A Glean movie guide
Masterminds & Mind Games
Don't trust your eyes.
The most gripping psychological thrillers that will keep you guessing until the end.
Handpicked for this guide
The movie list
- 01
The Silence of the Lambs
A chilling masterclass in psychological profiling and the high-stakes manipulation between a trainee and a killer.
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
- 02
Se7en
A grim, atmospheric descent into darkness as two detectives track a killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins.
Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case.
- 03
Memento
A brilliant, non-linear puzzle that forces you to experience the world through the eyes of a man with no memory.
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
- 04
Parasite
A razor-sharp exploration of class dynamics that shifts from a clever con into a heart-pounding thriller.
All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.
- 05
Shutter Island
A haunting investigation on a remote island where the line between reality and delusion begins to blur.
World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.
- 06
Gone Girl
A sharp, cynical look at the dark side of marriage and the power of public perception in a high-profile disappearance.
With his wife's disappearance having become the focus of an intense media circus, a man sees the spotlight turned on him when it's suspected that he may not be innocent.
- 07
Black Swan
A visceral, hallucinatory journey into the mind of a perfectionist dancer as she loses her grip on reality.
A committed dancer struggles to maintain her sanity after winning the lead role in a production of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake".
- 08
Get Out
A groundbreaking thriller that uses psychological unease and social commentary to build a sense of inescapable dread.
Chris and his girlfriend Rose go upstate to visit her parents for the weekend. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
- 09
The Prestige
A complex tale of obsession and rivalry where two magicians sacrifice everything to outwit one another.
A mysterious story of two magicians whose intense rivalry leads them on a life-long battle for supremacy -- full of obsession, deceit and jealousy with dangerous and deadly consequences.
- 10
Prisoners
A grueling, emotionally charged search for missing children that tests the moral limits of a desperate father.
Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.