Confusion cinema
“What the f— did I just watch?”

Some people like it simple—a plot that consists of a good guy, a bad guy, and one huge fight scene with the fate of the world at stake. Just about how every typical movie goes, the villain eventually gets sealed for all eternity—or at least for a sequel—and the hero saves the day. End of story.

On the other hand, some like it a bit more complicated. Boy meets girl, who meets another girl, who has a cat—a cat that was actually human before a witch cursed it. The witch turns out to be the boy, so they exorcised him, and now he’s dead. Or is he? Did he really die? Did all of this really happen? Is the tomato actually a fruit or a vegetable?

Now you might be wondering if it’s a good idea to watch a film that’s barely comprehendible. The answer is entirely up to you, but if you’re looking for something that’ll make you rack your brains all night, then read on.

Fight Club (1999)

Director: David Fincher

Starring: Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter Rating: 4.5/5

Quotable: “The first rule of Fight Club is—you do not talk about Fight Club.” – Tyler Durden

Masterful acting and directing, deep hidden messages, excessive violence, and that one particular sex scene—these all contributed in making Fight Club the most controversial and talked about movie of its time. The story revolves around our anonymous lead character (Norton) and Tyler Durden (Pitt), a soap salesman who form a—you guessed it—“fight club” where they beat the living daylights out of each other to feel better about themselves. And if that’s not enough, they also invite others to participate. Because who would want to miss out on the fun, right?

But there’s something else beyond all the punching and macho face-breaking. Fight Club is a thought-provoking movie that’ll undoubtedly change the way viewers look certain things, like the present society and its mundane definition of what matters in life. In a way, it’s about how the monotonous everyday living of an average Joe can sometimes drive a man crazy.

Bearing all these elements in mind, you can sit on a couch, grab some popcorn and revel in this visual masterpiece. If you enjoyed the movie—and you will—tell your friends about it. Or maybe not. First rule, remember?

The Prestige (2006)

Director: Christopher Nolan

Starring: Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, David Bowie Rating: 4/5

Quotable: “Now you’re looking for the secret. But you won’t find it because of course, you’re not really looking. You don’t really want to work it out. You want to be fooled.” – John Cutter

Set in early 1900s London, The Prestige introduces two professional stage magicians engaged in an information war, desperate to discover each other’s blueprint to their grand trick. The story showcases two illusionists trying to one-up the other in a sequence of magic shows—including sabotages, because they’re that desperate. With the appearance of the historical figure Nikola Tesla (Bowie), The Prestige—ironically—gets a little sci-fi action to create a sinister look on how obsession can drain one’s humanity. Things will get creepier as the sabotages get more extreme and the personal grudges reach their boiling point. As a general rule, magic always messes with your head, and this film kicks it up a notch in its own twisted way.

On a lighter note, one can see it this way; Batman and Wolverine going at each other’s throats—minus the cool bat gadgets and adamantine claws. Enjoy the thrill as the film presents a grand magic show full of dark schemes—a once-in-a-lifetime performance, in more ways than one. You have probably seen other magic-themed films—like the popular Now You See Me movies—but that’s as far as their similarities with The Prestige go. If you thought NYSM was the best you’ve ever seen, The Prestige will cut that illusion in half because in any category, this one takes the cake. No contest.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

Director: Bryan Singer

Starring: Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, and Kevin Spacey Rating: 4/5

Quotable: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” – Roger “Verbal” Kint

In the beginning of the movie, Verbal (Spacey) gives a testimony to US Customs agent Dave Kujan (Palminteri) about the series of events that led to Verbal being the sole survivor of a destroyed ship with dead criminals onboard the boatload of mystery—pun intended.

At first, The Usual Suspects gives a puzzle with the purpose of leading the audience to discover the identity of the big bad boss. Most of the story is portrayed through flashbacks, giving viewers a clue every now and then. You can fit the pieces together however you like, but it won’t be easy because there’s too many ways for the movie to end—with one way just as probable as the other.

A roller-coaster ride filled with incredibly unexpected twists and turns, The Usual Suspects will test your sleuthing skills to the limit. If you want to find out more about the film, tread carefully because the Internet is littered with spoilers. You have been warned.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Ellen Burst, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans Rating: 3.5/5

Quotable: “Harold, I’m gonna be on television.” – Sara Goldfarb

Requiem for a Dream is a devastating story of a mother, a son, and his friend and girlfriend—oh, and lots of drugs—each on their own path of imminent self-destruction.

Truly a film that’ll make a certain Filipino president proud, Requiem for a Dream is a story about addiction. Several scenes are filmed in first-person POV to give the audience a look at a dark world seen through a drug abuser’s distorted eyes. Everything seems to go well at first, but at a certain point—like how addiction stories usually unfold—it all comes crashing down. Naturally, addiction pays a hefty price, and thus begins their daily struggle.

Aronofsky did a superb job of portraying each character living the life of a certified druggie, so if you have friends who might be interested in doing drugs, do them a favor and show them this eye-opener of a movie. Though be reminded that Requiem for a Dream has a lot of content that many might find extremely disturbing, so watch at your own risk.

Predestination (2014)

Director: The Spierig Brothers

Starring: Ethan Hawke, Sarah Snook, and Noah Taylor Rating: 4/5

Quotable: “Let’s face it—nobody’s innocent. Everybody just uses everybody else to get what they want.” – The Unmarried Mother

This film depicts the job description of an agent under incognito as a bartender (Hawke) making trips to the past in order to prevent future crimes. In his final mission, the agent is tasked to apprehend a highly wanted criminal who is currently a threat to countless innocent lives.

Predestination focuses primarily on time travelling, and the paradoxes that are predicted to occur with it. The protagonist goes back and forth in time, with each leap adding both clarity and chaos to the story. As if that isn’t confusing enough, the plot is riddled with mind-blowing twists that will elicit the surefire response: “WTF?”

Based on the original short story —All You Zombies— by Robert A. Heinlein, the directors rearranged the storytelling and added scenes to make the film relatively understandable. With the breathtaking performances of Hawke and Snook, Predestination possesses an emotional depth that’s worth mentioning. Not to say you’ll enjoy watching it, but if a time machine were to be invented, you might go back a few years to see this movie when it came out.

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