Shubhabrata Dutta
Have you ever seen a movie that makes you go, “What on earth did just happen?” Surprise is not an easy-to-achieve effect in the human psyche, and Freud says it’s because of the Thanatos or the death drive. Since death is the final destination (and we’re keeping ‘Final Destination‘ out of the list), the surprise feels mundane in the next moment. However, some movies defy the stance and still pack enough mind-bending twists to keep you bewildered for a day or an eternity. The following films on HBO Max are some of the best movies that will leave you confounded.
8. Malignant (2021)
James Wan’s ‘Malignant’ stars Annabelle Wallis as Madison Mitchell (Annabelle Wallis), who can see crimes being committed in real time in her dreams. While the victims are different, the murderer is the same, albeit hidden in darkness. A call from the entity reveals that it is Gabriel, the same imaginary friend Madison had as a kid. Even if it’s true, she has to find a way to prevent more people from getting killed and find out why Gabriel is killing them.
At the center of the case, unbeknownst to her, lies a dark personal secret that is the answer to all her questions. Wan does a good job of blending the creepy and the supernatural in a new and chilling manner. Wallis, too, does a commendable job of portraying Madison’s character, balancing inquisitiveness and fear. You can watch ‘Malignant’ here.
7. Unbreakable (2000)
M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Unbreakable’ trilogy is a subversion of the traditional superhero genre. ‘Unbreakable,’ the first installment, deals with psychologically complex heroic figures and presents them in a grounded manner. The story revolves around David Dunn (Bruce Willis), a security guard who miraculously survives a fatal train crash. As Dunn grapples with the event, he uncovers his secret abilities and strengths while the news of his survival spreads like wildfire.
Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), a wheelchair-bound comic book enthusiast with a fragile bone condition, becomes convinced that David is a real-life superhero. As their paths collide, a gripping and twisted tale of manipulation and misuse takes shape, underscored by two brilliant actors, each with his own signature style. You can watch ‘Unbreakable’ here.
6. The Skin I Live In (2011)
Directed by Pedro Almodóvar, ‘The Skin I Live In’ is a Spanish drama with a singularly intriguing plot and many twists. It centers on Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) and a young guy named Vicente (Jan Cornet), who becomes the test subject for Robert’s latest experiment. Robert lost his wife, Gal (Elena Anaya), who killed herself after being unable to cope with her burnt appearance that resulted from a tragic car accident. This tragedy led Robert to create a synthetic skin that can endure any damage, and he intends to use it on Vicente, but there’s a lot more he has in mind. There’s also his daughter Norma (Blanca Suárez) and his criminal psychotic brother Zeca (Roberto Álamo), both of whom play crucial roles in the narrative. You can watch ‘The Skin I Live In’ here.
5. Diabolique (1955)
A classic French psychological thriller, ‘Les Diaboliques,’ aka ‘Diabolique,’ is directed by Henri-Georges Clouzo, based on the 1952 novel ‘She Who Was No More’ (‘Celle qui n’était plus’) by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. In it, two ladies conspire to kill cruel boarding school headmaster Michel Delassalle (Paul Meurisse). One is Michel’s ailing wife, Christina (Véra Clouzot), and the other is his mistress, Nicole (Simone Signoret), who both teach at Michel’s school. However, things get complicated and scary when Michel’s body disappears from the swimming pool where the ladies had dumped it. Christina also starts to see her husband’s ghost wandering around the school and following her. Nicole is afraid because she doesn’t want what she did to come out in any way. Does it mean that Michel is alive? Or is Christine hallucinating? If yes, then where did Michel’s body go? A film that keeps introducing twists and offers a bonus twist at the very end, ‘Diabolique’ is the one to inspire Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho.’ You can watch it here.
4. Midsommar (2019)
Perhaps one of the best folk horror movies ever made, ‘Midsommar’ follows Christian and Dani, who are in a relationship, as they arrive at a nine-day midsummer festival organized by an ancestral commune in rural Hälsingland, Sweden. They soon find themselves subjected to bizarre rituals as the commune is revealed to be a pagan cult. Christian and Dani are affected in their own ways, and the twist at the end serves as an overwhelming expression of what the two people deserve, albeit it is the result of a conscious choice made by one person. Directed by Ari Aster, ‘Midsommar’ stars Florence Pugh as Dani and Jack Reynor as Christian. You can watch it here.
3. Caddo Lake (2024)
Co-directed by Logan George and Celine Held, ‘Caddo Lake’ is a mind-bending mystery thriller that focuses on two people, Ellie (Eliza Scanlen) and Paris (Dylan O’Brien), who are driven by their personal losses that lead them to the titular lake in the Deep South. As the two enter the swampy waters, truths unfold in an entangled manner that incorporates family secrets and time travel. The M. Night Shyamalan-esque drama, the man also serving as a producer, blends past and present to give us a gripping, twist-filled drama. You can watch it here.
2. Carnival of Souls (1962)
Directed by Herk Harvey, this psychological horror film is considered by many as a classic art film. Starring Candace Hilligoss, Herk Harvey, Frances Feist, and Sidney Berger, it follows a woman named Mary Henry (Hilligoss) who miraculously survives a car accident in Kansas, after which she moves to Utah and is hired as a church organist. However, her visions of a ghoulish pale-faced man (“The Man”; played by Harvey) and others like him keep getting more frequent. Is she having a nightmare? Or are the ghouls real? A body recovered from the car crash after the accident carries the truth. To learn more about it, you can stream the film here.
1. The Sixth Sense (1999)
This cult favorite psychological thriller has one of cinema’s most baffling twist endings. Bruce Willis’ Malcolm, a child psychologist happily married to his wife Anna (Olivia Williams), is shot by one of his patients. Later, we see him meet another patient, a young boy named Cole, who tells him he can see dead people. As Malcolm tries to get Cole to talk and make him feel more comfortable with his condition, director M. Night Shyamalan slowly prepares us for a mind-blowing twist, which is also why Anna has stopped talking to him. With three People’s Choice Awards, 6 Oscar nominations, 4 BAFTA nominations, and 2 Golden Globe nominations, among many other accolades, ‘The Sixth Sense’ is a true recipient of the top spot on our list. You can watch it here.
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