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.
6. 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.
5. 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.
4. 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.
3. 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.
2. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)
Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ is an absurdist psychological thriller about a surgeon forced to face the consequences of his actions inside the operation theater. His failure to save a patient takes the shape of a horrific scenario wherein he struggles to protect his wife and two kids from the “gaze” of a young boy. As the matter gets worse, the surgeon is forced to pull a stunt he never imagined he would, culminating in a shocking ending. Starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, and Alicia Silverstone, ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ is a disturbing and captivating signature Lanthimos drama that offers a glaring take on the inexplicably idiosyncratic nature of the human psyche. You can watch it here.
1. The Usual Suspects (1995)
A criminal named Roger “Verbal” Kint, who has survived an explosion is brought in for questioning, and what he tells the investigators makes for a thoroughly entertaining viewing of Bryan Singer’s cult classic crime thriller ‘The Usual Suspects.’ As he reveals what led him and his partners to go to the boat, we find out about the mysterious Turkish crime lord Keyser Söze, who is believed to be working from the shadows, as there is no proof of his existence. The answer to whether what Verbal is saying is true is revealed at the end, bringing a beautifully crafted crime drama about lies and deceit to an unexpected conclusion. With powerful performances by Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Stephen Baldwin, and Benicio del Toro, ‘The Usual Suspects’ is a must-watch. You can stream it here.
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