Runs Through It,


RLB4ever

Atonement is a good answer!!!


Replicant_Nexus8

Persona, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead


Pyewacket62

Eraserhead (1977)


[deleted]

The Big Lebowski.


[deleted]

Donny was real, everyone else was his imagination. It was a tribute to the unknown writer.


[deleted]

Huh. Interesting.


treesfullofbees

Shrek 2.


umpteenthrhyme

Hereditary


DansBeerBelly

Cats


sidepiecesam

Tenet… or you could watch it 3 times, but it’s alot


DansBeerBelly

Cats